Rookie Nissany 'comfortable' with F1 after just four laps

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Absolute beginner Roy Nissany enjoyed his first taste of F1 on Tuesday at Yas Marina, with the Israeli racer taking just four laps to feel at home in Williams FW42.

Nissany, who raced in F2 last year with Campos, has been awarded two half days of testing with Williams during this week's post-season Pirelli tyre test in Abu Dhabi.

The 25-year-old put 41 laps under his belt on Tuesday morning, clocking in with the slowest time of the day, which was hardly surprising given Nissany's inexperience and his car's relative lack of performance.

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"I feel great! You know that feeling that you like your job and you know what you are doing," he said.

"It took me four laps to get comfortable in the car, and from there on it was just building up my pace and confidence.

"We were improving and making our best laps until the end, and we made a few changes according to my wishes.

"I now feel confident in the car, with a lot of potential in our pocket so that tomorrow morning will be exactly what we need for the last improvements in 2019."

In this morning's session, Nissany improved on his personal best but was still over 2 seconds adrift from the next slowest driver, Alfa Romeo's Antonio Giovinazzi.

"The main objectives with Roy were to get him comfortable in the car and to give him his first experience of the FW42 whilst gathering his thoughts on the 2020 tyres," explained Williams senior race engineer Dave Robson.

"We completed all these objectives without issue and Roy did an excellent job on his first day with the team."

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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.