Maria de Villota completes test in a Renault R29 at Paul Ricard
By Simon Strang
Thursday, August 18th 2011, 13:11 GMT
Maria de Villota became the first female driver to test for a contemporary Formula 1 team since Katherine Legge in 2005, when she drove a Renault at Paul Ricard earlier this month.
Using a two-year old R29, the daughter of former Formula 1 driver Emilio de Villota, completed more than 180 trouble-free miles in the run, which had been organised to allow her to familiarise herself with the systems and environment of a grand prix car.
"As a female driver, I was very happy to get the opportunity to drive in a Formula 1 car," said the 32-year-old Spaniard. "Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motor racing and has always been a dream for me.
"The running went very well, conditions were ideal, and the team made me feel at ease straight away," she added. "It did not take too long to get used to the car and, after I felt comfortable with it, I was able to start pushing and, as a result, really enjoyed the experience."
Renault team principal Eric Boullier said of the test: "We were delighted to offer Maria the chance to drive in the R29. As a team, we pride ourselves on our ability to assess new talents and offer different drivers opportunities with us.
"Maria did exactly what was expected of her; she took things one step at a time, and achieved some very reasonable laptimes, not putting a foot wrong all day."
Credit: AUTOSPORT.COM (www.autosport.com)
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