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15 year old Zimbabwean to break into Formula one
In 2009, Axcil Jefferies made history when he and two other racers were selected by BMW for itsFormula BMW Asia Pacific cadetship programme.
Only 15 years old at the time, the Zimbabwean was the only African to make the grade and went on to make the nation proud by finishing the season in a commendable third place – good enough to progress to Formula Two.
With the 2012 FormulaTwo season kicking off this month at the United Kingdom’s Silverstone circuit, Jeffries now has his sights set on making it to Formula One.
Offers have come for him to change citizenship and represent another country, but the young driver says he will not turn his back on Zimbabwe.
“I had a few offers from abroad to race, but my manager and I turned them down and we have been patient as Zimbabwe’s economy improves.
“Zimbabwe is my home, and this is where I learnt my trade.
“It is my duty to give back. I look forward to raising our flag high.”
Africa and Formula One
The continent does not have a great history with Formula One, which is why there is so much anticipation that Jeffries will make the cut soon.
South Africa’s Jody Schekter won the World Drivers Championship in 1979, and the Ferrari team he drove for had to wait another 21 years before a certain Michael Schumacher would bring the title back to the Italian carmaker.
Schekter joined Formula One in 1972 after having moved to Britain as a 20-year-old in 1970.
In all, only three Africans have ever stepped onto the podium in the history ofFormula One racing.
South Africa had flourishing domestic Formula One championship that ran from 1960 through to 1975.
Other racers from the region who established some sort of international profile were John Love and Sam Tingle.
Love was born in what was then Southern Rhodesia and his first Formula One race was the 1962 South African Grand Prix.
Tingle is the only other person from Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) to have raced in Formula One, starting in 1963. He did not score any championship points in his brief career.
The sport has been dominated by Europeans and South Americans.
Jeffries is presently the only African on the Formula Two circuit.
The pinnacle of racing
Formula One is the highest class of single-seat auto racing as sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).
The term “formula” refers to a set of rules that all racing cars must comply with.
Though not the fastest racing cars in motor sport, they achieve speeds of up to 360 km/h with engines limited in performance to a maximum of 18 000 revolutions per minute.
The sharp curves require much skill for a racer to make it to the top.
The sport started in 1906 and by the second half of the 20th century,Formula One was the most popular auto sport in the world and now records total annual viewership of more than 500 million people.
Most Formula One drivers start in kart racing though there are no set qualification tiers for a team to sign up a driver.
In fact, 2007 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen went straight from FormulaRenault (tier 3) to Formula One.
A dream come true
Formula Two, where Jeffries presently races, is one tier below the glitz and glamour of Formula One.
After a year on the sidelines of competitive international racing because he could not get a sponsor after Formula BMW, Jeffries is now a step closer to fulfilling his goal of reaching Formula One.
“It is a dream come true. I have been working hard and focusing on getting back into a race car for the last two years.
“So to be given the chance would mean so much to me and I am sure to the people following my career,” he said. “I absolutely loved driving such a powerful and fast machine.
“I not only surprised myself but everyone at the test with my performance.
“I had been doing some simulation driving before the test, so I think that helped,” he added.-Zimmail
source - http://www.zimbabwemetro.com
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