Reigning British Formula 4 champion Deagan Fairclough described how he was astonished by his first experience of driving a Formula 1 car earlier this year.
He drove a 2023-specification AMR23 at Silverstone as part of his prize for winning the Autosport BRDC young driver award.
“I’m extremely lucky to have that opportunity to test drive a Formula 1 car,” Fairclough told media including RaceFans. “It’s a dream come true.
“For it to be Fernando Alonso’s car as well, he stood on the podium with it, so that was a real dream come true, a pinch-me moment.”
The 19-year-old knows Silverstone well from his time in British junior championships but was astonished by how the F1 car performed through its familiar corners.
“The trust and capabilities of it at high-speed is ridiculous. You can’t get your head around it. To do Copse flat-out, to have the confidence – you’re going from like a GB3 where you’re braking or doing a half-lift to just saying, ‘screw it, let’s go flat-out’ and you go in at twice the speed. Really insane.”
He said he began the day “thinking my neck’s going to be in so much pain” but felt better than he expected afterwards. “You just can’t believe it – like the braking efficiency, you’re braking at the same points as you are in F4 or GB3 and it just stops instantly. But you’re arriving twice the speed as you were in a GB3 or an F4.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
“That feeling, the adrenaline you actually get when driving that car is so hard to explain. It’s just the best feeling that I’ve ever experienced and it just makes me want to strive to get another day out in a Formula 1 car.”
Aston Martin also showed Fairclough around their nearby F1 factory as part of his prize. “To get a tour around the facilities and see where everyone works, like Adrian Newey’s office, was a really great eye-opener. And to see how much work is actually getting put into, for example, Fernando and Lance this year is really great. It’s what everyone’s there for, to be the best and keep winning.”
Fairclough won 14 out of 30 races on his way to his F4 title last year. Now racing in GB3 he lies fourth in the championship with six races remaining.
He may be the last driver to experience an F1 test as a result of the Autosport BRDC prize, which is no longer being awarded. “I’m really thankful to them,” he said. “They’ve done it for many years now.
“It’s such a big shame that it’s not going ahead. But there’s so much cost-wise that goes into it. So I don’t know the behind the scenes of it, but I would love for it to come back again.”
Pictures: Fairclough’s Aston Martin F1 test</3>
