Photo: Autosport
Johnathan Hoggard completed a test run in Red Bull Racing’s RB8 Formula 1 car at Silverstone today as a prize for winning last year’s Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Award.
The 19-year-old spent one-and-a-half seasons in British Formula 4, where he won eight races, before stepping up to BRDC British Formula 3 last year and finishing second in the points with seven wins.
Those results won him a drive at the 2020 Daytona 24 Hours through the Sunoco Whelen Challenge, and he then prevailed in a multi-element shootout against British F3 rival Ayrton Simmons, W Series champion Jamie Chadwick and FIA European F3 race-winner Enaam Ahmed to win the most recent edition of AMABA and the prize run in a 2012 F1 car.
“It’s a dream come true to drive an F1 car, especially around Silverstone GP,” Hoggard said to Autosport.
“The main thing was how much power it had, especially on full throttle, and the downforce with the blown diffuser – you can get on the power and it really does stick.
“I was trying not to leave anything on the table – it could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity so I’d have regretted it if I’d have stayed in my comfort zone.
“It was a case of being confident and sensible, building up nicely. I want to go again.”
After his single appearance in a GT3 car at Daytona, Hoggard was set to step up to Euroformula with Fortec Motorsports – the team he ran with in F4 and F3 – and contest Porsche Carrera Cup Asia with Absolute Racing.
Both of those plans were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but with Renault support he was able to join R-ace GP in Formula Renault Eurocup round. His Imola debut resulted in a best finish of 18th, and he did not return as planned.
His last running in a single-seater was in the first post-season FIA Formula 3 Championship test at Barcelona earlier this month, where he was fifth fastest overall for Jenzer Motorsport and topped the afternoon session on the second and final day.
A few days before he had prepared for the test by joining Fortec in a pre-event BRDC British F3 test at Snetterton.