Sebastian Vettel recently turned 18, passed his driving licence and is preparing for his high school exams, but today was allowed to drive a car with an output of more than 900 horsepower. Junior driving talent Vettel from Heppenheim in Germany clocked up his first laps in a Formula One car at the Jerez circuit in Spain.

Between 14:00 and 17:00, the young German driver completed 25 laps of the 4.4-kilometre course in the WilliamsF1 BMW FW27. Regular team drivers Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg were also testing in Jerez.

"It was an unbelievable experience!" said Vettel, visibly overwhelmed. "The brakes, the g-forces and the power of the engine are beyond description. Thanks to BMW and WilliamsF1 for giving me this chance to test. The test team looked after me brilliantly and I learnt plenty."

BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen commented, "Sebastian made a successful switch from around 220 bhp in Formula 3 to almost four times that in a Formula One car. The whole team was pleased with him. He now has a first-hand idea of the extreme dynamics involved and the physical demands on the driver. That experience will stand him in good stead in the future."

Since his outstanding Formula BMW victory in 2004 – taking 18 wins in 20 races – Vettel has been jointly sponsored by Red Bull and BMW. After Nico Rosberg (2002) and Chinese driver Ho-Pin Tung (2003), he is the third successful Formula BMW driver to be given an opportunity by BMW to drive a Formula One car. The next young driver to savour that experience will be decided in December, when the winner of the Formula BMW World Final in Bahrain (13th to 16th December 2005) will also be granted a Formula One test by BMW.