Hamilton and Button to miss Mugello test

McLaren has announced that neither Jenson Button nor Lewis Hamilton will be attending the upcoming three-day Formula 1 test session in Italy. Instead, reserve drivers Gary Paffett and Oliver Turvey will be on-hand to collect data at Mugello.

The Mugello test, running between 1 and 3 May, will be the first official in-season test for F1 race drivers for over three years. Since the start of 2009, the testing ban has dictated that the only track action away from race weekends has been for private, straight-line aerodynamic runs or the Young Driver Test staged in November.

McLaren confirmed the Mugello line-up through Twitter on Wednesday afternoon. No official reason has been given for the upcoming absence of Hamilton and Button.