Luiz Razia positive after first day with Toro Rosso at Abu Dhabi

GP2 race winner Luiz Razia was in a positive after his first day testing with Toro Rosso at the Yas Marina circuit, as the annual Abu Dhabi Young Driver Test got underway. The Brazilian driver has previous F1 experience from this season, after testing with Force India at Magny-Cours during their Young Driver Test programme.

Throughout the day, Luiz Razia completed numerous work for the Faenza-based outfit, which included testing various items on the car and establishing a base line for the STR7. The 23-year-old Brazilian has previous knowledge on the Yas Marina circuit, having tested at the venue with Team Lotus in 2011 and Virgin Racing in 2010. Razia also raced at the circuit last year, during the GP2 Series Final where he managed to finish 2nd in the feature race and 8th in the sprint race for Caterham.

“I enjoyed my first experience working with Toro Rosso today, on a track I know well, having driven here in 2010 and ’11.” Explained Luiz Razia, “In the morning, the team had various test items it wanted to work through and in the afternoon, we looked a bit more at establishing a base line on the car. As far as the tyres are concerned, I found it relatively straightforward as they seemed quite similar to those supplied by Pirelli in GP2. As for all the buttons on the steering wheel, I had some time before driving the car to get used to them, so I soon got the hang of it. Overall, it was a good day as the car ran trouble free and I was able to do a lot of laps.”

Luiz Razia will continue his work with Toro Rosso in the third and final day of testing, as fellow GP2 driver Johnny Cecotto jr. assumes driving duties in the STR7 for day two. Razia’s former GP2 Championship rival Davide Valsecchi will also be testing on the third and final day for Lotus, as the top two drivers of the previous GP2 season continue to strive for a position on the Formula 1 grid.

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