Anything is possible for disabled racers and in this week’s Driver Development Roundup I have two examples to inspire you. I also have advice on why confidence is key, father and son racing in Formula Vee and a new film tracking the journey of two young F4 racers.
Becoming a Professional Race Driver
In the video above, Enzo Mucci explains the importance of confidence.
Planet F1 looks at the what young drivers pay in order to get to F1 and breaks down each level of the driver pyramid. “While F1 drivers often boast huge salaries, throughout a junior driver’s formative years, the obligation is on the driver to fund their careers. For the most part, there are two methods an aspiring racer will use to fund their racing: family money or sponsorship.”
The passion for motorsport is such that physical disability is often not a barrier to those who want to race. Robert Wickens and Christina Vithoulkas demonstrate that the challenges a physical disability pose to race drivers can be overcome with perseverance and technology. You can learn more about their stories below.
- Paralyzed Robert Wickens on Return to Indy 500: ‘Anything’s Possible’
- Paraplegic driver joins ‘Yeah The Girls’ WTAC drifting showcase
On a recent episode of Inside the SCCA presented by RaceSchool.com, podcast host Brian Bielanski catches up with SCCA’s Senior Manager of Regional Track Program Development Jon Krolewicz. Jon shares the story of his motorsports journey – and as you’ll discover, there might be a couple of podcasts in that story alone. The two also dig deep into SCCA’s Race Experience program, which offers enthusiasts a chance to get a taste of wheel-to-wheel racing with a very low barrier to entry. This program is designed to get people on track safely and hook them into the sport we all love. You can watch the podcast above.
There’s something magical about the sound of a race car engine roaring to life – especially when it’s the sound of a legacy being passed down from father to child. This Father’s Day, the story of Formula Vee South Africa – a grassroots motorsport category – is being celebrated for tradition, connection, and family – not just speed, tires, and trophies. Read more about the category and the people who race in it in Celebrating father–child bonds at Formula Vee.
Driver Development Program News & Resources
“RACE ACADEMY – A True Motorsport Story” offers an exclusive insight into the school of hard knocks that young talents go through to realize their Formula 1 dream – available from the end of September on numerous TV channels and streaming platforms
Race drivers, managers, and team owners live life in the fast lane – both on and off the track. But the road to get there is rocky and tough, full of adrenaline, but also full of hardship.
The pilot film RACE ACADEMY for Austria’s first reality TV series about young racing talents trained in Austria will give fans a behind-the-scenes look from fall 2025 and reveal the tensions, relationships, and challenges between the motorsport stars of tomorrow.
RACE ACADEMY follows two Formula 4 drivers –Austrian Simon Schranz and Canadian Hady Mimassi – of the Formelaustria Young Driver Programme through all the highs and lows of the racing season. The talented teenagers struggle not only with the car and their opponents, but also with themselves, puberty, school, and much more.
Formula 1 legends such as Riccardo Patrese and Alex Wurz advise the producers with their expertise, while former female racing driver Corinna Kamper hosts the show.
In June 2024, the international sports consulting agency HM Sports, which has been active in Formula 1 for over 20 years, founded the Formelaustria Young Driver Programme. Austria’s only professional junior driver academy which supports kart talents and top sim racers in their transition to becoming Formula 4 drivers – and on their way to becoming the next (Austrian) Formula 1 driver.
RACE ACADEMY – A True Motorsport Story
Premiere: End of September 2025, Running time: approx. 1h35
Director: Koriun Khachesarian
Screenplay: Harry Miltner
Camera: Vedran Kos
Production: Otto Danner
Assistant: Verena Graf
Presentation: Corinna Kamper
Sports Consulting: Alexander Wurz and Riccardo Patrese
Producer: HM Sports
From the Sim Racing Roundup
McLaren goes sim racing by announcing a new sim rig and last week’s Sim Racing Roundup has all the details. I also have the journeys of some sim racers making the leap to real-world racing, reviews of F1 25 and an incredible simulated lap of Imola featuring none other than Andrea Kimi Antonelli. All this and much more!
Driver Development Pathways
In the 372 days between her terrifying incident in a USF Juniors race last April and her F1 Academy debut as the series’ Miami round wild card last month, Ava Dobson faced a tremendous personal battle to recover. The 16-year-old opened up to Feeder Series on the mental and physical effects of her accident and how she persevered through a ‘tough year’ to capitalise on her biggest opportunity yet.
Jordan Missig’s journey has been an interesting one. After making a few guest appearances in the 2024 INDY NXT by Firestone Series, Jordan returned for his first full-time season with ABEL Motorsports in 2025. Jordan won the 2024 Radical Cup North American Series Championship where he earned 9 wins and 16 podiums with Graham Rahal Performance and the Radical Indianapolis team. He also finished third in the Radical World Finals in Abu Dhabi.
Jordan has climbed to INDY NXT after racing in USF Pro 2000, Lamborghini Super Trofeo, Formula Regional Americas and Karting. He is also an FIA IT-B Silver licensed driver and SCCA Pro racer. Jordan has relentlessly chased his dream of making it the top of motorsports. Whether he is perfecting his technique on his simulator or practicing on the track, Jordan’s commitment to his craft is evident. He is driven by one goal – to compete in IndyCar, Formula 1, NASCAR or IMSA’s Prototype/GTP Series.
You can listen to Jordan’s story on a recent edition of the Cars Yeah podcast here.
Atiqa Mir, a 10-year-old Dubai-based Indian karting prodigy has become the youngest driver from the region to secure a place in a professional motorsport development programme, following her signing as an official AKCEL GP Academy driver. Read more about Atiqa’s journey here.
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.
