Sahara Force India F1 Team chief race engineer, Tom McCullough feels it was good to have Nikita Mazepin back in the car after he took part in day two of the Barcelona test.
Mazepin, who secured his first win in GP3 the weekend before had tested with the team in pre-season at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and McCollough was pleased to have him back.
“It was good to have Nikita in the car again after his outing in pre-season.
“It’s always interesting to see a young driver grow with the team and his maiden win in GP3 last weekend showed how much he has developed over the last few years.
“Nikita was up to speed quickly thanks to his work in the simulator and helped us gather some important data.”
The Russian completed 112 laps for the team despite a small issue in the morning as Force India prepare for the Monaco Grand Prix next weekend.
“We had a productive day, even though a hydraulic leak caused us to lose some time after our aero runs in the morning.
“We were able to repair the car and go back out for two more runs before lunch and we adjusted our plan to make up for lost ground in the afternoon.
“We managed to complete all our test items, which was very important for the team ahead of Monaco.
“Looking at both days, it’s been a valuable session that will help us develop the VJM11 even more as the season progresses.”
