We're used to hearing about dealers offering gifts and incentives to attract potential buyers into their models, but Infiniti's test-drive competition is a bit different. 25 lucky punters took part in a driving competition for the ultimate prize: driving an F1 car.
Potential buyers from across the UK who test drove an Infiniti at one of the firm's main dealers were entered into a full-day event, held at Rockingham Motor Speedway in Northamptonshire. They were assessed by an expert driving tuition team which included former Toro Rosso F1 driver and 2014 WEC champion Sebastian Buemi.
A fast fleet of Infiniti Q50s were used on the day, but competitors weren't timed lap by lap. Instead, the examiners assessed them for overall driving style. Buemi claimed they were looking for "the right attitude, someone who is able to learn effectively" and general skills including braking, steering, managing weight transfer and "nailing consistent laps time after time".
The overall day winner was Carl Lawrence, a fleet manager from Wallington, Greater London who's been "obsessed with Formula 1" since his teens. The reward includes an all expenses-paid hospitality weekend to Abu Dhabi, a full day in the official F1 simulator and the grand reward of laps round the circuit in a Red Bull F1 car, with tuition from Danil Kvyat.