Eurocup-5 will be launching in 2027 and in this week’s Driver Development Roundup I have the details of this single-seater series aimed at 14–15-year-olds. I also have a Porsche Driver Development Program update and much more.
Overview
Becoming a Professional Race Driver
RFEDA Launches Eurocup-5, a New Championship to Ease the Transition from Karting to Single-Seaters
The Royal Spanish Motorsports Federation (RFEDA) will launch in 2027 a new national championship for young drivers aged 14 and 15, conceived as the ideal step between karting and F4 Spain.
The Royal Spanish Motorsports Federation de Automovilismo continues to strengthen the development pyramid of Spanish motorsport with the creation of Eurocup-5, a new national circuit championship that will debut in the 2027 season and was created, following decisions adopted on July 1 by the Board of Directors and the Delegate Commission, with a clearly defined goal: to facilitate access for the best drivers coming from karting to single-seater competition through a sustainable, equitable, cost-contained sporting model.
The new category will be sportingly managed by EPIC Championships, the entity responsible for organising internationally renowned championships such as F4 Spain and Eurocup-3, thereby guaranteeing a top-level organisational structure and a natural continuity within the young talents’ development pathway.
One of the project’s main pillars will be cost control and sporting equality. RFEDA has set a maximum budget of 150,000 euros per season, ensuring that access to the competition depends on sporting talent rather than the ability to run parallel training programs.
Precisely to preserve that equality of opportunity, drivers entered in Eurocup-5 will not be allowed to carry out training, testing or private sessions during the season with any type of single-seater or similar competition vehicle, with only karting practice permitted as a complement to their sporting development. In this way, all participants will approach the championship under the same preparation conditions.
As an incentive for national talent, RFEDA will award a grant of 42,000 euros to the best junior driver classified in the 2026 Hyundai Spanish Karting Championship, aimed at facilitating their move into Eurocup-5 in 2027. This scholarship will be aimed at drivers who can demonstrate the ability to cover the budget needed to compete in the full championship season. In addition, as part of a promotional pyramid that is as ambitious as it is attractive, the Eurocup-5 champion will receive a cash prize of 100,000 euros to put toward their participation in F4 Spanish Championship.
The new category will be open to drivers who have turned 14 before the season’s first round and who have not yet turned 16 before the calendar’s final round, making it the ideal setting to begin a single-seater racing career.
The championship will have a calendar of five meetings, each made up of two races, plus five official test days, sharing the stage with the F4 Spanish Championship at most rounds and with some Eurocup-3 events. In this way, young drivers will be able to join, from their very first steps, a fully professional environment aligned with the higher categories.
Eurocup-5 will use a single-seater specifically developed for this learning phase, with high safety standards, performance suited to the development process, and technical regulations designed to limit differences between teams and place the focus on driver performance. The chassis has been developed by ADESS, an engineering company specialising in competition vehicles founded by former Formula 1 engineer Stéphane Chosse, with experience as an official manufacturer of LMP3 prototypes and in benchmark international motorsport projects.
With this new championship, the Royal Spanish Motorsports Federation takes a further step in its commitment to consolidating a perfectly structured sporting pathway for young talents, reinforcing Spain’s leadership as one of Europe’s leading benchmarks in driver development and offering an accessible, competitive and sustainable platform to begin a career in international motorsport.
Five Things Families Should Know About Eurocup-5, and Why It Could Reshape the Motorsport Ladder
Eurocup-5 launches in 2027 as a new bridge between karting and Formula 4 — with a €150,000 budget cap and scholarship funding designed to keep talented drivers on the ladder. The Youth & Motorsports STEM Foundation looks at five things that families should know about the new series.
How an F1 Stalwart Could be the Financial Savior of Grassroots Racing
Motorsport Week sat down with Formula 1 stalwart Rob Smedley, to discuss his involvement in the FAT Karting League and how it could help a generation of youngsters achieve their racing dreams.
“It was all those type of questions that I wanted to try and answer and started to do a little bit of research and then understood very quickly that it was the biggest barrier is cost I would say there’s also a complexity barrier to, you know, the very lower tiers of grassroots, but principally, the barrier is cost.”
Talent vs Pressure
Dan Wells from Drivers Lab explains the importance of functioning under pressue. You can read his Instagram post here.
FOMO: The Silent Performance Killer
FOMO is the persistent belief that something better is happening somewhere else. Psychologically, it is driven by several mechanisms which Minds on Track explains here.
A Letter to the Racing Parent: How to Protect Your Investment, Your Child, and the Path Ahead
Supporting a young racing driver requires more than funding their career—it also means helping them develop the skills and mindset needed for long-term success. In this article, Will Marotti offers advice to racing parents on how to protect the significant investment they make in their child’s future by focusing on personal growth, decision-making, and building a sustainable foundation for a career in motorsport. It’s a valuable perspective for any parent navigating the challenges of junior racing. Read the full article here to explore the lessons in full.
Verstappen Signs McLaren Junior Driver Van Langendonck
Max Verstappen has signed McLaren junior driver Dries van Langendonck to his racing team, marking the first move by the four-time Formula 1 world champion into driver development. The Red Bull driver’s Verstappen Racing squad will provide “additional support and guidance” to van Langendonck as he progresses through the junior ranks.
FEL Motorsports Launches F1600 Pathway Award for a Free Entry into the 2027 Emzone Radical Cup Canada
FEL Motorsports has announced the F1600 Pathway Award, a new initiative that will grant one standout Canadian F1600 driver a complimentary full-season entry into the 2027 Emzone Radical Cup Canada (RCC) presented by Michelin. While the Ontario and Quebec F1600 championships serve as the award’s primary series, all F1600 drivers competing across Canada are eligible. The award reinforces the Emzone RCC presented by Michelin’s role as a proven next step for young Canadian talent and continues FEL Motorsports’ long-standing commitment to building a clear, accessible pathway up the motorsport ladder.
The recipient will be chosen based on a variety of criteria that extend beyond championship standings and points. On track, the selection will weigh talent, potential, racecraft, and overall performance throughout the season. Off track, it will consider the character, professionalism, and dedication that define a driver capable of succeeding at the next level. The goal is to recognize the complete package, and to help remove one of the financial barriers that too often slows a young driver’s career progression.
F4 Test Day Giveaway
The jump from karting into cars ends more promising careers than a lack of talent ever does. A driver dominates karting, moves into a single-seater, and finds that much of what made them fast no longer applies.
Drivers Lab is doing something small about that. Alongside Media Friends, we are backing a prize at IAME Series Italy. The best performer of the season receives an F4 test day, sponsored by Drivers Lab and DWDM, awarded at the prize giving ceremony.
Full details can be found here.
Tickford Signs Youngster to Development Deal
Supercars team Tickford has shored up its talent pipeline by formally adding James Lodge to its development pathway program. Lodge was the 2024 Toyota GR Cup runner-up to Max Geoghegan and has since cut his teeth in Porsche Sprint Challenge. This deal puts him on the fast-track to a future in Super2; he will join the squad’s test day today at Winton where he is set to turn laps.
The Meaning Behind F1 Academy’s First Silverstone Weekend
F1 Academy’s first appearance at Silverstone was about far more than another race weekend. In this analysis, OpenTrack Consultants explores what the event meant for the series, the drivers, and the continued effort to create meaningful pathways for women in motorsport. It’s a reminder that progress isn’t measured solely by results on track, but also by the opportunities and visibility that help shape the sport’s future. Read the full article here for a deeper look at the significance of this milestone.
Motorsports Leaders Hope to Pave New Career Pathways for Underserved Youth
There are plenty of ways to make an impact in the world of motorsports, and leaders from NASCAR, GM Motorsports, technology, education, philanthropy, and civic leadership at Culture FYI’RS ATL gathered together to highlight the intersection between the intensity of racing cars on a speedway and emerging tech.
Atlanta native and NASCAR driver Rajah Caruth was joined by Brandon Thompson, the vice president of diversity and inclusion at NASCAR, and TaiJaune Robinson, the engineering business manager of GM Motorsports, to discuss how they’re showcasing motorsports to underserved youth and working to get them involved by highlighting its reach to different career pathways such as engineering, artificial intelligence, technology, and data science.
Read more about the program here.
Driver Development Program News & Resources
More Than Equal | F4 Camp Navarra 2026
Development happens in the details. Every test, every debrief and every lap is another chance to improve. That’s the process we’re committed to. Watch highlights from More Than Equal’s recent development account above.
Changing Minds UK Partners with More Than Equal
Changing Minds UK has announced that they are supporting the work of driver development program More Than Equal by supporting their work through performance psychology.
Twoth Development Academy
The pathway through motorsport can be daunting, expensive and time consuming. That’s why Twoth Autosport built the Development Ladder for Shopify Racing powered by TWOth, following the same path that brought Tobi Lutke from lapping to LeMans.
Porsche Driver Development Members Complete Workshop
Rising Porsche stars gathered in Charlotte recently for the annual Driver Development Workshop, combining fitness assessments, technical education, and exclusive access to Team Penske and Porsche Penske Motorsport.
Drivers from the Porsche Motorsport North America Junior Program and Porsche Mobil 1 Female Driver Program completed the annual Driver Development Workshop this week, spending two days at PitFit Charlotte and Team Penske, home of Porsche Penske Motorsport’s championship-winning Porsche 963 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship program.
More details can be found here.
Omnia Motorsport and Skyline Racing are Joining Forces
Omnia Motorsport and Skyline Racing are joining forces to accelerate Driver Development expanding team’s presence in Middle East. More details can be found here.
The Inside Track to Global Motorsport Awaits You
The Inside Track to Global Motorsport awaits you. 18 days in Madrid, Spain that could completely evolve your outlook towards a career in motorsports engineering.
Apply now using the link in their Instagram bio or DM them to set up a call with their team here.
For the Committed: Finding the Limits with the Aston Martin Aramco Driver Academy
What does it take to be an Aston Martin Aramco driver? This article found out by spending a day alongside the team’s Driver Academy as its rising talents tackled a programme of physical assessments and performance testing at the AMR Technology Campus.
You can read the article here.
Last Week On the Podcast
Why Sales is All About Trust with Brian McRae
The podcast two weeks ago featured Brian McRae, the Partner Marketing Manager for Gradient Racing. Brian explains why sales is all about building trust and how you can learn sales techniques to increase your effectiveness in your sponsorship acquisition methods.
Some of the topics we discussed included:
- Why sponsorship is about creating relationships and creating trust.
- How professional sales skills can be learned.
- Why sales is a process and much more!
Listen to the full episode here!
On the Podcast This Week
Why Drivers Need to Be Creative with Driver Coach Dominic Cicero
On the podcast this week is driver coach Dominic Cicero who explains the importance of creativity to the race driver. He will explain why it is so important, why adapting to a mistake on the track is key and much more!
The episode drops on Wednesday, July 29th and you can subscribe, download and listen to it here.
Karting
Motorsport UK and KartSim Collaborate to Enhance Kart Academy Driver Development
Motorsport UK is collaborating with KartSim for the 2026 season, strengthening the development opportunities available to drivers within the Motorsport UK Kart Academy program.
As part of the agreement, KartSim will deliver a dedicated driver coaching simulation session at its specialist facility, alongside providing its mobile KartSim Simulator Van for a full day at Motorsport UK’s Bicester headquarters. These sessions will give Academy drivers access to industry-leading simulation technology and professional coaching, supporting their development both on and off the track.
The Motorsport UK Kart Academy 2026 cohort comprises seven talented karters, aged 14 to 16, who are currently competing at British Kart Championships (BKC) level, with some now making the transition into circuit racing. The programme is designed to equip drivers with the technical, physical and mental skills needed to progress through the motorsport pathway.
The KartSim sessions will focus on key areas of driver development, including vision training, live telemetry analysis, racing lines and kart positioning, posture and body positioning, and overall driving technique. By combining expert coaching with advanced simulation technology, drivers will gain valuable insights that can be applied directly to their on-track performance.
World Speed Academy Awards F4 Training to ROK Sonoma 2026 Karting Champion
For many aspiring professional drivers, the journey begins in the karting paddock. Recognizing the challenge of moving from karts to full-sized race cars, World Speed Motorsports (WSM) is continuing its commitment to grassroots driver development.
The team has announced that the 2026 ROK Sonoma VLR Senior Triple Crown 2 Champion will be awarded a complimentary, two-day training program at the World Speed Academy.
Full details can be found here.
From Karting to International GT Racing
Century Motorsport is actively seeking ambitious, professional level kart racers ready to transition into international GT competition. With over 30 years of success in high performance sports car and GT racing, we provide a proven pathway from karting to the global GT stage.
Full details can be found here.
Last Week on The Business of Being a Race Driver
Building a Personal Brand
Building a personal brand is just one of the topics covered in the last Business of Being a Race Driver published before my vacation.. You will also get advice on creating a unique selling point, the importance of your story and more!
From the Sim Racing Roundup
GT Cup Series Talent Camp Uses Sims for Driver Development
The GT Cup Series is using sim racing to develop race drivers, and you will find out how in my last Sim Racing Roundup. I also have details on Motorsport UK’s kart sim partnership, how racing simulators could play a key role in expanding opportunities for women in motorsport and more.
Driver Journeys
Proud in Pink – Nicole Donker-Torres
Motor racing remains a predominantly male-dominated sport, but one dynamic young female driver is determined to change that. At just 24 years old, Nicole Donker-Torres, a social worker from Gauteng, has set out to create greater awareness, excitement and interest in motorsport amongst young girls and women.
Read about Nicole’s journey on the Motorsport South Africa website here.
The Racing Journey of Nikola Tsolov
Fresh from a record three consecutive victories in Formula 2, Racing Bulls’ potential 2027 recruit Nikola Tsolov, here are two articles on the young Bulgarian driver and his journey so far.
- Adrian Campos: ‘Tsolov is making the difference and deserves F1 chance’ (F2)
- The Next Generation: Nikola Tsolov (Motorsport.com)
How Williams-backed F1 Academy Star Has Earned the Tools to Progress
Jade Jaquet opened up about her hopes for the British Grand Prix weekend, with Williams’ support behind her as she finds her feet in her rookie year. Read the full feature at Motorsport Week here.
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects and the host of the Motorsport Prospects Podcast. 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.
