Jake Dennis wins Young Driver Award
Jake Dennis has secured himself a test drive in a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1™ car after winning the 2012 McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award on Sunday night.
The 17-year old was one of six finalists shortlisted for the award, fending off competition from Melville McKee, Josh Webster, Josh Hill, Jordan King and Jack Hawksworth to take the prize. Each entrant tested at Silverstone in November, in F2, McLaren MP4-12C GT3 and Mercedes DTM machinery and were later interviewed by a panel of judges at the McLaren Technology Centre.
Jake’s racing career began when he just 8 years old: “My Dad got me into racing at the age of 8 – he raced for 12 years before I did – and he bought me a cart for my 8th birthday, and it went from there really. The first machine I went out in was the cadet W60 with about 3 brake horsepower – so not very fast!”
No stranger to success, Dennis counts this year’s Formula Renault NEC championship win among his most recent trophies. His CV can now include being 24th recipient of the BRDC McLaren AUTOSPORT award for Young Driver of the Year.
The award puts Jake Dennis into spotlight – with an impressive alumni including Jenson Button, who secured this year’s British Competition Driver of the Year award for the second year running, and current Vodafone McLaren Mercedes test driver Oliver Turvey. When asked where he would like his career to be in the next five years, Jake answered: “I’d like to see myself in Formula 1™... that would be my dream come true, and that is my aim.”
The award was presented by Jonathan Neale, Managing Director of McLaren Racing and is accompanied £100,000 and full membership to the BRDC. Here’s another chance to see Jake with the rest of the finalists revealing how they got into racing and what inspires them on the race track.