(MAY 1, 2018)- Nicholas Latifi will make his first appearance as Sahara Force India Formula One team’s Reserve and Test Driver on 15 and 16 May, driving this season’s VJM11 car at the Barcelona test following the Spanish Grand Prix.
The test is the first opportunity for Nicholas to work with the team trackside ahead of his Friday free practice programme, which begins at next month’s Canadian Grand Prix.
Nicholas will drive in Spain on the Tuesday after the race, before development driver, Nikita Mazepin, takes over on the Wednesday.
Alongside the team’s normal testing duties, a second VJM11 will be run at the test in support of Pirelli’s 2018 tyre testing programme and Nicholas will drive this car on Wednesday.
Nicholas said: “I am really looking forward to getting my on-track life at Force India started. I was very disappointed having to miss my chance in pre-season testing through illness, but I am now fully fit and recovered and I can’t wait to go.
“Force India has a great history of giving young drivers an opportunity and I want to help the team develop and push forward in the midfield battle. This test is a very important step ahead of my first Free Practice outing in Canada and I am grateful to the team for all the support they’re giving me.
“There is so much I can learn to develop into a better driver and I am keen to absorb as much information as possible working with our engineers. I am on a high after my podium in Baku [in F2] last weekend, I am very pleased with how things are going and I want to build on that.”
Nicholas’s F2 campaign in 2018 is supported by Royal Bank of Canada, Lavazza and Sofina.
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