BMF applauds Goddard’s F1 debut in Abu Dhabi

After Lewis Hamilton claimed his second FIA Formula 1 World Championship at the spectacular Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi at the weekend, just six months after his crowd-pleasing display at Top Gear Festival Barbados in May, two days of post-season testing resulted in another island connection.

One of the two test drivers for the Sahara Force India team was 22-year-old Richard ‘Spike’ Goddard, grandson of Richard Goddard of Indian Ground, St Peter. His father Bruce, who was born and raised in Barbados, was a regular visitor to Bushy Park in his youth and kick-started his son’s interest in motor sport with a visit to the Australian GP when Spike was 13.

After his F1 initiation on Wednesday in the team’s VJM07-04, Goddard, who won the National Class of the Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series in 2012, said: “I felt today went really well. The VJM07 is a massive step up from my Formula 3 car, so the first part of the day was devoted to adjusting to the new machinery. The power and downforce of these cars is something on a completely different level; it was a massive shock to the system, but I got used to it fairly soon.

“We chipped away at the lap time in every run and in the end we got to a pretty good time and 89 laps, which is a fair bit of running. I am pretty happy about the work I did with the team and the way everyone worked with me. I'd love to keep a link with Sahara Force India: it's a fantastic group of people and I'd like to contribute and help as much as I can.”

Barbados Motoring Federation (BMF) President Andrew Mallalieu said: “I am delighted to see Spike being given this terrific opportunity by Force India, and even more pleased that he performed so well . . . the time sheets for the two days will show that he was quicker than Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and others who have Grand Prix race experience behind them, although we will never know which elements of the car each team might have been testing.”

Sahara Force India Chief Engineer Tom McCullough added: “Completing 89 trouble-free laps is a successful way to wrap up our 2014 trackside programme. Spike did a good job and really made the most of his first opportunity in a Formula 1 car. It’s always a big jump from Formula 3 to Formula 1, but he adapted quickly and gradually built up his confidence and speed throughout the test."

During the day, Goddard tested a new display system developed by Hamilton's father Anthony: the 'Info Wing' is a small carbon fibre component designed to fit to the top of an F1 car's airbox, where on-board cameras are usually mounted, and Force India fitted a prototype to the VJM07 for a trial run overseen by governing body the FIA. Hamilton Sr hopes the Info Wing will improve the spectator experience of F1 by using LEDs to display race information, such as a driver's name, position and the tyre compound they are using.

Fastest after the two days of testing was German Touring Car Championship driver Pascal Wehrlein, driving for Mercedes (1m 42.624s), with Goddard’s 1:44.944 placing him mid-way through the times.

Editor’s note: affiliated to the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), which rules the sport worldwide, the Barbados Motoring Federation (BMF) is the island’s governing body for motor sport; it also represents the interests of its member Clubs in discussions with Government departments which facilitate the sport in the island, in particular the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, which permits road closures for an agreed number of events each year. Away from motor sport, the BMF affiliate which answers the FIA Mobility remit is the Barbados Automobile Association (BAA), which is an executive committee member of the Government’s Barbados Road Safety Council.