Ricciardo to get Friday outings as Toro Rosso 2011 reserve
Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo will serve as Toro Rosso’s third and reserve driver next season, the team have confirmed. The 21 year old will drive in Friday morning free practice sessions at all Grands Prix, replacing race drivers Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi in turn.
Ricciardo is a product of the Red Bull Young Driver Programme. After winning the British Formula Three championship in 2009, he came second in Formula Renault 3.5 this season and will continue to compete in the series in 2011.
“I am really excited at the prospect of driving for Scuderia Toro Rosso in the Free Practice One sessions at the Grands Prix next year, so I have to say thanks to Red Bull for this great opportunity,” said Ricciardo.
“My main priority for 2011 is to win the Formula Renault 3.5 championship, but my ultimate aim is to be a full-time Formula One driver and this new role has to be the best step towards achieving that ambition.”
Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost commented: "When our team was created, its stated aim was to bring on young drivers from the Red Bull Junior Programme, so Daniel's appointment as our third driver is an obvious one.
“Although Daniel has done some F1 testing already, running on Fridays at the Grands Prix will give him a valuable insight into the additional pressures of doing it for real during a race weekend. I am also sure that having a hungry youngster on the books will keep our current driver pairing nice and sharp!"
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