Formula 1 News: Deagen Fairclough drivers F1 car at Silverstone
Deagen Fairclough, the winner of last year’s Silverstone Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award, made his F1 debut last week when he drove an Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team car for the first time.
The 19-year-old British racing driver completed 26 laps of Silverstone’s Grand Prix circuit behind the wheel of the AMR23 – the team’s 2023 car – as part of his prize for securing the Young Driver award last December.
Ahead of the prize test, Fairclough completed a seat fit and sim session at the Aston Martin Racing Technology Campus just across the road from the track. On the day, Deagen completed six runs, experiencing a range of Pirelli tires as he familiarized himself with the team and car.
Deagen Fairclough, winner of the 2024 Silverstone Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award: “I’m extremely lucky to have the opportunity: it’s a dream come true driving a car that achieved F1 podiums just a couple of years ago. I can’t put it into words: the trust and capabilities these cars have at high speed is ridiculous.
“I cannot thank the team enough; it was eye-opening from the beginning, seeing the amount of effort that goes into the two cars at the campus, to everyone involved on the day of the track run.
“I went out there and gave it my all. I wanted to learn what I could and maximize what I got out of it. I was able to go out and perform straightaway because of the experience of the people around me.
“I always dreamt of driving a Formula One™ car since I was four years old, driving it was another level, the sensation of it has really given me the motivation to get to the pinnacle of motorsport.”
Gerry Hughes, Chief Engineer F1 Evolution, Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team: “Deagen handled his time on track especially well in such windy and cold conditions. He was very confident in high-speed areas, it’s impressive for someone who has not spent any time in a Formula One™ car.
“We focused on helping him optimise his lap time with low-speed technique, something we continued from his time in the sim at the AMRTC.
“He’s had some great experience in a Formula One™ car and now has some miles under him; he can now build on this in his future career and carry that experience and learning onwards.”