Sergey Sirotkin had his first taste of 2017 Formula 1 machinery on Wednesday when he took to the Bahrain International Circuit for the Renault Sport Formula 1 Team.
The Russian completed 90 laps in the RS17 as he worked on a whole range of programmes, including suspension, tyres and aerodynamic tests, and finished ninth fastest, just 1.007 seconds off the pace set by Valtteri Bottas.
Sirotkin was delighted to get the opportunity to run in the 2017 car for the first time and admitted he enjoyed every moment of it even if testing is not normally exciting for a driver.
“It was quite a good, and quite a busy day, and it was great to be out in action as I’ve been waiting for this day a very long time!” said Sirotkin. “I enjoyed every second of being in the car, even if the programme was not the most exciting for the driver.
“The car is amazingly quick and I noticed the difference in grip immediately from the previous generation. That said, you soon get used to the extra speed. I can’t wait to get to Sochi.”
