Categories: F1 News, Reports and Race ResultsForce India

Celis hails Force India progress in pre-season test

Alfonso Celis Jr. was handed the honour of being the first driver behind the wheel of the VJM09 in last week's pre-season test in Barcelona, and had nothing but praise for the work done by the Force India squad.

"It has been an amazing opportunity, an amazing week in general," said Force India's 19-year-old development driver, who impressed the team by notching up a total of 58 laps and setting a highly impressive fifth fastest time on soft tyres in the afternoon.

Celis returned on Thursday and wrapped up the first pre-season test in Barcelona with the third quickest time and 75 more laps under his belt.

"I am really pleased overall with the performance with the runs and the plans that we have accomplished, with the reliability on the car," he said. "I think we have developed the car a lot so we are really pleased."

Even so, the Mexican driver was quick to admit just how much more work lay ahead before the car lined up on the grid in Melbourne for the first round of the 2016 Formula One season.

"There are a lot of things to improve. There is always room for improvement but I think we are on the right path. We achieved we had planned, so it is just about working in the direction and we should be improve.

"As a driver it is just my third time in the car so there are many ways. I am positive and I am really focused to develop myself so there are millions of ways to improve myself. I am really looking forward to that.

"I am still learning step by step and it has been an amazing opportunity to drive the two days. For me as a rookie driver it is a big plus. We are in the right direction as a team and to develop myself."

Celis will combine his Formula One commitments with a second Formula V8 3.5 campaign in 2016. He is expected take part in seven Friday practice sessions for Force India over the course of the season.

FEATURE: The first test in numbers

GALLERY: Pre-season testing

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.