Russian racing driver Mikhail Aleshin joined Enstone's Renault F1 Team today for its first day of young driver testing in Abu Dhabi.

The 23-year-old got behind the wheel of the R30 to complete his prize test for winning this year’s World Series by Renault.

He said it was his first proper day in an F1 car and said it lived up to his expectations.

He said: "It felt great to be part of the team, working with the engineers and the mechanics and we managed to do lots of different things during the day.

"By the start of the afternoon we had quite a nice balance with the car and it felt really good.

"The only issue we had was a hydraulic leak, which cost me some track time at the end of the day. That was a shame because it meant that I couldn’t go out when the track temperature was low and when the track was at its quickest.

"But overall it has been a fantastic experience and I want to say a big thank you to the team and to Renault Sport because this was a great opportunity for me.”