Nabil Jeffri “The Formula One’s Youngest Whiz Kid”
Posted on 09. Sep, 2010 by Dahlia Lithwick in Headlines, Sports
Nabil Jeffri “The Formula One’s Youngest Whiz Kid” – Nabil Jeffri is a Malaysian who recently became the youngest test driver in Formula One history when he drove a Lotus T127 on a runway at the UK’s Imperial War Museum in Duxford, Cambrigeshire.
Jeffri drove 1.5-kilometer straight line. He said: “It was unbelievable. It’s super fast. You can’t even see a thing. The acceleration and the braking are very different.”
Last year, Jeffri caught the eye of Lotus Racing’s team boss, Tony Fernandes, while he was sitting behind the wheel of a go-kart back in Malaysia. During that time, the teenager was looking for sponsorship to enter Formula BMW, which is a single seater racing class for juniors. Jeffri impressed Fernandes so much that he made him an offer on the spot.
According to Fernandes, he can see that the teenager has the right character, the right aptitude and the right intellectual level to go very far. He got a very good down-to-earth nature about himself. And for Fernandes, humility is a key ingredient in dealing with success.
Jeffri focuses his sights on securing a Formula One drive by the time he reaches 21. And at the age of 23, he’s positive that he can win the world title, the same age Lewis Hamilton was when he became Formula One’s youngest-ever world champion in 2008.