KEY POINTS:
New Zealand driver Brendon Hartley guided his Red Bull car to the third fastest time after day one of Formula One (F1) testing overnight in Spain but feels he could have gone faster if he had got fresh tyres for the afternoon session.
And with an error-free drive
in excess of 300km in the one day, Hartley felt he had met the conditions for an FIA superlicence which allows him to race in F1 or become an official test driver for an F1 team.
In unofficial times listed on the F1 website this morning, Hartley, 19, was credited with one minute 19.586 seconds in his RB4 car at the Jerez Circuit in south of Spain.
Fastest was Red Bull test driver Sebastien Buemi as this week's three-day session got under way at Jerez.
Buemi timed 1min 17.704sec in another RB4.
Second fastest was the BMW Sauber of Nick Heidfield in 1min 19.360sec. Christian Klein in another BMW Sauber and Nico Hulkenberg, in a Williams completed the top five.
Germany's Heidfeld finished the day second after covering 75 laps in the interim BMW Sauber, despite a brief on-track stoppage caused by a mechanical problem.
Austrian Klien, who was driving an F1.08B fitted with the team's KERS (kinetic energy recovery system) device, completed 94 laps on his way to fourth on the time sheets.
Formula 3 driver Hartley will now hand the car over to Red Bull grand prix star Sebastian Vettel for the remaining testing days.
"I think I did a reasonable job," Hartley told Radio Sport this morning.
He led the time sheets for most of the morning's session and finished it nine-tenths of a second off the fastest time.
" But in the afternoon, they were doing a lot of tests on the car and I didn't get to put on new tyres.
"I was improving a lot in myself, the track was improving, but I didn't get a lot of chances to set a (fast) lap which was a bit disappointing.
"I felt I could have gone a lot faster but that's normal testing, it's not a race meeting. In general it was just a great day and I am really happy to get the opportunity."
Hartley said he had completed 370km on the one day which qualified him for a superlicence.
"There were also people from FIA observing to make sure I am up to standard on the track.
"I'll find out sooner or later (if I've got the superlicence) ... I didn't make any mistakes, so I think everything will work out."
Hartley who has had brief shakedown runs in Red Bull cars this year, recently finished third in the Macau F3 Grand Prix after starting in 20th place. The 19-year-old also set a lap record in the process.
Hartley, who finished third in this year's British F3 championship, will head home for a break after F3 testing.
- NZPA