Applications for the 2025 FF Corse GT Driver Academy are now open and this week’s Driver Development Roundup has all the details. This week also has advice on how to break harmful habits holding you back, details on an expanded Australian Porsche Michelin Junior Program and more!
Becoming a Professional Race Driver
Here are two great videos from Enzo Mucci to help you with your preparations for 2025. One covers the self-imposed rules we may have and the other explains how to break the patterns that are holding you back.
Driver Development Program News & Resources
Applications for the 2025 FF Corse GT Driver Academy are now open which is free to enter, and has no ongoing costs for those selected to be a part of the program.
2024 members received benefits such as simulator time and mentoring from iZone Performance, media training from Louise Goodman, fitness assessments from Gridshark Athletic Performance, special discounts from Grand Prix Racewear, GT Driver Academy team kit, continual support and advice from the FF Corse management team and finally, an end of season ride or drive (for those old enough) in one of our Ferrari race cars at Silverstone. The selection process will be conducted by a panel of judges from the FF Corse management team and industry experts.
This is very much about discovering and nurturing the GT racing stars of tomorrow, and GT3 racing in particular has become a very interesting category, both commercially and from an engineering/sporting point of view. We want to help drivers gain a foothold by becoming involved early and shaping their careers.
The Academy is open to drivers of all ages and disciplines, with no predetermined criteria. You can fill out your application here.
Porsche Motorsport Australia has announced an expanded version of its Porsche Michelin Junior Program for 2025. Applications are now open for young drivers intending to contest either the 2025 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Championship, or Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series, to join the program.
The program will encompass not just the physical and mental growth of participants, but also aims to deliver insight into engineering, media and sponsorship. A dedicated driver mentor will also be in place throughout the year. Read more about the program here.
Grassroots Motorsports has a great article on the origin and lasting impact of SCCA Women on Track. RallyCross, Road Racing, RoadRally, SCCA Pro Racing, Solo, Time Trials and even Track Night in America: These are all areas within the SCCA where the Women on Track program has its impact. Read the full article and how you can get involved here.
PKN Orlen has announced it will be stepping away from Formula 1 sponsorship. In a statement, the company revealed that it plans to redirect its sponsorship budget toward investing in a new educational program designed to support and nurture the next generation of young drivers. The Polish company has been a partner of Visa Cash App since 2023.
From the Sim Racing Roundup
Chris Walsh is an active-duty member of the United States Air Force, real-world race driver and sim racer and in last week’s Sim Racing Roundup you will find out how he integrates it all. I also had details on the 2025 edition of the 2025 F1 Sim Racing World Championship, how you can do sim racing for cheap and much more!
Driver Development Pathways
In the video above, Roger Caddell (AiM Sports National Training Manager) and special guest Emy Kissick (2024 Mazda Spec MX-5 Shootout Winner) discuss her motorsports background, how she got started racing Mazda Spec Miata’s, her invite and participation in the Mazda Shootout. They also discussed her racing data and video use as she has been learning about motorsports. They finish with several questions from those attending the webinar live and what her racing plans are in the future.
Ashlyn Speed (Mansfield, TX), winner of the 2024 Mazda Women in Motorsport Initiative Scholarship will race with Hendricks Motorsports in the 2025 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin. The scholarship brings with it $100,000 dollars towards the 2025 Series which will see Ashlyn race at all seven double-header rounds at some of the most famous road courses in North America.
Find out more about her journey at Daily Sportscar.
Formula Scout explains how Deagen Fairclough went from junior saloons to British F4 dominator.
“I started when I was five years old,” he recalls. “It was literally just me and my dad in karting. From five until I was 13 it was ‘lad and dad’. We’re a working class family and everyone knows how much of a struggle motorsport is. We were getting all the scraps from people, borrowing people’s spare engines to run in for them.”
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects. As a lawyer, he applies his legal background and research skills to assist race drivers by showcasing the resources they need to make their motorsport careers happen.
