Just as Air Asia head honcho Tony Fernandes said that looking to the future and planning ahead was the key to the low-cost carrier’s success, even if it took eight years to get to the top, the same school of thought is being implemented at Lotus Racing by embracing young talent in preparation for the future with 16 year old Malaysian karting prodigy Nabil Jeffri being handpicked to drive the team’s Formula One car during an aero test in early September.
Tony, who is also the Lotus Racing Team Principal, presented Nabil to the media together with the team’s Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne and Head of Driver Development Alex Yoong.
Nabil is currently running in the Formula BMW Pacific championship with Team Eurasia Motorsport and is currently sitting fifth in the table. He will be joining Lotus Racing for some seat time during their scheduled aero testing at an undisclosed location. The opportunity to drive will provide the young driver with invaluable experience that is a key aspect of motorsports at the highest level.
Nabil is a product of the AirAsia Asean Driver Development Program that was put into motion to accelerate the growth of motorsports in the region. The program serves as a platform for aspiring drivers to sharpen their skills under the tutelage of experienced personnel that have been there and done that.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to drive for Lotus Racing in the aero test. It’s a big privilege to gain driving experience with the most promising new Formula One team. Driving the Lotus Racing car will definitely be a priceless exposure to the Formula One driving experience, and I’m looking forward to many more similar opportunities to arise as a result of being part of the AirAsia Driver Development program,” said Nabil.
“It’s an exciting day for all of us in the Lotus Racing team – being able to give bright young talent like Nabil the chance to play an integral role in the development of our team is a recognition of his burgeoning talent, and shows that there is a clear route to the top rung of the motorsport ladder, no matter where you are racing. I’m sure that before he gets in the hot seat he’ll be speaking to Fairuz Fauzy for some advice – Fairuz is another Malaysian sports star who, as our third driver, is showing at tracks around the world that you can reach the top if you work hard to achieve your dreams – together, they serve as inspirations to everyone in our team, and to young talent all over the world,” added Tony.
Previous Formula BMW winners have been given the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Formula One car although the driving was more partial to straight line and aero testing. Nabil’s time in the seat will be more towards straight line testing as well.
