Romain Grosjean said there were positives to take away from the opening day of pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Monday, despite the day being hampered by cold temperatures and fluctuating weather.
Having joined Haas F1 Team team-mate Kevin Magnussen in unveiling the car ahead of the start of the test, the Frenchman was given the responsibility of taking the VF-18 on track for the first time, and he enjoyed a relatively problem-free day, completing fifty-five laps and finishing tenth fastest overall.
With times meaning very little at this stage of testing, Grosjean was pleased to complete as many laps as he did on Monday without problems, with the Frenchman now handing over driving duties to Magnussen on Tuesday before returning to the VF-18 again on Wednesday.
“It’s been a good day,” said the Frenchman. “The first day with the car is always super exciting.
“My first feeling from the car is very positive, so that’s really good knowing today’s conditions haven’t been easy with cold temperatures, a bit of rain and the new tarmac.
“We’ve managed to get almost 60 laps. We didn’t have any major problems with the car. The main thing for the first day with the car is that the feeling is good.”
