Giovinazzi: 'Four-tenths from Grosjean is strong'

©WRI2

40

Antonio Giovinazzi deemed himself to be satisfied with his Friday morning outing with the Haas F1 Team which he concluded in P16.

The young Italian, who ran in the first two races of the season as Pascal Wehrlein's replacement at Sauber, is on loan by Ferrari to Haas and will run in six more free practice sessions this season.

"First of all, I want to say thank you to Scuderia Ferrari for this opportunity," said Giovinazzi.

"It was a really good session. My last test was Bahrain with Ferrari a long time ago, so to be back in a car was really nice."

The 23-year-old rookie clocked in after twenty-four laps, boosted by his performance and raring to give it another go. But he'll have to wait a couple of weeks for his next opportunity.

Giovinazzi Friday runs won't harm team's progress - Steiner

"It was a session to just get as many laps as we could," said Giovinazzi.

"We didn’t make any mistakes, we tried quite a few things, and I was confident in the car. I was really happy with our performance.

"It’s nice to see how different teams work. I’m looking forward to my remaining six FP1 performances with Haas F1 Team. It’s a fantastic team, so I’m really happy to join them and I’ll do my best.

"I started this FP1 session at one of the hardest tracks with a lot of downforce and a lot of fast corners. I think to be four-tenths from Romain is strong. He, of course, has a lot of experience and laps to start.

"I can’t wait to jump in the car again in Hungary. It will also be hard as it’s a difficult track, but I’ve already got some confidence from the car so it’ll be a little easier."

Giovinazzi obviously has an eye on the future, whether it will be linked with Ferrari or another team.

"My goal is to compete in F1 but now I'm more focused on these seven practices.

"After that, let's see what the options are for next year. I hope I can find a place but I know how difficult it is to get into Formula 1. I think it's too early to talk about it. It's only July."

GALLERY: F1 drivers' wives and girlfriends

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.