Graham Rahal wants to help young drivers who may have issues raising the budget to race and you will find out how in this week’s Driver Development Roundup. I also have advice on how to focus on the process of being successful, why Robert Wickens continues to race and how a sim racing competition can lead to a real-world drive.
Becoming a Professional Race Driver
Enzo Mucci explains that you simply MUST stay faithful and dedicated to the process. Then good things will come!
As Graham Rahal approaches the final years of his full-time driving career, the Ohioan wants to put his business savvy to use in ways that would help young drivers to meet the steep financial demands that come with learning to race in the various development series.
“One of the things that’s been in my mind lately is to come up with a scholarship fund for young drivers,” Rahal told RACER. “And when I say a scholarship fund, I mean getting a bunch of successful business owners that out of the goodness of their heart want to put money into a money-market fund that goes towards helping drivers starting out. Maybe it’s in the Radical series where we race [ED: Rahal owns the Rahal Radical Indianapolis team], and the next step is to go into the USF Championships.”
Robert Wickens explains to RACER magazine why he continues to race after his devastating IndyCar accident left him with a thoracic spinal fracture, a neck fracture, tibia and fibula fractures to both legs, as well as fractures to both hands, a forearm, an elbow and four ribs.
There’s no prognosis for paralysis – maybe you get some muscles working properly, maybe you don’t. But my philosophy was that if I didn’t do absolutely everything I could, I’d always question, “Would I have walked again if I’d put in more hours?”
Read the complete interview here.
Former F1 driver and IndyCar champion Danny Sullivan has commended Red Bull Racing for its solid driver development program in F1. Though the 75-year-old agreed that the team’s recent axing of Liam Lawson for Yuki Tsunoda was unpleasant, he provided a more thorough picture of the program’s past.
“Scott Speed – two and a half years from being in the Barber (Racing) School to being in Formula 1. I mean… you think about that. The program was genuine. I mean Red Bull, we all don’t like what’s happened to Lawson and different people, and the moving around, but they’ve had a very successful program for young drivers, and they put the money up for it, which is even more important for all of us.”
If you are not a regular reader of my Sim Racing Roundup, you should be. The video above is about the Prodigy Racing League, an initiative by Racing Prodigy to promote sim racers into real-life race drivers. It is an exciting program for any sim racer to get involved in and compete for an amazing opportunity.
Driver Development Program News & Resources
Christian Menezes is the the recipient of the 2025 Bob McCallum Scholarship. The Bob McCallum scholarship was established to provide financial assistance to new
Motorsport competitors in the 2025 CASC-OR Championship competing in the F1200,
F1600, or Formula Libra Championship series. You can read more about the scholarship here.
A groundbreaking new electric karting program aimed at removing barriers to entry launched in the United States last weekend. Former Ferrari F1 engineer Rob Smedley’s FAT Karting program made its debut in the US for the first of four ‘Try-Out’ events that will allow drivers to sample both the electric racing karts and the program, which is already a huge success in the UK. They’ll also be provided with evaluation and guidance in regard to which series will be right for them: Regional or Pro. The launch of FAT Karting in the US began lst weekend at New Castle Motorsports Park with try-outs on both Saturday and Sunday (April 12-13). There are three additional Try-Out events on successive weekends at Kart Circuit Autobahn (April 19-20), Norway Motorsports Park (April 26-27), and G&J Kartways (May 2-3). Ekarting News has more details.
Sports Gazette explains everything you need to know about the F1 Academy’s support of the global karting program Champions of the Future Academy Program. “The F1 Academy supports the top three female karters in each category, offering them guidance, a branded kart and suit, and financial support for race entries. It says talent identification will be a key focus to help create a pipeline of identified talent amongst young girls. A chassis lottery system will decrease the financial requirements for competitors, and ensures that they are competing in equal equipment.”
From the Sim Racing Roundup
Maximizing performance in FIA F2, F3 & F4 with race simulators is just part of what you will learn in last week’s Sim Racing Roundup. You will also learn how Mercedes F1 drivers use a sim to learn a new track, how a young Liechtensteiner went from sim racing to the real thing and details on your chance to win a Prodigy Pass. Let’s go!
Driver Development Pathways
Linda Frey has become the first Liechtensteiner to race in the NXT Gen Cup The 17-year-old Liechtensteiner began her driving career in sim racing, achieving strong results in the junior category of the Porsche eSports Carrera Cup Suisse—the official Swiss sim racing championship. As a participant in the Pergolini academy AG’s driver development program in Liechtenstein, Frey has been refining her racecraft ahead of the 2025 season. With NXT Gen Cup’s emphasis on sustainability and innovation, she sees this as an ideal opportunity to further her career. Read more about her journey here.
Red Bull shines the spotlight on young American racer Connor Zilisch. ” Connor Zilisch is far from your typical 18-year-old. Most of the questions he gets are about what comes next, and how high can he climb in his sport. Presently, the sport is NASCAR—the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, the pinnacle of stock-car racing in the world—and Zilisch has already been hailed as its Next Big Thing. It’s a label bestowed on those blessed with the talent, temperament, determination, drive and, most of all, hype to deliver on that promise.”
Like many of today’s young race car drivers, Toni Breidinger has been competing since childhood, but unlike her fellow competitors in NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series the Toyota driver works as a model and a social media influencer when she isn’t competing at the track. Read more about her journey at Autoweek.
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.
