Sergey Sirotkin, Sauber’s next race driver, insists he must jump at the chance to enter formula one next year, despite his young age.<\/p>\n
Not yet 18, news that struggling Swiss team Sauber’s new Russian partners will result in Sirotkin being groomed for a 2014 seat has been met with scepticism in the motor racing world.<\/p>\n
That’s because, if he debuts in March next year, he will smash Jaime Alguersuari’s current record as the youngest ever grand prix rookie.<\/p>\n
“Nobody is arguing that it (his grand prix debut) is not coming early,” he told Russia’s Championat, “but it’s not a chance you get every day.<\/p>\n
“Very many would agree that when the opportunity comes, you are stupid not to use it.<\/p>\n
“I do not deny that I would be better prepared by spending another season in the (Renault) World Series, but I have this chance and it should be used because it may be my last,” added Sirotkin.<\/p>\n
His manager, Nikolay Vetrov, admitted the task to prepare Sirotkin will be “very difficult”, but it will begin almost immediately.<\/p>\n
“The plan will likely begin with testing in August,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Of course it’s impossible to test with the new car, but you can with an old one.\u00a0 So we want to do a lot of tests.”<\/p>\n
Asked if he means Sirotkin will test privately in a 2011-spec Sauber, Vetrov confirmed: “Yes, tests with the car that is allowed by the rules of formula one.”<\/p>\n
It has also been reported that the teenager could appear on some Friday mornings for Sauber this season, to which Vetrov admitted: “I can’t say anything about that, but we have set the task to carry out a lot of testing.<\/p>\n
“Maybe one of them will be practicing on Friday, but I just can’t speak of this yet.”<\/p>\n
Vetrov said there was simply no time to arrange for Sirotkin to test at Silverstone this week.<\/p>\n
He also admitted that F1’s new Russian group explored the same opportunities with other teams, before settling on the Sauber deal.<\/p>\n
“I admit that I did have contact with several teams in formula one,” said Vetrov.<\/p>\n
“But knowing this team and the legendary Peter Sauber, we immediately found a positive way in our dealings, and common ground on almost all of the issues.”<\/p>\n
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