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Lotus is to give a 16-year Malaysian protégé his first taste of a Formula 1 car in a straightline test in the UK next month.

Teenager Nabil Jeffri competes in the Formula BMW Pacific championship and is part of the AirAsia ASEAN driver development program which was set up earlier this year in conjunction with the Malaysian-funded Lotus squad to support young talent in the region.

Jeffri’s F1 chance will come at an undisclosed UK location in early September and the youngster, who is currently fifth in the BMW Pacific championship, is naturally delighted to be given the chance to drive the T127.

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to drive for Lotus Racing in the aero test,” he said.

“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 team principal Tony Fernandes added that the test showed that the squad clearly rated Jeffri’s talent and showed that there were clear opportunities for drivers to be supported in the region.

“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,” he said.

“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.”ITV-F1