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Lando Norris has described the opportunity to test for McLaren’s Formula One team as a “very special feeling”.

The 17-year-old Glastonbury racer got his first taste of current F1 machinery at the Hungaroring in Budapest last week and impressed many onlookers by setting the second quickest time, behind only world championship leader Sebastian Vettel.

While Norris said the testing schedule that he carried out for McLaren meant that his lap times did not tell the whole story, he was happy with how the experience had gone.

In an exclusive interview with Somerset Live, Norris said: “To be able to say that I’ve driven for such an iconic name means a lot to me.

“If you asked any younger driver who wants to get to F1, 99 per cent of them would say that they would want to drive for McLaren.

“Being British, having the chance to drive for a British team is a very special feeling.

“It was extremely good, a very exciting day, and one that I’ve worked towards for a long time. For my first experience in a 2017 F1 car, it was very impressive, very enjoyable and all in all a very positive day.”

Norris was given the opportunity to take part in the test after winning the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award, an accolade awarded to the most promising youth British racing driver each season, in 2016.

The award also saw him signed to McLaren’s young driver programme where he carries out simulator duties for the team.

“It was a huge help going into the test to be a part of the team. You get to learn from a lot of different people,” Norris added.

“It’s a hugely positive step for my career and it has been a great experience for me.”

Norris is currently competing in the FIA European F3 Championship, where he lies second in the standings after six of the ten rounds.

The former Millfield School pupil is in a three-way fight for the title, sitting 18 points behind Germany’s Maximilian Gunther and eight ahead of Swede Joel Eriksson, and enjoyed his strongest weekend of the season in the last round at Spa-Francorchamps by winning two of the three races.

Norris’ next round in the series will be at the Dutch circuit of Zandvoort next weekend, a track he has never raced at.

He added: “I’m reasonably happy with the season, but I feel that I have made a few mistakes that have cost me points.

“Spa was the strongest weekend that we’ve had, and I’m very confident that I can go on to win the championship if we can take the pace we had there into the rest of the season.

“It’s not going to be easy. Maxi’s a good driver and Prema are a very good team, so it will be tough but I believe we have the pace and that we can find the consistency to do it.”

Norris’ rapid progress through the junior racing categories, which saw him win three championships last season, has seen him touted as a future Formula One star.

Winning the F3 title this year would give him enough points to qualify for a superlicence and make him eligible to compete in F1 in 2018.

Norris’ sole focus for now, though, is on clinching the F3 crown.

He said: “It’s still too early to say anything about next year.

“I just need to concentrate on F3 and trying to win the championship and if I can do that then hopefully some good things will arise.”