You can’t imagine it now though there was a time a lot of drivers tested in the Formula One. Or teams tested in between races to test new aerodynamics or new engines. Or just to cash extra money by letting unknown drivers, who will never arrive, experience the Formula 1.
As many of these drivers are long forgotten, and there isn’t a real overview of the test drivers, its all bits and pieces. It though well why not? Here are the drivers who tested with a F1 car in 1994.
Rothmans Williams Renault
From the team to be beaten to the team that struggled in 1994. While they managed to have Ayrton Senna and Damon Hill as their drivers, the team struggled in the begin of the season. Of course we all know the dark weekend in Imola were Ayrton Senna died. Which had a huge impact within the team. David Coulthard took over the cockpit from Senna for a couple of races. While Nigel Mansell would race as well a couple of races. Even winning the last race of the season in Australia.
Ayrton Senna: Tested in pre-season testing with the Williams FW15D. Tested as well with the Williams FW16 in Estoril.
Damon Hill: Tested in pre-season testing with the Williams FW15D. Tested as well with the Williams FW16 and the Williams FW16B.
David Coulthard: Tested in pre-season testing with the Williams FW15D. Tested as well with the Williams FW16 and FW16B.
Nigel Mansell: Mansell tested with the Williams FW16B at Brands Hatch for his return in the Formula One with Williams.
Jean-Christophe Boullion: Tested with the Williams FW16B at Silverstone.
Emmanuel Collard: Tested with the Williams FW16 at the 4th of August at Silverstone, as well tested on Estoril with the car.
Tyrrell Racing Organisation
1994 is the last year for the Tyrrell team that they were successful. The team managed to score several points and even a podium at Catalunya. Tyrrell appeared with the 022 on the circuit powered by the Yamaha engine. Ukyo Katayama and Mark Blundell were the drivers for the team in 1994.
Ukyo Katayama: Tested with the Tyrrell 022.
Mark Blundell: Tested with the Tyrrell 022.
Gabrielle Tarquini: Testes with the Tyrrell 022 at Jerez.
Mild Seven Benetton Ford
The team that dared Williams during the season, a lot of controversy goes around the team that year. If you have read the book from Ibrar about the 1994 season you know what was going on. Though Benetton was the team to beat in 1994. A couple of races the team was disqualified. It seems the team wasn’t happy with their second drivers either. Johnny Herbert, JJ Lehto and Jos Verstappen shared the second car. While Michael Schumacher won the world championship with the Benetton B194.
Michael Schumacher: Tested in pre-season testing with the Benetton B193B with 1994 livery. Tested with the Benetton B194.
Johnny Herbert: Tested with the Benetton B194.
JJ Lehto: Tested with the Benetton B194.
Jos Verstappen: Tested with the Benetton B194.
Allan McNish: Tested with the Benetton B194.
Paul Tracy: Tested with the Benetton B194 at Estoril the 29th of September.
Jordi Gené: Is said that he has tested with the B193B in early 1994.
Marlboro McLaren Peugeot
In the search for a new engine supplier McLaren arrived at Peugeot for 1994. The team was more or less lost. While they achieved the Peugeot engine. Despite several podium finishes it was clear that Peugeot would only power the McLaren’s for only one season. The McLaren MP4/9 was most of the races driver by Mika Häkkinen and Martin Brundle. While Philippe Alliot replaced Häkkinen for one race.
Mika Häkkinen: Tested with the McLaren MP4/9.
Martin Brundle: Tested with the McLaren MP4/9.
Philippe Alliot: Tested with a black McLaren MP4/9 at Estoril.
Jan Magnussen: Tested the 26th of October with the McLaren MP4/9 at Estoril.
Alain Prost: Tested with the McLaren MP4/9 at Estoril in pre-season testing.
Allan McNish: Tested the 26th of October with the McLaren MP4/9 at Estoril.
Gil de Ferran: Tested with the McLaren MP4/9 at Estoril.
Laurent Aïello: Tested with the McLaren MP4/9.
Footwork Ford
Footwork had a decent season in 1994. The team appeared with the FA15 on the grid with Christian Fittipaldi and Gianni Morbidelli behind the wheel of the Footwork. The team started the season with the White Blue blocked chassis. During the season, because of sponsorship changes, the livery changed and became more chaotic.
Christian Fittipaldi: Tested with the Footwork FA15.
Gianni Morbidelli: Tested with the Footwork FA15.
Gerhard Berger at Fiorano in July Nigel Mansell test for his comeback Paul Belmondo in the Pacific PR01
Team Lotus
Lotus was near bankruptcy when the 1994 season began. However, there was an opportunity. The team had the reliable Mugen-Honda engines. At Monza the team had the new version of the engine. However, Irvine crashed in the back of Herbert who qualified in front. Resulted in a damaged engine and the team would eventually disappear from the grid at the end of the season. Several attempts were made afterward to bring the team back. The team started with the 107C and later came with the new 109.
Pedro Lamy: Tested with the lotus 107C.
Alessandro Zanardi: Tested with the Lotus 107C and the Lotus 109.
Philippe Adams: Tested with the Lotus 107C and the Lotus 109.
Eric Bernard: Tested with the Lotus 109.
Mika Salo: Tested with the Lotus 107C and the Lotus 109.
Johnny Herbert: Tested with the Lotus 107C and the Lotus 109.
Warren Hughes: Is said to have tested with the Lotus 107C.
Massimilliano Papis: Tested with the Lotus 107C at Silverstone in early August.
Sasol Jordan
The first time, after the team’s debut, the Jordan Team had a good season. The team scored with Rubens Barrichello and Eddie Irvine 28 points. While Aguri Suzuki and Andrea de Cesaris replaced Irvine for a couple of races. The team appeared with the 194 on the track powered by the Hart V10 engines.
Rubens Barrichello: Tested with the Jordan 194.
Eddie Irvine: Tested with the Jordan 194.
Aguri Suzuki: Tested with the Jordan 194.
Laurent Aïello: Is said he has tested with the Jordan 194.
Kelvin Burt: Tested with the Jordan 194 powered by the Hart engine at Silverstone.
Vittorio Zoboli: Tested with the Jordan 194 the 28th of September at Estoril.
Tiff Needell: Tested with the Jordan 194 in February at Silverstone for a special.
Brian Hart: Tested with the Jordan 194 powered by the Hart engine. He completed 10laps at Silverstone.
Tourtel Larrousse F1
1994 was also the last year for the Larrousse F1 Team. The team appeared with the LH94 on the grid powered by the Ford V8 engine. The team managed to score some points during the season. Though the team was in financial struggles and like Lotus had many drivers during the season who were able to pay. While the team was working on the LH95 the team would disappear at the end of the season.
Olivier Beretta: Tested with the Larrousse LH93 and the LH94.
Philippe Alliot: Tested with the Larrousse LH94.
Yannick Dalmas: Tested with the Larrousse LH94.
Hideki Noda: Tested with the Larrousse LH94.
Érik Comas: Tested with the Larrousse LH94.
Jean-Denis Délétraz: Tested with the Larrousse LH94.
Emmanuel Clérico: Tested with the Larrousse LH94 at Paul Ricard.
Elton Julian: Tested with the Larrousse LH94 at Paul Ricard.
Richard Virenque: Tested with the Larrousse LC90 or LC91 in June at Paul Ricard.
Erik Comas in the Larrousse LH94 Olivier Beretta in the Larrousse LH93 Philippe Alliot in the McLaren MP4/9
Minardi Scuderia Italia
At the end of 1993 Scuderia Italia merged with the Minardi team. There was not much advantage for Minardi as the team already designed some good cars. The team started the season with the M193B while during the season the team came with the beautiful M194. Pierluigi Martini and Michele Alboreto were the drivers for the team in 1994. Scoring 5 points.
Pierluigi Martini: Tested with the Minardi M193B and the Minardi M194.
Michele Alboreto: Tested with the Minardi M193B and the Minardi M194.
Luca Badoer: Tested with the Minardi M193B and the Minardi M194.
Christian Pescatori: Tested with the Minardi M194 at Fiorano in late December.
Giancarlo Fisichella: Has been said to have tested the Minardi M194 in Late December. Probably at Fiorano.
Tommy Rustad: Tested with the Minardi M194 at Fiorano in late December.
Ligier Gitanes Blondes
In the early 1990s Ligier finally started to recover from the few horrible years the team had. In 1994 the team appeared with the JS39B on the grid. Powered by the Renault V10 engine. The car was an upgrade of the JS39, the car used in 1993. However, the biggest change was the purchase of the team by Tom Walkinshaw and Flavio Briatore. The team scored two podium finish during the German Grand Prix that year. Olivier Panis and Éric Bernard drove the most races. Johnny Herbert replaced Bernard for the European Grand Prix, to be switched for Franck Lagorce.
Olivier Panis: Tested with the Ligier JS39B.
Éric Bernard: Tested with the Ligier JS39B.
Johnny Herbert: Tested with the Ligier JS39B prior his debut with the team.
Franck Lagorce: Tested with the Ligier JS39B.
Jörg Müller: Tested with the Ligier J39B at Estoril.
Massimilliano Papis: Tested with the Ligier JS39B at Estoril.
Michael Schumacher: Schumacher was asked by Flavio Briatore to test the Ligier JS39B after he and Walkinshaw purchased the French team. Early in the season Schumacher tested the Ligier at Estoril.
JJ Lehto: Tested with the Ligier JS39B at Paul Ricard.
Scuderia Ferrari
With the Ferrari 412 T1 and later in the season with the Ferrari 412 T1B the Scuderia were, like Ligier, back on track to become one of the teams to be beaten. Powered by their own V12 engine which was designed from scratch by Claudio Lombardi and Osamu Goto were good for 11 podium finishes. Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger drove most of the races for the team. While Larini replaced Alesi during the Pacific Grand Prix and the San Marino Grand Prix.
Jean Alesi: Tested with the Ferrari 412 T1 and the Ferrari 412 T1B.
Gerhard Berger: Tested with the Ferrari 412 T1 and the Ferrari 412 T1B.
Nicola Larini: Tested with the Ferrari 412 T1 and the Ferrari 412 T1B.
(Broker) Sauber Mercedes
Still one of the new guys on the grid, the team managed to become an decent competitor in the sub top of the Formula 1. During the season a couple of drivers tested the Sauber. The team started as Broker Sauber Mercedes however Broker failed to pay the team. Eventually it was nothing more than a shady sponsor. During the season, when Sauber ditched Broker the team was branded Sauber Mercedes.
Andrea de Cesaris: Tested with the Sauber C13.
Karl Wendlinger: Tested with the Sauber C13.
JJ Lehto: Tested with the Sauber C13.
Kris Nissen: Tested with the Sauber C13.
Mika Salo: Tested with the Sauber C13.
Heinz-Harald Frentzen: Tested with the Sauber C13.
Pedro Lamy: Tested with the Sauber C13.
Norberto Fontana: Tested with the Sauber C13.
Christian Fittipaldi in the Footwork FA14 Tommy Rustad in the Minardi M194
Schiattarella in the Simtek S941
MTV Simtek Ford:
The small Simtek team from Nick Wirth made it’s debut in 1994 on the grid. Originally the teams plan was to debut already in 1993. Ofcourse we could lead the trail from the Simtek S941 all the way back to 1991. When Wirth was asked by BMW to design a Formula One car for their. Intentially BMW was to enter the Formula one as a team. The complete story can be read here ofcourse. As Simtek struggled from the beginning financially, as the horrible crash of Ratzenberger and Andrea Montermini the team let several people trying the car.
David Brabham: Tested with the Simtek S941.
Roland Ratzenberger: Tested with the Simtek S941. Sadly Ratzenberger would let his live in Imola..
Andrea Montermini: Tested with the Simtek S941.
Jean-Marc Gounon: Tested with the Simtek S941.
Domenico Schiattarella: Tested with the Simtek S941.
Vincenzo Sospiri: Tested with the Simtek S941 at Barcelona and completed 10 laps.
Taki Inoue: Tested with the Simtek S941.
Pacific Grand Prix
Another new team in the Formula One. The team from Keith Wiggins was to enter the Formula One as well in 1993. One of their drivers would have been the German Michael Bartels. He even did seat fitting. However, due to the lack of a proper financial base the team would appear a year later with the PR01. Only a few drivers tested with the car.
Paul Belmondo: Tested with the PR01 in Snetterton before the start of the season.
Bertrand Gachot: Tested with the PR01.
Oliver Gavin: Tested with the PR01. Gavin was to race the last race of the season in Australia.
Bridgestone test car
There isn’t much information about the Bridgestone test car fitted with the Mugen-Honda engine. I’m not sure which car was used to test the bridgestone tyres and the Mugen engine. It is said that they tested in 1992, 1993 and 1994 with this car.
Mauro Martini: Is said to have tested with the car.
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