Although making history as Malaysia’s first GP2 driver to have the opportunity to race in front of a home crowd at the Sepang Circuit this year, Nabil Jeffri will be taking a cautious approach this weekend, when the Arden International racer makes his debut in Barcelona at the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix™.
“I feel very honoured and excited to be competing in the GP2 series. It is a prestigious and very competitive championship with the best young talents from all over the world who share the same dream of competing in Formula 1 one day. I will definitely be giving my best in the opening round to get the best results possible. However, I will be competing against drivers with more experience in the series, including those graduating from the GP3 series, so it will be challenging. Nevertheless, although I will be a rookie, this does not mean that I am intimidated by the competition,” shared Nabil.
“Having said that, I admit I am still in the process of familiarising myself with the behaviour of the car and will take a cautious approach in the opening round. The target for me will be to finish the race and complete both Race 1 and Race 2 without any problems,” said Nabil, who was recruited after a successful testing programme in Barcelona and Jerez in March. “I have followed a specific fitness and nutrition programme created for me by AW Performance UK for the last two months, and now I’m ready physically and mentally for this weekend’s races,” he added.
Nabil, who is supported by Sepang International Circuit (SIC) under its Talent Development Programme, revealed that in preparation for the opening races in Barcelona, he has been using racing simulators for practice to further enhance his mastery of the circuit. “It will not be the same thing as the real competition, but it offers good exposure to the features of the Barcelona circuit,” said the 22-year-old Nabil, who will be partnering Swedish racer Jimmy Eriksson in Team Arden International. Eriksson moves to the GP2 series after three successful seasons in the GP3 series.
Nabil, who is the youngest ever test driver in Formula One history after he carried out an aerodynamic test for the Lotus Racing Formula One team on September 1, 2010, moves to the GP2 series from German and European F3, where he spent the last few years honing his skills and experience on the European tracks.
Watch Nabil in action in Barcelona this weekend on Fox Sports 3 in delayed telecasts: Race 1 at 5.32pm on Sunday, 15 May 2016, and Race 2 at 8.02pm on Monday, 16 May 2016.
Catch Nabil Jeffri live in action in Sepang this year! Early Bird discounts are available until 31 May at www.sepangcircuit.com
2016 GP2 SERIES CALENDAR
Round 1 Circuit de Barcelona, Spain 13-15 May
Round 2 Circuit de Monaco, Monaco 26-28 May
Round 3 Baku City Circuit, Azerbaijan 17-19 June
Round 4 Red Bull Ring, Austria 1-3 July
Round 5 Silverstone Circuit, Great Britain 8-10 July
Round 6 Hungaroring, Hungary 22-24 July
Round 7 Hockenheimring, Germany 29-31 July
Round 8 Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium 26-28 August
Round 9 Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy 2-4 September
Round 10 Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia 30 September-2 October
Round 11 Yas Marina Circuit, United Arab Emirates 25-27 November
Credits : Content courtesy of SIC
Photos: Motorbug
