Paffett gets back into F1 groove
German Formula 3 champion Gary Paffett was upbeat following his first Formula 1 test for nearly two years at Barcelona today
The Briton only managed 13 laps for McLaren-Mercedes in Spain, but was happy to have settled into the MP4-17. He hopes to get a lot more laps in when he tests again on Thursday this week.
"Today I was just getting into the routine of things," said Paffett. "Last time I tested an F1 car was at Jerez and Magny-Cours in January two years ago, but the car was completely different so I just needed some mileage.
"I got back into it very quickly but it was the first time I've driven at Barcelona. It's a good circuit. I started with a standard set-up and played with it a little bit.
"I've got a day to think about it now, so let's see what I can do on Thursday when I have another full day's running."
Paffett's first tests with McLaren came on the back of him winning the McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Young Driver award. The team's managing director Martin Whitmarsh was full of praise for his performance.
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