Russell 'learned a huge amount' on 2020 tyres during test

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George Russell says his day onboard Mercedes ' W10 allowed himself and the Silver Arrows outfit to gain a vast amount of knowledge on Pirelli's 2020 tyres.

Russell drove with Williams, his regular team, on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi before switching over to Mercedes for a full day of running on Wednesday during which he clocked in with the fastest time.

The Briton's best effort was done using Pirelli's softest 2020 compound.

"It's been a pleasure driving the championship-winning W10 today," said Russell.

"We tested the 2020 tyres and I've learned a huge amount about them which I'm sure will help both myself and the team going into next season, which is very positive."

Russell concludes Abu Dhabi post-season test on top

Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin was equally satisfied with the team's day of work.

"The car has run faultlessly over the last two days which has allowed us to get through a lot of work," Shovlin said.

"We spent more time today working on getting the most out of the 2020 tyres and we have made good progress in understanding what they need in terms of set-up.

"We also completed a compound scan in the morning which gives us some data to select the tyres for the opening races and did some work on the softest compound - the C5 - on which George set his fastest lap.

"That's not quite it for the W10 as we will be converting Valtteri's race chassis over the next few days into the mule car to do our first 18-inch tyre development test for Pirelli."

Indeed, Russell's season isn't quite over yet as he'll also be on duty with Mercedes next week in Abu Dhabi.

"I'll get more track-time in next week when I'll do the tyre development test for Pirelli before my season finally comes to a close," Russell said.

"I'm excited for a few days off to relax a little before I'm back to my training regime to get the best possible preparation for 2020.

"My first season in Formula One has been a steep learning curve and I'm already looking forward to Australia when we go racing again next year."

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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.