Maldonado confident after first day with FW35

F1 Test, Barcelona, Circuit de Catalunya

Williams debuted their brand new FW35 today with Pastor Maldonado having the honours to put the car through its paces. Both driver and team were satisfied with the new car. Maldonado's team mate, Valtteri Bottas will get his first taste of the car tomorrow.

Today's objectives for Wiliams were aero evaluations, tyre testing and component checks.

Mike Coughlan, Technical Director: "It was a very good day for us, with Pastor completing 86 laps, the second-highest of any team today. Pastor was very comfortable in the car which was shown by his early lap times. We had a small water leak this afternoon on a development part, but we were able to fix it quickly to complete our tyre programme. We feel confident in the core reliability of the FW35 and look forward to continuing with Valtteri tomorrow."

Pastor Maldonado: "It was a good day today. I felt happy after the first run this morning and we then completed a busy day of testing. It was great to get out on track in the new car. The FW35 feels like we have made a real step forward. There is still a lot to discover with the new car, but this is a good starting point for us for the season."