Estonian racer Jiri Vips will become a Formula One (F-1) full-time test driver in the Red Bull team by the end of the 2020 season, the public service broadcaster Err.ee (ERR) reported on Wednesday.
Test riders often later join the same team as pilots in F-1 races.
The 20-year-old from Tallinn was the unit’s temporary test driver in the Turkish Grand Prix in mid-November, when two Red Bull test drivers could not be involved. He only recently obtained a super license after driving the required 300 kilometers in an F-1 car.
Vips was also a reserve driver at this weekend’s Sahir Grand Prix in Bahrain, Red Bull’s sister team AlphaTauri, according to Delfi.ee.
The seat became vacant after one of Red Bull’s previous test drivers, Sergio Sete Kamara, joined the Dragon Penske team to compete in the Formula E series of electric cars.
It has not yet been confirmed whether Vips will retain his duties next season.
Vips has competed in some of the 2020 Formula One (F-2) races with the DAMS team, but the later planned move to the Japanese Super Formula Championship was canceled when a local driver was recognized as a better candidate due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The 2003 British F-3 champion Marko Asmer, who himself was an F-1 test driver with the Williams team, also failed to predict the ERR that will take place next season.
There are two races left in the 2020 F-1 season – this weekend in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi a week later. The 2021 season should start in March in Australia.
If Vips continues to compete in the F-2 next season, he will be able to join those F-1 races that do not appear on the calendar in the same week as the F-2, in which case Vips will start in the F-2 series.
Red Bull’s current drivers are Dutch driver Max Verstapen, who is currently third in the overall championship, and Thai driver Alexander Albon (ninth place), while Frenchman Pierre Gasli (tenth place) and Danil Quyat (Russia, 14) are in AlphaTauri’s ranks. .). Gypsum could be called upon to replace any of the four if something happens to them, ERR reports.
Following a horrific accident last weekend in the Bahrain Grand Prix experienced by French rider Roman Grožan, ERR reports that the veteran will not start at least this weekend and will be replaced by his Haas team at least in the Sahir Grand Prix in 1972 and 1974. Pietro Fitipaldi, grandson of world champion Emerson Fitipaldi.
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