Esteban Gutierrez experienced his first day behind the wheel of the first Haas F1 Team car on Tuesday, and felt it was a very positive day after a trouble free run to the sixth fastest time at the Circuit de Catalunya.
The Mexican completed 79 laps of the Spanish circuit during his first day in the VF-16 after rejoining the F1 grid following a year away, but Gutierrez was happy to get on track and get comfortable with the car.
“It was a very positive day for us, especially as a new team,” said former Sauber driver Gutierrez. “It was very exciting to do the first lap.
“Even though it was an installation lap, it was a very special moment. After months of analyzing, learning about the car, the different strategies, to finally get a feeling for the car was very important.
“I really want to thank the whole team because they have done a really big effort. Obviously, we found ourselves with some very basic problems, but we have reacted in a very positive way and the guys are working day and night.
“We have done a very good job – 79 laps today. So, pretty much what we wanted to do – a lot of miles. We’ll continue this program for the rest of the week.”
