After being runner-up in Euro F3000 (with €100,000 budget), Romain Dumas was summoned by the Renault F1 Team for an evaluation test at the Barcelona circuit in December 2002. Pardon the critique, but his style was pretty wild ... Is that why Franck Montagny was preferred to him as test driver? Or was it necessary to sign a lifetime contract with Flavio Briatore?

Pierre Van Vliet

Pierre Van Vliet is a respected and authoritative figure in F1 news circles and brings a wealth of information to F1i.com

Recent Posts

McLaren explains why Mercedes has ‘raised the bar’ for F1 rivals

Andrea Stella is not one for grand proclamations after a handful of early laps –…

3 hours ago

Brown wants Alonso Indy 500 reunion: ‘I’m bugging him about it’

Zak Brown isn’t done dreaming of unfinished business – and that dream wears a familiar…

5 hours ago

Kubica's life-changing crash that nearly ended it all

It was on this day in 2011 that Robert Kubica's world grounded to a sudden…

6 hours ago

Schumacher thrives on first oval – walks away confident

Mick Schumacher was all smiles after his first IndyCar oval test at Homestead-Miami Speedway –…

7 hours ago

Sky F1 quietly alters its usual pre-season routine for Bahrain

Sky Sports F1 is easing off the throttle when it comes to live coverage of…

8 hours ago

Piastri offers first glimpse of F1’s active aerodynamics

Oscar Piastri believes Formula 1’s bold aerodynamic revolution for 2026 may feel familiar to drivers…

10 hours ago