German Formula 4 is returning in 2027, and I have the details in this week’s Driver Development Roundup. I also have advice from Sergio Perez, what test days are really for and much more!
Overview
Becoming a Professional Race Driver
What Red Bull Never Revealed About My Shock Exit: Sergio Perez
In this episode, Sergio exposes the politics of the paddock to share the raw truth of his Formula 1 career. He opens up about the brutal reality of the Red Bull garage, the betrayal of losing his seat days before his historic victory at Sakhir, and how a lonely childhood living in a German truck-stop motel built his unbreakable mindset.
Sergio also reflects on his next chapter with Cadillac, the lessons he’s taken from his time in F1, and the importance of learning to enjoy the journey while you’re in it. This is a powerful conversation about resilience, self-belief, and performing under relentless pressure.
FIA-Certified German F4 Series to Launch in 2027
Germany’s official Formula 4 championship is back. From 2027, the FIA-certified F4 German Championship will provide young drivers with a professional platform to begin their single-seater careers. Organized by GEDLICH Racing, the series will primarily race alongside the DTM, while also offering an unprecedented €500,000 Prize Gold initiative to help the next generation progress.
Feeder Series has all the information you need to know about the series.
Formelaustria Race Academy Extends 2027 F4 Program to Three Championships
Formula 4 is the core of the Formelaustria Race Academy. With the return of the F4 Germany, the academy board has decided to run a third campaign in 2027.
“We are happy to announce that we will be extending our programme for 2027 with a championship campaign in the reinstated F4 Germany,” Formelaustria Race Academy director Harry Miltner revealed.
Following the announcement that F4 Germany has been reinstated for next year, Miltner sat down with the academy’s track partner Renauer Motorsport, and it was decided to extend the Formula 4 platform.
Therefore, Renauer Motorsport will field FARA drivers in the 2027 Formula Winter Series in Portugal & Spain, continue to race in the F4 Central European Zone Championship in Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic, and also enter F4 Germany.
Racing team owner Sepp Renauer emphasised that “participating in all these championships, of course, depends on the fact that we will have signed enough good drivers. But I believe our track record shows that we are a reliable partner, and these three series are highly attractive.”
So, there is hard work lying ahead for the team and the academy, both to prepare the three cars, acquire more staff, plan the trips, but also see who from the academy pool of drivers is ready for the challenge, and sign more talents for 2027.
“This is a shoutout to all karting talents or F4 rookies – come join us and let’s make history together,” Miltner added.
Interested junior drivers are welcome to contact the Formelaustria Race Academy at office@formelaustria.at
Details on the German F4 program can be found here.
How Families Misunderstand the Purpose of Test Days
Dan Wells from Drivers Lab explains how to properly use a test day and the misunderstandings related to what a test day is for. “Families spend a great deal of money on test days and often draw exactly the wrong conclusions from them. A test is one of the most useful tools in a driver’s development and one of the most commonly misread, and the gap between those two things costs families both money and good decisions.”
Read his full explanation on LinkedIn here.
Why Drivers Need to Be Creative with Driver Coach Dominic Cicero
On the podcast last week was 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!
Listen to the full episode here!
BTCC Newcomer Fills Final WSR BMW Seat for Rest of 2026
West Surrey Racing has filled the seat of its third BMW 330i M Sport for the remainder of the British Touring Car Championship season, as Lewis Gilbert makes the switch to tin-tops from GB3.
The 22-year-old Gilbert was a successful karter, claiming a European IAME title in 2018, but makes his move into the BTCC with just half a season of car racing under his belt. The Ayrshire driver’s best results in GB3 have been a couple of 10th positions at Spa.
Revealing What All Champions Have in Common
What separates champions from everyone else? According to this column from Grassroots Motorsports, it isn’t just talent or natural ability. Drawing on examples from racing, football, and even entertainment, the author argues that the most successful competitors share a common set of traits—including kindness, relentless drive, and an unwavering commitment to continuous improvement—offering valuable lessons for racers at every level.
Ugochukwu Drawing Interest Across F1 Paddock
American driver Ugo Ugochukwu has attracted interest from a number of Formula 1 teams as he fights for this year’s Formula 3 championship, RACER understands.
The 19-year-old is in the F3 title picture in his second season in the series, currently sitting second to Audi-backed driver Freddie Slater by just eight points. Ugochukwu, who was previously part of the McLaren driver program, has two victories to his name this year, and has been linked to multiple teams within the F1 paddock.
RACER understands Alpine is one of the teams to have evaluated Ugochukwu – including running him in a previous F1 car at Monza earlier this summer – while Cadillac is also showing an interest as it looks to build up its roster of young driver options.
Skip Barber Racing School and GMS Track Experience Launch the Skip Barber GTX Academy
GMS Track Experience (GTX), the experiential motorsports division of GMS Race Cars, and Skip Barber Racing School, one of the world’s most respected names in motorsports education, today announced the formation of the Skip Barber GTX Academy. The program will be an innovative driver development platform designed to redefine stock car and oval racing education and experiences across North America.
The partnership brings together over five decades of racing education leadership from Skip Barber Racing School with GMS Race Cars’ championship-winning engineering expertise and purpose-built GTX race cars. Together, the organizations will establish the nation’s first scalable, curriculum-based stock car and oval racing academy capable of serving aspiring drivers, racing enthusiasts, corporate clients, content creators, and future professional racers through a standardized national program.
The Skip Barber GTX Academy will include a comprehensive progression of programs ranging from introductory driving experiences and multi-day racing schools to advanced racecraft instruction, youth development initiatives, NASCAR-oriented development pathways, and corporate motorsports experiences. This formula will then be used to build a nationally recognized platform capable of a natural expansion into premier racing facilities across the United States.
Drawing upon the expertise of both organizations, this new partnership will also consist of a race series utilizing the GTX fleet.
More details can be found here.
23XI Racing May Have NASCAR’s Best Driver Development Model
Instead of relying on the traditional NASCAR ladder system, 23XI Racing is building its own path to developing future stars. Autoweek explores how the organization has created a structured development program centered on Corey Heim, combining race opportunities, mentoring, simulator work, and long-term planning to prepare young talent for the Cup Series. The article offers an interesting look at how one of NASCAR’s fastest-growing teams is investing in the next generation of drivers—and why its model could influence others across motorsport.
Mercedes Driver Talent Scout Involved in Discovering Kimi Antonelli Leaves
Mercedes driver development advisor Gwen Lagrue is leaving the team, having been a key figure in discovering Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. Sector has all the details.
Inside MX-5 Cup: Grant West, Helping Others Up the Ladder
Grant West has been plugging along in Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin going on three seasons. Grant West the driver, though, is only part of the story.
In his third season with Spark Performance driving the No. 50 Mazda MX-5 (above), West is steadily improving and is having perhaps his best season yet. Simultaneously, he’s running – with help from family – his own Spec MX-5 and Spec Miata team, W2 Motorsports.
That Mazda ladder – Spec Miata to Spec MX-5 to MX-5 Cup – represents his own history in the sport, and a path followed by many. It also embodies the path the 26-year-old from Winder, Ga., is trying to lay out for young racers as he teams up with Nathanial Sparks [“Sparky”] and Spark Performance to create a cohesive route from exiting karting to MX-5 Cup, and beyond.
Check out all the details here.
USF Pro Championships and GhostLap Team Up
To further its commitment to assist young drivers on their climb up the motorsports ladder, Andersen Promotions today announced a partnership with GhostLap – a key analysis asset in determining where lap times are gained or lost. Beginning this month, GhostLap will become the Official Driver Development Tool of the three series comprising USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire – USF Juniors, USF2000 and USF Pro 2000.
GhostLap is already established in the open-wheel paddock, supporting over 75% of IndyCar and Indy NXT teams with a visual data layer uncovering performance gaps in racing lines, driving styles, and car setup changes in real time. It allows drivers, engineers, and coaches to quickly see where improvements can be made on track.
More details can be found here.
Driver Development Program News & Resources
Should You Join a Driver Academy?
Rather than viewing a driver academy as an automatic career milestone, this article from the Youth & Motorsports STEM Foundation Thought Leadership Series encourages young racers to carefully weigh both the opportunities and the trade-offs. It examines what manufacturer-backed academies can offer—funding, technical support, coaching, and valuable exposure—while also discussing the pressures, expectations, and contractual commitments that often accompany them. For aspiring professionals, it’s a balanced look at one of the biggest decisions in a racing career.
Ligier Junior Program
rying to find your way into endurance racing? Meet the Ligier Junior Program. Created by Ligier Automotive, it connects several stages of European endurance racing through three concrete opportunities.
Read Ligier’s Instagram post here to understand how the program works.
On the Podcast This Week
Why Speed Still Matters in the Social Media Age with Chris Bye
On the Motorsport Prospects podcast this week, Chris Bye from FEL Motorsports explains why you still need to be fast on the track in this age of social media. He also discusses the importance of networking and why Canadian racers should develop their motorsport careers in Canada before moving on to the United States or Europe.
The episode drops on Wednesday, August 5th at 10:00 AM EST and you can subscribe, download and listen to it here.
Karting
ROK Cup USA Announces ROK Vegas Registration Opens and Confirms Class Structure
ROK Cup USA has announced that registration is officially open for the 2026 ROK Vegas, returning to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino this November. Now firmly established as one of North America’s premier karting events, ROK Vegas continues to draw elite talent from across the globe for a week of world-class competition on and off the track.
“ROK Vegas keeps growing because first, it is at the Rio – the home of karting in Las Vegas – and secondly, our fundamental value of keeping high-level competition fun,” explained Mike Burrell, ROK Cup USA’s Director of Operations. “This year’s class structure gives drivers of every age and experience level a place to race. In addition to the return of our engine raffle in ROK SV Senior, we have added ROK SV Junior which provides our younger competitors with a shot at a sealed, race-ready powerplant right out of the box. We can’t wait to get back at the Rio in Las Vegas, the only kart track where you can walk from your hotel room to the track!”
Full details can be found here.
How to Beat the Rich Drivers and their Staff
Not every aspiring driver has the budget to outspend the competition—but that doesn’t mean they can’t beat it. In this thought-provoking piece, Terence Dove argues that racing success isn’t determined solely by financial resources. Instead, he encourages drivers to focus on developing resilience, skill, and resourcefulness, using better-funded rivals as motivation rather than discouragement. It’s a refreshing perspective on overcoming one of motorsport’s toughest realities.
Last Week on The Business of Being a Race Driver
Your Story is Your Advantage
Your story could be your greatest competitive advantage, and you’ll learn why in last week’s Business of Being a Race Driver. You’ll also discover how to build leverage throughout your racing career, improve your ability to sell yourself to sponsors and partners, and much more.
From the Sim Racing Roundup
Dynisma DMG-1 Gaining Professional Traction
The Dynisma DMG-1 sim rig is being installed in more professional race teams and manufacturers, and I have the details in last week’s Sim Racing Roundup. I also have more competitive sim racing news, beginner’s buyer tips and more!
Driver Journeys
Miguel García First Paraguayan Driver To Reach GT3 Podium At Nürburgring
History was made at the Nürburgring when Paraguayan driver Miguel García became the first racer from his country to stand on a GT3 podium at the legendary German circuit. Beyond celebrating a milestone result, this feature in the The Asunción Times traces García’s unconventional journey from karting and rallying in South America to competing in Europe’s highly competitive GT ranks, showing how perseverance and versatility helped put Paraguay on the international motorsport map.
Is Callum Voisin Porsche’s Latest Superstar?
Single-seater convert Callum Voisin has made quite the impression just a few events into his Carrera Cup career as he seeks to make a name for himself in sportscars. Autosport profiles the British driver.
Jamie Chadwick Made History but is Targeting Bigger Goals
Jamie Chadwick’s career has taken another significant step toward the pinnacle of endurance racing. This feature at The Athletic follows the three-time W Series champion as she experiences Genesis Magma Racing’s Hypercar for the first time at Le Mans, offering insight into the challenges of adapting to the world’s fastest sports cars, her long-term ambitions in the category, and what the opportunity could mean for the future of women competing at the highest level of endurance racing.
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.
