Red Bull announce 2014 F1 test-driver line up

Formula 1 constructors' world champions Red Bull Racing have announced Sebastien Buemi and Antonio Felix da Costa as their test drivers for the 2014

By Team autoX | on December 6, 2013 Follow us on Autox Google News

Formula 1 constructors' world champions Red Bull Racing have announced Sebastien Buemi and Antonio Felix da Costa as their test drivers for the 2014 F1 season.

Twenty-five-year-old Buemi (left, in first picture), from Switzerland, is a former Toro Rosso driver who has been a Red Bull reserve driver since the 2012 F1 season along with doing testing duties for Nissan for development of the Nismo version of the GTR sports car.

Felix da Costa (second picture) has been a test and reserve driver for Red Bull Racing since 2012 when he won the Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix, setting the fastest lap of the race along the way.

The 22-year-old completed his second Formula Renault 3.5 Series this year, finishing third in the points standings after finishing fourth in 2012.

The Portugese was considered a shoe-in for an F1 race seat at Toro Rosso for 2014 after Australia's Daniel Ricciardo graduated to Red Bull Racing to take the seat vacated by Mark Webber.

However, Russia's Daniil Kvyat was chosen instead of Felix da Costa despite not having had experience in Formula Renault 3.5 and having raced just one season worth of experience in a Formula 3 car. Formula 3 isconsidered to be the most important junior series even for racing drivers who ultimately do not choose F1 as a career path.

Russia is set to host its first ever F1 race in 2014, which is rumored to be one of the reasons for the 19-year-old Kvyat's promotion over Felix da Costa.

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