“There was a lot to learn about the electronics and the start procedure, and also getting used to power steering which makes the car feel so light. At the end of the day, I was happy with what I achieved and I hope that the team were satisfied with my performance. This has been a great opportunity for me and I would like to thank the Honda team for that.”

A Honda Development Driver, Conway was the first driver to take to the car on day one, the Brit slightly off the pace of his rivals with a lap of 1min 24.065secs, but having the disadvantage of enduring a 'green' circuit.

“I had a really good day today. I settled into the car quickly and felt comfortable with the seat and the positioning which was good as it enabled us to concentrate on finding time right from the start.

“I felt that we were able to make progress throughout the day and found some good time when we ran with new tyres. I would like to say a big thank you to everyone at Honda for a great day and I hope there is more to come in the future.”