Highlights

Honda give Marco Andretti first taste of F1

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-12-18 10:21

Honda gave Marco Andretti, 19-year-old grandson of 1978 world champion Mario, his first taste of Formula One on Friday.

The American, a sensational runner-up as a rookie in this year's Indy 500, completed 68 laps in the 2006 specification Honda RA106 car at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain.

His quickest lap of one minute 21.891 seconds compared to the 1:20.450 of the team's Austrian test driver Christian Klien.

"I couldn't have had more fun today," Andretti said in a statement.

"It's a shame that it was only a day. It took me a while to get used to the traction control and the brakes but once I got to grips with them, the times were more and more consistent."

Andretti, son of former CART champion and team owner Michael, was given the chance as a reward for his outstanding rookie season in the Honda-powered IRL series but is clearly a future Formula One prospect.

"He did a good job and acclimatised himself well to the unfamiliar surroundings in the very short time that a one-day test provides," said Brazilian Gil de Ferran, the team's sporting director and a former Indy 500 winner.

"Marco looked comfortable straight away with the car and the track and overall it was a good first experience in a Formula One car."

Friday's test session was the last of the year.