Rossiter: On-track testing a boost for F1 simulator work
James Rossiter believes that Force India's simulator programme will be hugely boosted by the testing he did at Jerez in Spain this week
The Briton drove two half days for the Silverstone-based team in the first pre-season test, as the outfit wanted to give him a better understanding of how a contemporary machine compares to the simulator.
When asked by AUTOSPORT how valuable he felt the running had been, Rossiter said: "Massively. I think with all the guys who I work with, and the vehicle dynamic guys who work on the simulators, it has been very, very important.
"It is so important to get it right with the tyres early on in the season. Then we can really try and help with the early season upgrades and the direction we need to take it in to exploit its full potential."
Rossiter tried out different tyre compounds during his running, and believed the fact that he was able to set competitive times showed how beneficial simulators could be.
The only drama of the two days was when he misjudged his braking into the pits on Thursday morning, knocking down one of his mechanics.
"It was totally my fault," said Rossiter. "We were doing some aero runs and everything was cold. The brakes were too cold, the tyres were too cold and I came in too fast.
"Thank god Marcus is okay. He has got a few bruises and I am sure I will be buying him many beers and he won't be forgetting it soon.
"There are no reset buttons in real life like there is in the simulator - and there are no mechanics standing in front of the car in the simulator either! It was quite unfortunate but luckily he is okay."
AUTOSPORT special testing coverage:
Gallery Testing blog Technical blog Live commentary Trackside analysis
Previous article
Pirelli says Jerez too rough for Formula 1 tyre testing
Next article
Jerez F1 testing: Felipe Massa stays ahead on day three
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Alexander Rossi |
| Author | Jonathan Noble |
Why McLaren doesn’t doubt Ricciardo can escape his ‘dark’ place
Three points finishes from as many starts represents a decent opening innings on paper, but Daniel Ricciardo has endured a tough start to his McLaren career - only magnified his team-mate's excellent form. Yet both he and the team have good reason to expect a turnaround soon
What needs to “change” for Red Bull is ending Verstappen’s errors
OPINION: Going up against the dominant force of Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton was always going to demand the best from Red Bull and Max Verstappen. But after making a couple more errors during the Portuguese Grand Prix, the Dutch driver showed there's a small gap he still needs to close in the 2021 Formula 1 title fight
The "subtle" Red Bull upgrades that kept it in the Portugal F1 mix
Red Bull's Portuguese Grand Prix fortunes were decidedly second best to Mercedes', but the result skews the potential that the team had at Portimao. With a new set of updates, the team looks good going forward into the rest of 2021's spicy F1 competition
Portuguese Grand Prix Driver Ratings
The 2021 Portuguese GP will for several drivers go down as a weekend of missed opportunities amid imperfect track conditions that caused struggles with tyre warmup. But the performances of a select few stood out from the crowd
How Hamilton took a “completely different journey” to Portugal victory
Just as he did in 2020, Lewis Hamilton had to come from behind to win the 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix. Only this time there were two rivals he had to pass, among the several challenges he had to overcome, on his way to securing a 97th grand prix victory
The ‘big fish’ mentality that kept an Australian legend winning
Frank Gardner was the veteran of just eight grand prix starts. It could have been more, but why waste his talent if the cars weren't up to it? NIGEL ROEBUCK recalls the life of one of racing's great characters
Why Todt’s FIA successor could be cut from the same cloth
Jean Todt has signalled that he will not stand for re-election as FIA president. MARK GALLAGHER analyses the strong credentials of one potential successor…
The data that leaves both Red Bull and Mercedes uncertain of supremacy at Portimao
Lewis Hamilton topped the crucial FP2 session on Friday as F1 returned to Portugal, but his Mercedes team cannot be sure it has the edge on its Red Bull rivals. As cool temperatures and wind combine with the still-slippery surface to present drivers with quandaries over set-up and tyre warmup, there's still everything to play for come qualifying
