Auer builds confidence with F1 outing with Force India

40

Lucas Auer thoroughly enjoyed his first test behind the wheel on an F1 car, gradually building his confidence over Budapest's two-day test.

The DTM racer, who had his uncle Gerhard Berger on hand to dispense some advice, improved with every run in Force India's VJM10, building his confidence while learning with every lap.

"It was a good session and I believe we managed to stick to our run plan and get all the data that the team wanted," said Auer who clocked in with 49 laps on Wednesday, achieving the seventh best time of the day.

"I felt pretty good in the car this morning: I had a good night’s sleep and I felt a lot more confident compared to my first time in the car yesterday.

"The team helped me so much and I was very impressed by the work of everyone: they had a lot of data from the race weekend, of course, and it was interesting to see how they used it.

"There is so much attention to detail and everyone made sure the instructions were clear so we were able to maximise our time."

Kubica feeling fantastic after 'incredible journey' back to F1

Auer shared driving duties with Nikita Mazepin over the course of the two-day test, and was grateful to Force India for receiving the opportunity to test the waters of F1.

"Experiencing Formula 1 has been great. There is so much speed and the cars have so much downforce," he said.

"You have to train your eye to be quick because everything happens faster – it’s a very interesting way of driving and you have to take care of a lot of settings on your steering wheels while pushing the car hard. It’s a real challenge.

"I feel every new car you drive teaches you something as a driver because you need to adapt to it. I’ll see in the next races what I have learnt from this.

"I’d like to thank the team once more for these two half days – it was a pleasure to drive the VJM10 and work with everyone."

Gallery: Robert Kubica's comeback test in pictures

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.