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Mercedes junior driver George Russell was left with a big smile on his face after setting an unofficial track record at the Hungaroring on Wednesday. The Briton was testing for the Silver Arrows over the two-day in-season test, setting a best lap time of 1:15.575.
Russell had limited track time on Tuesday after a gearbox issue emerged in the W09. However, the 2017 GP3 champion set 116 timed laps on day two, and stated that his fastest lap on the hypersoft tyre is not one that he's going to forget soon.
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"Day two ran very smoothly and was a much more productive day for the team and me," he said. "We did some runs on the hypersoft tyre, which was an incredible experience for me. I had never driven that tyre before, nor a Formula 1 car in anything other than a race setup.
"That was a great experience and it puts a smile on my face that we achieved the fastest lap ever around the Hungaroring. All in all, it's been two productive and positive days and I can't wait for the next opportunity to drive an F1 car again."
Mercedes engineer Rich Lane was also satisfied with Mercedes' running at the test. Lane revealed that the team was working on brakes and aerodynamics on the second day, and disclosed that Mercedes was happy with Russell's performance.
"After a tricky day yesterday, we managed to recover the test and got through most of the programme that we had planned for the week," Lane said.
"Today's work focused on brakes and aerodynamics. We also worked on George's performance and he did a very good job today as always. It's been a positive end to the first half of the season and everyone is now looking forward to summer shutdown in a couple of days and then Spa."
Fergal Walsh
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
I. Hadjar
A. Antonelli
C. Leclerc
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