Lotus Racing Accelerates Young Driver Development Plan

Lotus Racing has today confirmed its commitment to embracing young talent with the announcement that Nabil Jeffri, the 16 year old Malaysian karting prodigy currently competing in Formula BMW Pacific with Eurasia Motorsport, will be driving for the fastest new F1™ team at an aero test the team will be running in early September at an undisclosed location in the UK.

Nabil has enjoyed a bright start to his motor racing career and is currently fifth in the Formula BMW Pacific championship – taking part in the aero test with Lotus Racing will give the young star invaluable experience of working at the top level in global motorsport, and will give the team a chance to put a promising young driver through his paces very early in his career away from the glare of a Grand Prix weekend.

A talented young driver, Nabil is driving for Lotus Racing as part of his sponsorship in the AirAsia ASEAN Driver Development Program. The program was created to accelerate the growth of motorsports in the region. It provides an avenue for youth in the ASEAN region to pursue their dream of becoming professional race car drivers. It offers aspiring drivers a platform to polish their talents and effectively compete with world class drivers.

Nabil said "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 F1™ team. Driving the Lotus Racing car will definitely be a priceless exposure to the F1™ 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."

Lotus Racing Team Principal Tony Fernandes commented: "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 how old you are or 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."