Aaron Steele in action in the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport at Brands Hatch (photos courtesy A1GP.com)

by Martin Jefferies

Chatham-born charger Aaron Steele hopes his introduction to
motorsport's world stage will secure him a spot in one of racing's
top categories.

The 20-year-old was called up to represent Great Britain in the
A1GP World Cup of Motorsport at Brands Hatch last weekend and
impressed by finishing the rookie practice session in ninth
place.

Steele, a finalist in last year's McLaren Autosport BRDC Awards,
lapped the Kent circuit in 1m16.103s - just 1.2s outside the A1GP
track record.

The Ferrari-powered A1GP car he drove on Friday was roughly
three times more powerful than the Formula 3 car he sampled in 2008
and the Rochester resident admitted the session was a steep
learning curve.

He said: "It was
simply awesome! These cars have 600bhp, a 4.5-litre V8 engine, a
paddle shift gearbox and only two pedals. The brakes are made
entirely of carbon and I had to left foot brake for the first time;
it's a totally different feel from anything I've ever driven
before.

"They have so much technology on board; they're very similar to
a GP2 car which itself is not far off F1 standards.

"I would have liked some more laps in the car before I had to
jump out but hopefully I'll have another chance to drive it again
soon."

Steele first sat in Team Great Britain's A1GP chassis at
midnight on Thursday, when he was called to Brands Hatch for a
pre-practice seat fitting.

He spent the weekend with the race team, working alongside
mechanics to define the ideal set-up and liaising with engineers to
determine race strategies.

The rookie said: "I gelled nicely with the team and I think I've
made some good friends.

"I've learned so much, ranging from what goes on on the pit wall
to how the car is prepared for a race. It's been an unbelievable
experience which will definitely help me in the future."

"My main goal now is to secure some funding to compete this
season and to keep racing throughout the year," Steele added, when
asked about his plans for the rest of 2009. "We'll certainly be
aiming for something good."