Sir Patrick Stewart is preparing to show off his speed skills at legendary British track Silverstone after passing a test to become a racing driver.
The Star Trek legend aced his official Ards exam, which is both written and practical, to obtain a competition licence and he is set to compete in a special Celebrity Challenge race at this summer's (12) Silverstone Classic event.
He says, "I'm relieved and delighted. It's such a fast learning curve from the moment you first step into the car. At one point it was raining quite hard out there; I could hardly see out of the windows... and you really do need to be able to see out of the windows when you're driving fast!
"I can't say it wasn't a challenge at times but I've enjoyed it very much. I've watched too many professionals at work on the race track over the years to feel that I can now call myself a fully-fledged racing driver but it was exhilarating that's for sure and I'm looking forward to putting my new skills into practice. The chance to drive a great British sports car at Silverstone, what could be better?"
The celebrity race, which will also feature rocker Brian Johnson and chef Heston Blumenthal, takes place next month (Jul12).