Renault’s new arrival Nico Hulkenberg had a steady first day behind the wheel of the RS17 as testing got underway at the Barcelona circuit.
Despite not getting in the amount of laps they wanted, there were no serious interruptions for the team’s Monday programme.
Hulkenberg managed 57 laps and finished ninth on the day’s time sheet, with a fastest lap of 1m24.784s.
“It was an exciting first day with a new team and a completely different type of Formula One car,” Hulkenberg said.
“It feels very different out on track with a lot of new aspects to discover as we’re at the start of a steep learning curve.
“The car certainly feels faster than those to the previous regulations and it is fun to drive. You certainly realise you’ve got more downforce in the corners.
“It wasn’t the most trouble-free day, but it’s been a good start in my new home.”
The German only ran on the medium Pirelli tyre which could explain the pace set, stoppages throughout the day included taking off the aero rake and changes being made to the front brake ducts.
“Renault’s chassis technical director Nick Chester added: “Even though we didn’t get as many laps as we wanted, it’s been a productive first day of the test for the R.S.17.
“We have made good progress in terms of understanding the balance required for these new cars and we have a good direction for tomorrow.
“It was great to have Nico in the car and we ended the day with a long run to give us a good amount of data to work over.
“We did lose track time whilst we rectified some issues with the front brake ducts, but we have that in hand. Overall, we learnt a lot today.”
Jolyon Palmer will take over the driving duties on Tuesday.
Twitter: First impressions @HulkHulkenberg? (We won’t eavesdrop, we’ll ask him properly later
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