Alex Lynn didn’t take long to feel at home at the wheel of a Formula One car.

The 21-year-old from Dunmow took to the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi yesterday in an F1 car for the first time as he conducted post-season testing for the Lotus team.

And it was an experience that he is hoping to get again as he continues to push for a race seat at the pinnacle of single-seater motorsport.

Lynn earned his place in Lotus’ test plans in their E22 car after impressing in his capturing of the GP3 Series title a few days before the end-of-season session for Formula One teams.

He was a late inclusion in the test, but was soon on top of the complex technology that makes up a Formula One race car and was able to provide solid streams of data to the waiting engineers in the Lotus garage.

“The Lotus F1 Team E22 is an amazing piece of machinery, but I felt comfortable with it almost immediately,” said Lynn.

“As time went on I felt more and more accustomed to it and we were able to begin to push, while giving some detailed feedback to the engineers.

“I’ve obviously still got a lot to learn, but I was able to get on top of the car quite quickly.

“I’ve got to say that this whole experience has just made me even more hungry for my next taste of Formula One.”

Unlike some of the other drivers at the test, Lynn didn’t get to try the fastest supersoft tyres, which can shave off up to a second per lap, but he was still ninth fastest on the day, ahead of some more experienced drivers who had driven Formula One machinery before.

And the Lotus team bosses were clearly impressed.

Lotus’ Trackside Operations Director, Alan Permane, said: “Alex is clearly a fast driver and to be on the pace so quickly in his first test was very impressive.

“We had a solid day of trouble-free running, enabling us to complete the majority of our evaluations.

“Alex was rapidly able to deliver what we wanted of him and we head back with plenty of data to analyse.”

The end of the F1 test isn’t the end of Lynn’s Middle East driving stint, though.

His GP3 triumph means he will now be conducting testing for the ART Grand Prix team in their GP2 car at the Yas Marina circuit tomorrow and Saturday.