Nikita Mazepin had his toughest day behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car on Wednesday after experiencing track temperatures of over 50 degrees for the first time, although he was able to come through to finish the day ninth fastest at the Hungaroring.
After taking over the Sahara Force India F1 Team VJM10 for the afternoon from Lucas Auer, the Russian completed 48 laps of the Hungaroring working through the teams plans, and he felt he was much more comfortable in the car by the end of the day.
The only downside of the day was a red flag that ruined his performance run, but he felt he adapted well to the VJM10 and was glad to have been able to help the team out during the test.
“It’s been a tougher day today as the track temperatures were much higher,” said Mazepin. “Despite this, we kept working away, trying to find the best way to set up the car.
“We had a big run plan to go through and I think the team managed to get all the information they needed. We started with some aero runs and then moved on to longer stints as the day progressed.
“I felt more comfortable in the car as the day went on and I enjoyed the performance of the VJM10. It’s been great to be back in the car and help the team in this test.”
