French driver Romain Grosjean made his Formula One test debut for former champions Renault on Thursday at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya.
The Swiss-born 22-year-old, currently racing in the GP2 feeder series, has been tipped by France's former world champion Alain Prost among others as a future Formula One driver.
"It was interesting to see the difference between a GP2 car and an F1 car which is quite incredible, especially the acceleration and the lateral grip," said Grosjean after completing 60 laps of the Circuit de Catalunya.
"The team made me feel very welcome and everyone was helpful as they knew it was my first time in the car. It was a great experience for me."
Prost said last month that Grosjean, the same age as Renault's struggling Brazilian race driver Nelson Piquet, had a bright future.
"He looks good, has a good image and good support from Renault," the four times world champion told reporters at the Monaco Grand Prix.
"He is a driver arriving at the right moment with the right support so I think he has a big chance to find a seat in Formula One next year."