One of Malaysia’s promising young talents, Nabil Jeffri, of PETRONAS’ Talent Development Programme, is slowly making a name for himself in his maiden season of the 2013 ATS Formula 3 Cup. An aspiring driver out to achieve his dreams, Nabil Jeffri is eighth in the ATS Formula 3 Cup for his Italian team Eurointernational. Despite being only 20 years old, Nabil Jeffri has nearly a decade of experience in racing, having learnt his trade during a successful spell in the Rotax Max Challenge Malaysia and Rotax Max Challenge Asia, from 2004-2009, where he finished as Champion in both categories during his final season. In 2010 he made the step up to the Formula BMW Pacific, getting his first taste of higher level racing. He finished a respectable 5th in his only season, before pursuing greater challenges in the world of motorsports. Prior to entering the ATS Formula 3 Cup, Nabil raced in the JK Racing Asia Series and finished 3rd in 2011 and 2nd in 2012.
Like all things, Nabil spoke about the challenges faced. “I think I did my best in my first year in Europe and being among the best drivers in F3. I think the biggest challenge is experiencing new tracks and also adapting to different conditions whilst racing at a higher level. My target is to improve and to learn from my past mistakes and not to repeat them again. It’s not going to be an easy 2nd half season but I hope to be in the Top 5 more frequently and be competing for podium finishes soon. Towards that, I’ve been working at improving my fitness and studying the tracks I’ll be visiting,” adds Nabil. For racing, a solid learning foundation is essential and the years. Nabil has spent in development is starting to show.
“PETRONAS’ Talent Development Programme provides support to talented drivers and riders to excel and succeed in the challenging world of motorsports. We’re seeing this in Nabil’s performances and we hope for this to continue and improve in the future,” said Anita Azrina Abdul Aziz, General Manager of PETRONAS Motorsports.
Petronas´ involvement in sports
PETRONAS’ venture into motor sports dates back to 1988, when it was evident that motor sports was the ideal platform to help promote its fuel and lubricant products domestically. Beginning with the sponsorship of a Malaysian rally team competing at the national, regional and international levels, this involvement led to the sponsorship of other teams racing in the high endurance and touring car circuits. From 1993, PETRONAS became actively involved in motorcycle racing at the local, regional and international level. When PETRONAS entered the competitive world of Formula One (F1) in 1995, it took the first step towards positioning itself as a global brand. PETRONAS has since matured into a global player with operations that span across more than 30 countries mainly in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South America.