Van der Garde to miss out on Free Practice sessions

A man who needs every second he can get in his latest motor is set to lose out on four Free Practice 1 sessions this season. Giedo van der Garde hasn't been able to get to grips with the Caterham in the same way as his team-mate Charles Pic and really should be given every available opportunity to drive the car, but the team are going to give the FP1 sessions to their test drivers Alexander Rossi and Ma Qing Hua.

Giedo van der Garde will lose valuable time in the car to test drivers
© LAT Photographic/Caterham F1

Van der Garde will sit out Free Practice 1 for the first time in Bahrain, probably to facilitate Rossi's quest for F1 experience.

He's not alone though, written into each of the Caterham contracts is the clause allowing FP1 to be utilised by the team's test drivers.  Charles Pic will give way in China so as to give Ma a run out in front of his home crowd.