Entering its third term under the current ground effect regulations, Formula 1 teams are now allowed to run their 2022 cars as specified by the rules.
Several teams are taking this opportunity to give younger drivers some track time, including Mercedes, who is evaluating Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Red Bull, however, chose to have Max Verstappen drive their title-winning RB18, which secured 17 victories, before the Spanish Grand Prix at Imola.
Red Bull’s decision was influenced by their dominant position in both championships but also by issues encountered with kerb-riding at various circuits.
READ: Lando Norris’ Complaint Over Lewis Hamilton’s Maneuver Dismissed by McLaren Boss
Paul Monaghan, Red Bull’s Chief Engineer, stated that the test aimed to provide an accurate comparison between the two cars.
“We really try to give Max a reference from a previous car,” Monaghan said in Barcelona.
“When you’re trying to assess the strengths and weaknesses of a current car, his reference is the current car and you might say, ‘well in previous years we’ve had this, we’ve had that’.
“Have we really because we haven’t run them at the same time?
“So, in taking that car out, we try to give Max a reference to judge it from and he’s been able to give us feedback from that. It’s up to us what we do.”
Verstappen revealed that he was the one who pushed for the test.
“We had the test with the ‘22 car, which is allowed now this year, and I just wanted to get my references back because it’s been a while driving that car,” he said.
“So yeah, it’s a fun track as well of course, Imola.
“We had a good day. It was nice and warm also, and just refreshing my mind of how that car was driving compared to this one.”
Ferrari’s Frederic Vasseur believes Red Bull’s private test with Verstappen was primarily for development purposes.
“It’s more development than something else,” he claimed. “It’s not to give mileage to Max between Barcelona and Austria, that Tuesday you do nothing, go to Imola. It’s clearly development.”
Vasseur noted that Ferrari typically plans between “two or four” runs with full-time drivers and the rest with development drivers.
He suggested that a distinction between testing with race drivers and non-race drivers might be necessary if the FIA were to impose stricter in-season testing regulations.
“Over the season I think we will do probably a bit less than 10,” he said.
“But you can differentiate the TPC that you could do with your drivers, racing drivers I want to say.
READ: David Coulthard Voices Concern Over Daniel Ricciardo’s Uncertain Future at Red Bull
“What you could do with the young drivers, but this for me is another approach, it’s giving them the opportunity sometimes to do mileage for the simulator, and so to develop them.
“I think if we have to police it, we will have to split the two aspects, the day that we are doing with our drivers, and the day that we are doing with the non-racing drivers.
“Honestly like this I would say something stupid, but I would say that we did two or four with our drivers this year, over the season.”