Lotus is testing Malaysian racing driver Nabil Jeffri at Duxford aerodrome today.
The 16-year-old is part of the Air Asia ASEAN Driver Development Program run by Air Asia CEO and Lotus Racing team principal Tony Fernandes.
He is driving in one of the team’s allocated straight-line aerodynamic test days:
Image (C) Lotus F1
Read more: Lotus to run 16-year-old Malaysian in test
sato113 (@sato113)
1st September 2010, 12:30
isn’t Duxford the top gear test track?
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
1st September 2010, 12:32
No, that’s Dunsfold. I think. It’s definitely not Duxford.
BenCollins
2nd September 2010, 6:52
Yes, it Dunsfold
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
1st September 2010, 12:33
Anybody else reading his name as “Nabil Geoffrey”?
KNF
2nd September 2010, 8:39
Yes, it’s phonetically correct…
Magnificent Geoffrey (@magnificent-geoffrey)
2nd September 2010, 11:48
He’s not particularly Magnificent, mind.
Bullfrog
2nd September 2010, 22:49
Good thing Jeffri didn’t bungle.
gDog
3rd September 2010, 0:19
I think Lotus would be keeping it zipped if he did.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
3rd September 2010, 9:33
Best comment thread ever, right here.
wasiF1
1st September 2010, 12:48
Didn’t they tested Fairuz Fauzy in the past? With Hekki & Trulli in line I think in the future they would want a Malaysian driver in the team.
Scribe (@scribe)
1st September 2010, 13:37
I don’t reckon Lotus is silly enough to fall into that trap, patriotism and national pride helps you basically nothing in F1.
No Malaysian drivers are good enough, it seems like they’ve just about avoided the insanity that basing themselves in Malaysia would have been, so however much they might what a Malaysian driver, they won’t actually get one.
PT
1st September 2010, 21:15
Yeah, so they’ll keep the Malaysian fervour alive by granting these highly publicized but absolutely pointless “tests.”
silencer
2nd September 2010, 7:26
straight-line aerodynamic test is not a pointless test
even ferrari will do the same test at viarano
KNF
2nd September 2010, 8:42
There might have been an advantage in using the timezone difference between Norfolk and KL to get more work done in a day, but the sheer difficulty of logistics and program management would be immense for a new team…
BasCB
1st September 2010, 14:29
its a bit of a reward for his (Nabil Jeffris) efforts and giving public awareness of the fact Lotus Racing support this Malaysian kid.
LewisC
1st September 2010, 13:12
Duxford? Dammit, that’s just up the road from me.
PS – Much more likely than Dunsfold too: Dunsfold is the ‘other’ side of London from Norfolk.
GeeMac
1st September 2010, 13:32
Testing an F1 car at 16…your life can only go downhill from there! I would have given anything to just drive a Lotus road car at 16, never mind a Lotus F1 car! Good on you son…
Ads21 (@ads21)
1st September 2010, 20:07
You know if this kid becomes any good we’ll have to start calling him Magnificent Jeffri
Icthyes (@icthyes)
1st September 2010, 20:47
COTD for sure.
That sentence couldn’t have possibly been any more F1 Fanatic…
Magnificent Geoffrey (@magnificent-geoffrey)
2nd September 2010, 11:50
You called me?
Oh, wait.
Calum
1st September 2010, 21:17
In the roundup I was saying how young I was at only being a few months old in Senna’s last race.
Now I feel so old because I’m 17 years this month and Magnificent Jeffri is driving F1 cars at 16 ;'(
Chalky
2nd September 2010, 15:00
At least Keith wrote the article and mentioned his age. That’s sort of important with this story.
ESPN F1 tells the story and you have to guess his age:
http://en.espnf1.com/lotus/motorsport/story/27258.html
:D
and yes I do feel old.
Mind you I’m older than Webber (just) that shocked me as he looks more like he’s knocking on 40. He’s only 34 if you were wondering.
Chalky
2nd September 2010, 17:31
I see ESPN have cottoned on and fixed their article.
John H
2nd September 2010, 19:44
Nice that Lotus are keeping with tradition. Chapman would have put a 16 year old Malaysian kid in the car I’m sure ;)
Chippie
2nd September 2010, 20:57
I’m eighteen, and today was possibly the highlight of my life so far because I got to drive a Lotus (the team I’m in love with) at a track day. I have to arrive home and read this, Jesus what I would give to be that kid? ;P
Charles Carroll
2nd September 2010, 22:48
Bah,
My kid flew an F-22 at age 8.