Bertrand Baguette is thoroughly looking forward to his first taste of Formula One as the Belgian's test session with Renault draws ever closer. As a prize for becoming this season's Champion in the French manufacturer's World Series, the 23-year-old will join the fray at Jerez next month.
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With Belgium being a county never to have produced a World Champion, its closest shave to definitive F1 glory came courtesy of Jacky Ickx, whose Ferrari finished runner-up to the late Jocken Rindt's Lotus in 1970.
"This will be a great first for me," said Baguette, who clinched the World Series title at the Nürburgring in September with two races still to go. "It's all my childhood dreams come true and, at the same time, it's every racing driver's ultimate goal.
"It's thanks to Renault that I was able to get into single-seater racing, by winning a programme set up by Renault in Belgium to discover up-and-coming young talent from karting. Since then, I've driven every Renault single-seater, from Formula Renault 1.6 to Formula Renault 3.5 via Formula Renault 2.0. Driving the Renault F1 R29 kind of completes the set, as far as I'm concerned! The first few laps in Formula One car must be really unbelievable, with a lighter, more powerful car that has just phenomenal cornering speeds."
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| Baguette seized this year's World Series title in style |
Bertrand then joked that the only thing he will be familiar with is the Spanish circuit but, as he prepares for the special testing for those drivers with less than three F1 races' experience, there is a job to be done.
"The aim of this day will be to work hard with the team and to carry out the test programme that Renault is going to define," he added, with regular driver Robert Kubica unable to step into the cockpit at a circuit until February, due to the new-for-2009 testing limitations.
See also:
- Jerez December test: The line-up
- Bortolotti looking forward to F1 test
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Valencia |
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| 02 Feb. |
Valencia |
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| 03 Feb. |
Valencia |
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| 04 Feb. | 
Silverstone |
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| 05 Feb. |
Silverstone |
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| 10 Feb. |
Jerez |
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| 11 Feb. |
Jerez |
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| 12 Feb. |
Jerez |
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| 13 Feb. |
Jerez |
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| Full Formula 1 test schedule | ||
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