A day earlier than originally scheduled, Nick Yelloly got his first opportunity to test a Formula 1 car, with the twenty-four-year-old Briton running 109 laps of the Circuit de Catalunya for the Sahara Force India team.
Yelloly admitted it took a little getting used to driving a F1 compared to the GP2 Series car he drove last weekend at this circuit, but once used to his new environment, got on with his job superbly.
“It felt really good to finally get my chance in a Formula One car,” revealed Yelloly. “I’ve been working towards this day for a long time and I need to say a big ‘thank you’ to everyone at Sahara Force India for giving me this opportunity.
“The first few laps felt a bit unusual, but I soon got comfortable in the car. One of the first things I noticed was the directness of the power steering compared to a GP2 car because you only have to put a slight input and the car responds immediately.
“The set-up was pretty much where we needed it straight away and we just chipped away at it making a few small adjustments during the day. The main focus was on aero and we did a big sweep in the morning, but I also got the chance to run on soft tyres in the afternoon.
“I’m feeling really positive about the day and I hope it’s been useful for the team.”
Yelloly hopes his performance in Spain on Tuesday will allow him to have more opportunities to test with the team in the future.
“Hopefully I’ve done a good enough job that will warrant me having another go in the season, that will be great,” added Yelloly. “Hopefully it will be in the B-spec as well because we’re hoping for a big step forward with that one.
“I think the team have been impressed with the job I’ve done with my first day in a Formula 1 car. I think they are happy, so we’ll wait and see if the phone rings.
“To be part of a Formula 1 team and get this opportunity already is brilliant, and I’d just like to develop that further.”
