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Caldarelli surprised by brakes following shunt

Having made his official debut in a Formula E car, Andrea Caldarelli didn’t make the best start to his day as after eight laps he found himself in the barriers at turn one.

The Italian was one of 20 drivers taking part in the rookie test in Marrakesh and has took over Jerome d’Ambrosio’s Dragon Racing machine for the day.

Having already completed his initial banker laps, Caldarelli went for his second outing and was caught out by the brakes on a cold track.

“It was my second run. I really enjoyed my first run and I was quite conservative, but still I think the lap times weren’t so bad,” said the 27-year-old.

“I had just changed car and went out for a couple of runs, then had huge locking in the braking zones and went straight on. It was a bit surprising as I didn’t expect the brakes to be so difficult with the engine power. The temperature for sure didn’t help, I would say.

“Maybe we are in a really unlucky situation with the brakes. I knew that the brakes were difficult to manage in this car but I didn’t expect that.”

Caldarelli also acknowledged the importance of finding a balance between tyre management and braking, but admitted to not having spent enough time in the car to find that balance.

“It’s not that difficult to manage the tyres, it’s more a question of how you manage the brakes with the tyres and matching them up. But I probably didn’t get enough running to get a proper feeling, I only did about eight laps.”

Caldarelli was able to get back to the pit lane and continue his programme in the second car.

About Topher Smith
Topher is an experienced and passionate Motorsport journalist with Formula E, Formula 1, GP2/F2, GP3 and IndyCar all on his resume. When he isn't at the trackside you can find him furthering his own capabilities and knowledge through his endless search for original ideas and material. Also plays league pool.