F1
Nate Saunders, General Editor, F1 7y

Jordan King 'up on cloud nine' after Manor FP1 appearance

Formula 1

Jordan King says he was "up on cloud nine" after completing his first Formula One session for the Manor team in FP1 ahead of the U.S. Grand Prix.

King took the seat of Pascal Wehrlein in Friday morning's practice session, finishing 20th. King, the son of Manor chairman and former Sainsbury's CEO Justin, has been tipped for a drive at the team next season.

Reflecting on his first taste of a proper F1 session, King posted a picture of himself leaving the pit lane, adding that the experience "won't be topped easily".

"Today has been one of the best days of my life," king said. "I had a massive smile on my face as I drove out of the garage, let me tell you. On the one hand, 90 minutes just flies by. On the other, I'll probably remember each of my 29 laps for the rest of my life. It really has been a dream come true. I'd done a lot of preparation with my engineering team and when the time came I was feeling very confident and comfortable in the car.

"I've always said that the biggest test of my own performance here would be providing data and feedback that makes a positive impact on the team's performance. But at the same time, I'm incredibly happy with my pace, given that I was on the same programme and tyres as everyone else. I had two long runs on the Medium tyre and then a brief shot in between on the Soft, which was pretty typical of the rest of the field.

"It's an incredible circuit. Really exhilarating to drive, with all the elevation and camber changes. Plus, the section from 3-9 reminded me of home -- it's a lot like the Maggots-Becketts-Chapel complex at Silverstone. When I put the Soft tyres on, it was a pretty special feeling. So, yeah, an incredible day for me and difficult to hand the keys back. I want to thank the team for giving me this opportunity and the work they put in to help me make the most of it."

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