Barrichello completes Le Mans simulator testing

Rubens Barrichello ticked off the last of his Le Mans rookie formalities on Friday when he completed his mandatory simulator test.

Le Mans regulations require that all drivers who have either never raced at Le Mans, have not participated in the event in the past five years, or who are classified in the Bronze category, spent time in the AOTech simulator near Paris before taking to the track.

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The system simulates driving on the La Sarthe circuit in daylight and at night, as well as traffic management between protoypes and GTs, the location of marshal posts, and safety procedures.

"I can have an idea of the track and also the traffic, the flags, the Slow Zones and so on," Barrichello told the official 24 Hours of Le Mans website.

"Night driving calls a bit of attention, and the Slow Zones are very useful because you don't lose three minutes in a complete lap. There are some points I got right, others I got wrong, but it is better I do that in the simulator than on the real track. For me it is a good thing that my simulator session takes place in the same week as the Test Day. At the simulator, the guys are really well prepared to give you the right piece of advice, so I can play by the rules in race."

Barrichello will share the No.29 Racing Team Nederland Dallara LMP2 with 1988 Le Mans winner Jan Lammers and Frits Van Eerd. He will get his first real look at the track in Sunday's mandatory eight-hour Test Day.