Red Bull give sim driver Dennis F1 test debut

Red Bull’s simulator development driver Jake Dennis will get his first taste of on-track F1 power when he drives for the team in this week’s post-race Formula 1 test in Spain.

Max Verstappen will be at the wheel of the RB14 for Tuesday’s opening part of the two-day session, before handing over to the 22-year-old British driver – who currently races sportscars in the Blancpain series – on Wednesday.

Red Bull say Dennis’s test will provide useful correlation for his work at the team’s UK headquarters in Milton Keynes, where he spends long hours driving their simulator, contributing to the general development of the car, while also supporting the race team with set-up work.

Following a highly successful karting career, in single-seaters Dennis won the 2011 InterSteps Championship, followed by the Formula Renault 2.0 NEC title in 2012.

He was third in 2015’s FIA European Formula 3 Championship, with double victories at Pau and Spa, and further wins at Portimao and the Red Bull Ring.

In 2016 he finished fourth in the GP3 championship and in recent years he has combined his single-seater career with sportscars, and currently competes in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup, driving an Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 for R-Motorsport.