• Second Barcelona Test, Day Three

Maldonado has 'great feeling' from upgrade

Pastor Maldonado completed 34 laps in the morning before Valtteri Bottas drove in the afternoon © Getty Images

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• Report:
• Hamilton sets fastest time of the test
  

• Drivers:
• Pastor Maldonado

• Teams:
• Williams

Pastor Maldonado said the new Williams aerodynamic upgrade gives him "a great feeling immediately from the first lap".

Williams was late getting out on track on the penultimate day as new parts only arrived at the Circuit de Catalunya in the morning, but Maldonado went on to set the fourth fastest time from his 34 laps in the car before handing over to Valtteri Bottas. Maldonado said the update delivered a noticeable difference in the car but that all of the early signs were very positive.

"The car feels a bit different, the new aero package is quite big so for sure you feel the difference," Maldonado said. "It's working quite good, it's early - we just run it today - so tomorrow we will have more clear ideas. We've been focused on gaining data from it, learning the new aero package and we didn't work on the proper set-up of the car or anything. I'm very happy, the car feels consistent which is our main target and it's good because every time I go on track I have a great feeling immediately from the first lap."

Maldonado was keen to stress that there would be a lot of fine tuning required to get the most out of the update but that he hoped the team would be able to do so tomorrow.

"Not only the rear, we improved some particulars. From an aero point of view it's clear there's some gains from it but we need to work around in the car to get 100% of the package. The engineers are working hard on the data to analyse all the sensors we have in the car and we will see tomorrow."

Asked if it was an aerodynamic gain he could feel in the car, Maldonado said: "For sure, easy. All through the corners, it's regarding more general downforce."

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