Formula One News » Malaysian teen becomes youngest ever F1 tester Posted on 02/09/2010
Nabil Jeffri became the youngest ever test driver in F1 history on Monday when he conducted a day of aero testing for Lotus at the Imperial War Museum’s runway at Duxford in the UK.
The 16-year-old, a member of the AirAsia ASEAN Driver Development programme, was joined at the museum’s Cambridgeshire runway by Lotus race driver, Heikki Kovalainen and test and reserve driver, Fairuz Fauzy, who were both on hand to give him some advice.
Stepping out of the car at the end of the day, the teenager was understandably excited about his experience behind the wheel of the T127.
“I have had an incredible day, one of the best days of my life, and I want to thank Lotus Racing, Tony Fernandes and Mike Gascoyne for giving me the chance to drive their car,” Jeffri said.
“I have to admit that the first time I went out it was pretty scary – everyone told me the acceleration would be unbelievable, and the braking would be so much greater than anything I’ve ever experienced, and it took a while to get used to that, but Heikki and Fairuz gave me some advice on how to settle in to it, and after a while I was more comfortable, and was able to get through the day’s plan.
“It’s such an honour to have had this opportunity, and it’ll be a long time before the excitement wears off, but I’ll keep on working hard to one day join Heikki, Fairuz, Jarno and the rest of the F1 grid, and with the support of people like Tony and Lotus Racing, I’ve got a great chance of doing so.”
Lotus chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne, who was on hand to oversee the test, meanwhile thanked him for his input.
“I’m delighted that Nabil has done such a good job,” Gascoyne continued. “Aero testing is an important part of the ongoing development of the car, and it’s great that we can give an opportunity to someone as young as Nabil to help us take another step forward.
“He completed the planned programme, gave clear and precise feedback, and we couldn’t ask any more of him than that. I’m sure this experience will help him take another step forward in his career, and we’ll be keeping a close eye on him to see if what he’s learnt today can help him take that next step up, in performance terms, in the Asian Formula BMW Championship.”
Lotus team principal, Tony Fernandes added: “When I first offered Nabil the chance to drive our car he couldn’t tell if I was joking or not, but I was very serious about giving a young Malaysian the chance to step up to the big time.
“He’s repaid my faith in him and has performed incredibly well, and that’s a source of real pride for me as he proves what I’ve always believed – keep dreaming, work hard to achieve what other people tell you is impossible, and your dreams will come true.
“I suspect Nabil will head back to Malaysia with his head spinning from everything that’s happened to him today, but now he can say he’s driven an F1 car, and that will set his sights at the very top for the rest of his life. Congratulations Nabil – you’re a superstar!”
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