Alex Lynn makes his debut appearance as a Red Bull Junior driver and in GP3 at the first pre-season official test this week, in Estoril from March 27-28.
The Red Bull Junior Team is well-known for bringing on the talent of the future, with reigning Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel, his team mate Daniel Ricciardo, and Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat all having graduated to the pinnacle of sport thanks to the prestigious driver development scheme.
Now Alex is aiming to follow in their footsteps, thanks to a full GP3 programme this year with Carlin, which has been a frontrunner in the category since the championship was inaugurated in 2010.
“I don’t remember feeling this excited about getting a championship underway for a long time,” said the 20-year-old from Essex. “I just can’t wait to get started. It’s a new team and a new championship for me, with a very exciting new car. And of course, it’s my first outing with Red Bull: a massive opportunity that I fully intend to make the most of.”
Alex won last year’s Macau Grand Prix: the 30th anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s famous victory, and the first triumph for a British driver at the venue since 2007.
The GP3 car that he steps up to this year is a very different proposition. With 400 horsepower, it aims to prepare drivers for GP2, or even directly for Formula One.
“I think people sometimes underestimate just how fast these cars are: they give you everything you need to prepare yourself for the very top level,” added Alex. “To me, it’s no great surprise that rookie drivers have done very well in Formula One: this is what it’s all aimed at. But of course I think my experience in Formula 3 will help me too. They are very engineering-led cars, and the key thing in GP3 is to find the right set-up and feel confident in pushing straight away.”
With just one 45-minute free practice before qualifying at every round, finding a good feeling with the car in pre-season testing is vital – and this is what Alex aims to concentrate on in Portugal throughout Thursday and Friday.
“Of course it’s great if you find yourself at the top of the time sheets, but that’s not necessarily the priority,” concluded Alex. “ It’s more a question of getting used to working with the team and the car, and developing a feel for the pace. Luckily Carlin’s reputation speaks for itself and I already feel completely integrated into the team. But we’re certainly not underestimating the challenge ahead: we’re up against some very talented and experienced drivers, including some people who entering their third year of the championship. So we need to be clever as well.”
Estoril is a tight and technical circuit with 13 challenging corners, making it an ideal test venue. It was the home of the Portuguese Grand Prix up to 1996, witnessing several moments of motorsport history, such as Niki Lauda’s third and final championship win (by half a point) in 1984.
Following the Estoril test, there are two more two-day GP3 test sessions during April, in Jerez and Barcelona, before the nine-round championship gets underway alongside the Spanish Grand Prix from May 9-11.
