Hamilton: 'First date with W10 one of the best we've had'

©Mercedes

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Lewis Hamilton qualified his short run onboard Mercedes' new W10 on Wednesday as one of the best "first dates" he's had in his years with the Silver Arrows team.

Mercedes shook down its sleek new racer at Silverstone, using one of its two 100 km filming days to let both Valtteri Bottas and Hamilton sample their 2019-spec ride.

Launch Gallery: Mercedes-AMG F1 W10 in action

"It was a great first date, probably one of the best ones that we’ve had in all these years," said the five-time world champion.

"But what has been most impressive is seeing the car coming together last night, which is always impressive to see. And then to see how smooth today has gone.

"There are things we can continue to work on, but so many people worked tirelessly to pull this car together, and to see it come to the test and go out, get through the programme we needed to and get the filming done is great."

©Mercedes

Hamilton embarks on his seventh season with Mercedes and his thirteenth in F1, but the years haven't eroded his excitement or the delectation he feels behind the wheel of an F1 car.

"For me it is crazy, because I have been racing a long long time, it's my seventh year with the team, but the excitement I had today was the same I had when I first got in an F1 car, which is really weird and I was not expecting that."

Check out the video of Hamilton's first lap onboard his Mercedes-AMG F1 W10 Eq Power+.

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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.