Motorsport fans can now drive a real £4.5m F1 car themselves

Motosport fans who have always dreamed of following in the footsteps of Schumacher, Senna, Hamilton and Hill are being offered a rare opportunity to fulfil that fantasy by getting behind the wheel of a genuine Formula 1 car.

A UK driving experience company has secured access to a £4.5 million F1 racer and is offering petrolheads the chance to head out on track at the controls of the 600bhp purebred racer.

The 2002 Jordan EJ12 was driven by Japanese racer Takuma Sato as he took on the likes of Michael Schumacher, David Coulthard, Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello in the glamorous world of F1.

Now TrackDays.co.uk has secured access for members of the public to drive the car at Bovingdon Airfield in Hertfordshire - making it the only Jordan F1 driving experience in the world.

Different packages offer between 10 and 30 laps at the wheel of the Jordan F1 car, along with driver instruction and on-track training at the wheel of a BMW M3 and F1000 car before heading out in the EJ12.

Dan Jones, operations manager at TrackDays.co.uk, said: “It’s very rare to have the chance to drive a genuine F1 race car that was driven in anger in the world’s foremost motorsport championship.

“However, it’s not for the fainthearted, as it boasts 600bhp, a 3.0-litre Judd engine that can spin to an astonishing 10,500rpm, while reaching 60 mph in under five seconds.”

Dan added: “Unsurprisingly, our Jordan F1 driving experiences are some of the most premium packages we offer. However, when you consider that it could cost up to £250,000 to own a genuine model, plus the astronomical running costs, then these driving experiences in them are a real bargain while still enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime thrill.”

Prices for the Jordan F1 driving experience start at £999 for the 10-lap package, rising to £3,750 for the “Grand Prix” experience with more laps and an F1 launching session with burnout training.