F1's invisible men: The keys to 2014
Just because there's so little testing in contemporary grand prix racing doesn't mean that non-race drivers have nothing to do, as Edd Straw explains
You probably assumed Jerome d'Ambrosio had drawn the short straw when it was revealed in the Lotus E21 launch press pack that he had been busted down to fourth-choice behind ebullient GP2 champion Davide Valsecchi.
But becoming, in Enstone-speak, "reserve driver" rather than "third driver", is far from a negative. While Valsecchi will get to spend each grand prix weekend kicking his heels and secretly hoping that either Romain Grosjean or Kimi Raikkonen pick up a largely inconsequential injury that will force them to sit out a weekend, d'Ambrosio has a far more valuable role back at the factory.
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