Jean-Eric Vergne joins Ferrari as a test driver for 2015

On Friday afternoon, it was announced that Jean-Eric Vergne will join Ferrari’s Formula 1 test roster for 2015, with the ex-Toro Rosso racer focusing on simulator work for the Italian team.

Vergne lost his Toro Rosso race seat at the end of 2014 after three seasons, as the team opted for an all-rookie line-up of Carlos Sainz Jr and Max Verstappen for next year.

Vergne joins ex-Sauber F1 driver Esteban Gutierrez on Ferrari’s revised test list, alongside incumbents Marc Gene and Davide Rigon. But Ferrari has parted company with Pedro de la Rosa, who had been one of its development drivers for the past two years.

In a statement to the press on Friday afternoon, Ferrari’s new team boss Maurizio Arrivabene said he expects Vergne to “make an important contribution” at Maranello. Arrivabene stated the following on signing Vergne:-

'He will fit into a programme aimed at improving important areas, invigorating and strengthening an already strong and capable group of professionals.'

Arrivabene feels that adding Vergne to Ferrari's test driver line up will help the team improve and develop further to get back to the front of the grid once again as quickly as possible. You can also tell from what that Arrivabene has said to the media in his interview that he believes that Ferrari's programme with their own aims and objectives alongside Vergne's experience in Formula One so far will help them massively and is also adding to a strong line up already taking place at the team to meet their goals.

In his own interview with the media on Friday afternoon, Vergne believes his experience from both racing with Toro Rosso and being part of the Red Bull simulator programme while on its junior team beforehand will help Ferrari. Vergne stated the following:-
'I feel very honoured to be joining the Ferrari family and becoming a part of the most prestigious team in the history of Formula 1.

'The objective is a unanimous one and that is to help the Scuderia get back to the top step of the podium. Having had two years working in the simulator for a top F1 team and three years racing with Toro Rosso, my experience will add to the great efforts that are currently being made in order to get the team back to its winning ways.'

It is clear for all to see that Vergne is delighted and honoured to join Ferrari especially with the all the history and the prestige that the team has in the sport now and also in seasons past. As Vergne says himself, his aim is to help the team get back to the podium and the front of the grid as quickly as possible and from using his experience from Toro Rosso so far in his career, he believes that he has a lot to offer the team and will do everything within his ability to achieve this objective that has been set by the team and also himself too.

At the moment since Vergne has parted ways with Toro Rosso a few weeks ago, Vergne has already returned to racing in Formula E, where he took pole and led on his series debut with Andretti Autosport in Punta del Este last weekend which shows that if he has the car underneath him, he can deliver just as well as any other driver on the F1 grid currently and to a high standard also.

Even though as I have argued over this past season that Vergne would not be racing in Formula One next season, it was a real shame for him especially given the fact that it wasn't his fault as much due to reliability failures but he also didn't perform when he got the chance too as well.

But I do believe that Vergne deserves to be in Formula One in some capacity still, even if it is only as a test driver for Ferrari which isn't something to dismiss either. And that in its self shows that Ferrari have faith in his abilities and also believe that his experience in Formula One with Toro Rosso is something that Ferrari can benefit from.

But let us remember that this unique and credible opportunity that Vergne has been presented with by Ferrari gives him another chance to acquire even more experience in the sport and can help him develop as a driver too with one of the best teams on the grid.

And for me that is what Vergne has to focus on. He has been given a fantastic opportunity to show Ferrari, the sport, the fans and his critics how talented he really is as a driver and if anything, demonstrate that he still has a lot of give and also give back into the sport with Ferrari and I believe in time, he will help and achieve the objective that Ferrari and Vergne have set themselves; which is to get back to the front of the grid once more.

I do truly believe that Ferrari given time will get there to where they need to be and the experience, passion, drive and commitment that Vergne has within him will help them get there and Vergne will have shown his doubters that he has achieved something in Formula One to the highest standard; set by one of the biggest teams in the sport and I wish him the best of luck in his new role in the sport.

Sarah Jones