It was announced today that 21 year-old J.R. Hildebrand, of Sausalito, California, the 2009 Firestone Indy Lights Series champion, will be testing for Force India at Jerez Circuit on December 1-3.
“I'm ecstatic to get my first taste of F1,” the Californian enthused. “I've heard so much about the performance of the cars, and I know this is going to be quicker and more responsive than anything I've ever sat in before. I know it's a big challenge, but I feel ready to tackle it. The aim is to learn the track and the car and then hopefully show my potential.
Another Californian hoping to show his potential is 18 year old Alexander Rossi of Nevada City. Rossi, who was the top rookie in the 2009 Formula Master series in Europe, will also be testing at Jerez Circuit. Rossi secured a test with BMW/Sauber F1. Although the team is still scrambling for funding to make the grid for 2010, Rossi will get the opportunity to show his stuff for the other F1 teams in attendance.
Rossi also competes in the GP2 Asia series. Hildebrand is being courted by several different Indycar teams for the 2010 Izod Indycar Series championship, but a strong performance at Jerez could lead him to a Formula 1 ride.
The last time a pair of Californians were both in the running for Formula 1 seats was when Red Bull campaigned European junior formula programs for San Diego's Colin Fleming and Manteca's Scott Speed. Speed ended up earning a F1 seat in 2006 with Red Bull Racing before moving into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2008.
California is well-known as a hotbed of development for both NASCAR and USAC racers, but perhaps more attention should be paid to the development of Californians for Formula 1 racing. I hope Peter Winsdor and the USF1 squad will be watching how these young men develop.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment