FIA WEC – Rookie Test at Bahrain
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FIA WEC – Rookie Test at Bahrain

At Bahrain, the day after the fourth round of the 2019-2020 FIA World Endurance Championship season, a track day was reserved for young drivers per usual to give them the opportunity to try their hand at endurance racing or test out new classes. Teams used the event to scout new talent.

Among the drivers to hit the track at Bahrain on Sunday, four were officially selected by the organizer and promoter: Nyck de Vries with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, Mikkel Jensen with Signatech Alpine Elf, Job van Uitert with Porsche GT Team and Vincent Abril with Team Project 1. Other noteworthy rookies on the scene were Jonathan Cochet and Jan Magnussen. For the dozen or so teams participating, it was an opportunity to evaluate future recruits as well. 

In the wake of the Rookie Test, Ferrari Competizioni has confirmed two GT drivers for 2020, namely Daniel Serra and Nicklas Nielsen. The Brazilian driver, winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Petit Le Mans, has already shared the wheel of AF Corse's #51 488 GTE with Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado. Nielsen stood out in the European Le Mans Series with Luzich Racing by winning the GTE title. Further details on their respective programmes will be announced soon. 

While the fastest time during the Rookie Test was clocked by "veteran" Kamui Kobayashi, who set the mark at 1:43.264 at the wheel of the Toyota TS050 Hybrid, the best time for a rookie went to Japanese driver Kenta Yamashita, already with Toyota, in a lap time of 1:44.075 driving the TS050 Hybrid.

Click for the Rookie Test timesheet.

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