Dennis will make his first official grand prix weekend appearance for Red Bull when he drives the workforce’s RB19 in FP1 on the Abu Dhabi season finale subsequent month.
The 28-year-old, who received the Components E title final season with Andretti International, has been a Purple Bull simulator driver since 2018 and accomplished two check session outings that 12 months in Spain and Hungary on the wheel of the RB14.
The decision-up for Abu Dhabi got here as a shock to the Briton, with every F1 workforce required to run a rookie in every of its vehicles throughout one FP1 session this season.
“To a sure extent it was [a surprise], clearly I positively don’t see myself as a junior driver or something like that,” Dennis completely advised Autosport.
“My focus is solely on Components E and try to ship a superb outcome there, so I didn’t actually anticipate a lot of it [the call].
“I simply thought it was going to be extra simulator work or one thing alongside these traces. However yeah, it was a welcome shock.”
Dennis says that he’s nonetheless unaware of the explanation behind the chance given his age, which he says “doesn’t actually play in my favour”, however hopes that the prospect will enable him to higher correlate between the automobile’s traits on-track and the simulator.
“Truthfully, I’m probably not too certain, I by no means actually requested the query to Christian and unaware of the explanations behind it,” he stated.
Dennis final examined for Purple Bull on the Hungaroring in 2018
Photograph by: Jerry Andre
“I believe clearly they positively profit from me being higher at giving correlation when I’ll have pushed the true automobile, so I believe that’s clearly positively part of it.”
In regards to the tight confines of the RB19, Dennis, who stands at greater than six-foot, added: “It’s extremely tight that’s for certain, I don’t actually match all that nicely, however I imply I’ve received to make it work, I’ll. It’s no armchair let’s put it that means.”
Dennis has been with Andretti International since he entered Components E in 2020, when the workforce was BMW’s works entry, and claimed the drivers’ title final season within the London E-Prix season finale with buyer Porsche powertrains.
He’s presently out in Valencia with the workforce for pre-season testing, however has but to drive after a automobile battery hearth has presently halted proceedings.
With Andretti pushing for a spot in F1 – its utility having been authorized by the FIA and now within the arms of FOM – there’s potential scope for Dennis to affix the F1 grid with the American workforce whether it is profitable.
“Michael [Andretti] is clearly pushing for Components 1, it wouldn’t be a loopy thought if he thought of placing me within the automobile however from my understanding it’s simply let’s get the F1 entry first after which we determine whose even in consideration,” added Dennis.
“However proper now, there hasn’t been any talks of it, it’s simply purely him eager to contract me for the following few years in Components E and we appear all on the identical web page with that so it’s excellent now focusing purely on Components E.”
Dennis shall be joined for FP1 in Abu Dhabi by F2 driver Isack Hadjar, with each Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez sitting out the session forward of the season-finale on 26 November.