Jamie Chadwick’s grassroots driver development programs could bear fruit in Formula E in the future and in this week’s Driver Development Roundup you will find out how. You will also learn about Indy NXT, Asian arrive and drive karting and more!
Overview
Becoming a Professional Race Driver
Talent is Not Enough | A Film by DriveLine
Signed at 13. Dropped at 18. Champion at 19
On September 13th in Madrid, Ugo Ugochukwu, 19, from New York, became the first American ever to win the FIA Formula 3 championship. He went into the final round 15 points behind. He left it 14 points ahead. In their recent Instagram post, DriveLine looks at Ugochukwu’s career and what can happen after a driver academy cuts you from their program
Many Paths to Success in Professional Racing
Professional racing careers rarely follow a single blueprint. Two American drivers, two radically different routes, two sets of trophies. The Youth & Motorsports STEM Foundation looks at the two different motorsport development routes taken by two recent American drivers.
Why You Need to Have a Plan with Mick Gomme
Speaking of race driver development, last week the Motorsport Prospects Podcast features Mick Gomme of Go Motorsport Management who explains how crucial it is to have a plan so you don’t waste time or money.
Listen to the full episode here!
Why a More Open Mindset is Making Life Less Stressful for Serial Winner Slater
Freddie Slater has been used to winning throughout his rapid rise through the junior single-seater ranks, but his 2026 FIA F3 campaign has demanded something different: patience, consistency and a more open mindset. With heavy tire degradation and a highly competitive field, Slater has learned to stop forcing results, be less self-critical and let races develop rather than trying to win every battle. That shift has helped him adapt to F3 while remaining remarkably consistent in his rookie season.
His experience offers an important driver-development lesson: sometimes progressing as a driver means learning to accept what is outside your control and focusing on maximizing what you can influence. Read the full article at Autosport here.
IndyCar’s New Licensing Standards Solve a Minor Problem – But Risk Creating a Lot of New Major Ones
RACER’s Marshall Pruett explains how IndyCar’s new licensing standards solve a minor problem, but risk creating a lot of new major ones. “The timing of the announcement is interesting. On Sept. 2, just days before the season finale, the series made its revised licensing structure known, and within the document, Indy NXT was listed as the vastly preferred path for drivers to reach IndyCar. That’s a good thing.”
One team that the change is affecting AJ Foyt Racing. “We were certainly headed down a big path with Josh Pierson, and he’s still a young kid and showing a lot of potential,” Foyt told RACER. “And I think he showed that at Laguna. I mean, he just dominated that race, drove away from everybody. So this is a weird one. I probably can’t say much about it just because we’ll see what happens here.”
Indy NXT Explained: How Drivers Climb The Road To IndyCar
Speaking of Indycar licensing, in American open-wheel racing the driver pipeline runs through Indy NXT, especially now considering the changes in Indycar licensing discussed above. The series sits one rung below the NTT IndyCar Series as its official feeder championship, and in the space of two seasons it has taken Dennis Hauger from a European single-seater journeyman to a multi-year deal with one of the sport’s most storied teams. For anyone trying to work out where the next generation of IndyCar drivers actually comes from, this is the ladder that matters. Read Motorsport explains how driver’s climb the road to Indycar through Indy NXT here.
Maffi Racing Pulls Out of F4 CEZ Citing “Fairness and Transparency”
The Central European Zone Formula 4 paddock was rocked by the decision of one of its leading teams, Maffi Racing, to withdraw all four cars from the final race of the Brno race weekend and the remaining round at the Hungaroring.
Dissatisfaction with certain decisions by the scrutineers and stewards had first surfaced at Most in August, where team principal Danny Maffi had expressed his concerns, underlining that unless matters were resolved, the team would consider withdrawing.
Formula Scout provides the details here.
Doriane Pin to Test Peugeot Hypercar
Doriane Pin is set to take an important step toward a potential future role with Peugeot Sport when she tests the team’s 9X8 Hypercar at Circuit Paul Ricard at the beginning of December. The test will be Pin’s first experience in a Hypercar and comes as Peugeot moves closer to finalising its plans for the 2027 FIA World Endurance Championship season.
Tips for Parents in the Pits
Dan Wells from Drivers Lab offers up some tips for parents as they navigate their child’s motorsport journey. “The most delicate work I have done in this sport had nothing to do with driving. A father and son, both of whom I liked enormously, had stopped being able to talk to each other, and the racing was dying in the space between them.”
The Value of Being Ready
Being ready for the next opportunity can be just as important as earning it. Isabella von Habsburg examines how F1 Academy’s expanded Rookie Test is going beyond simply evaluating on-track performance, with physical and cognitive testing, mental preparation, engineering and media training now helping prospective drivers understand what is required before they secure a full-time seat. The 2025 test helped seven drivers reach the 2026 grid, while this year’s program also highlights the growing connection between driver development and commercial readiness. For sponsors, teams and drivers alike, the message is clear: preparation can create opportunities—and make it easier to capitalize on them when they arrive.
F1 Academy Wild Card Program: One Weekend, Lasting Opportunities
Can one F1 Academy weekend really change a driver’s career? Open Track Consultants makes the case that the championship’s Wild Card program is becoming more than a showcase for local talent—it is a genuine talent-identification tool. With drivers having to adapt quickly to unfamiliar cars, teams, tyres and procedures, the opportunity provides teams and partners with a different way to assess qualities that may not be obvious from conventional junior-series results. The results are already notable: four of the six inaugural Wild Card entrants—Courtney Crone, Nina Gademan, Ella Lloyd and Alisha Palmowski—went on to secure full-time seats the following season. It’s a compelling example of how a single opportunity can open a much bigger door.
Jamie Chadwick on Genesis Magma Racing Trajectory Program Progression
Female racing driver Jamie Chadwick is in her second season racing in the European Le Mans Series in LMP2 machinery. Speaking to Motorsport Week at Silverstone recently, Chadwick highlighted the benefits of being a part of the Genesis Magma Racing Trajectory program.
Abbi Pulling on Being Part of the Nissan Formula E Family
The GB3 race winner details her time with the Nissan Formula E team so far and her ambitions for the future. “I mean it feels like forever. I mean it feels like I’ve been with them forever because they’re so lovely and everyone’s always so smiley with me and it’s so nice to chat to them and have a laugh. But also the team as well, they’re so focused and committed on what they do and there’s no better place for me to learn, I don’t think.”
Read the full feature and interview with Abbi on It’s Race Week! here.
Abbi is also set to participate in this week’s Indy NXT Evaluation Test set for Monday on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
How Erik Evans Scored a GT4 Drive for IMSA’s Motul Petit Le Mans
RACER explains how Erik Evans scored a GT4 drive for IMSA’s Motul Petit Le Mans taking place next month. “I really, really wanted to do the race, so I called up everyone I could and everyone I knew in the Atlanta area that might want to be involved in something like this. We got together with Coca-Cola United, the bottling company, and they saw an opportunity to do a three way sponsorship deal between Monster Energy, Coca-Cola and QuikTrip, so that’s how all of this got put together. I’ve been working on it since the beginning of the year, really.”
Audi’s Shrewd Choice of F2 Team for its First F1 Junior
Audi’s first Formula 1 junior driver Freddie Slater will join forces with defending champion team Invicta in Formula 2 in 2027. “The move to Formula 2 is the natural next step for Freddie, and an important new phase of his development as a driver,” Audi’s driver development director Allan McNish said. “He enjoyed a strong Formula 3 season, fighting for the title until the final round – showing his speed, racecraft and progress throughout the year.”
Driver Development Program News & Resources
How Jamie Chadwick’s Grassroots Push Will Help Formula E
Could grassroots electric racing help build a stronger pathway into Formula E? Jamie Chadwick believes it could. In an interview with FE Notebook, Chadwick discusses the need for a more accessible feeder structure between karting and Formula E, particularly one that helps young drivers develop experience with electric powertrains and the unique demands of the championship. Her own Jamie Chadwick Series is already working at the grassroots level to increase female participation and provide mentorship and racing experience. With Formula E moving into its faster Gen4 era, Chadwick argues that creating clearer development pathways could help more young—and female—talent progress toward the world championship.
Motorsport UK Education Hub Launches
There are so many routes into a career in motorsport, and helping people understand where to start is an important part of opening the industry to the next generation.
Motorsport UK has expanded its Inclusion Hub with a new Education Hub, bringing universities, colleges and educational institutions together in one place to help students explore courses, opportunities and career pathways across the industry.
From engineering and technology to business, sustainability, media and events, the Education Hub showcases the breadth of skills and disciplines that contribute to motorsport.
The Inclusion Hub has already reached more than 47,000 people, and this next step will strengthen the connection between education and industry while helping more students from all backgrounds understand the opportunities available to them.
Motorsport UK is also inviting universities, colleges and educational institutions across the UK to join the growing Education Hub network.
Find out more and explore the Education Hub via the link: https://inclusionhub.motorsportuk.org/explore-the-education-hub/
On the Podcast This Week
Why Independent Race Drivers Need to Ask Questions
This week on the Motorsport Prospects Podcast, I’m joined by British independent race driver Ed McDermott, who shares practical advice for anyone pursuing racing as a hobby. His most important message? Ask questions. Whether you’re new to motorsport or looking to get more from your racing, learning from the people around you can make a real difference.
The episode drops this Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 10:00 AM EST. You can listen to the episode and subscribe to the podcast here.
Karting
FIA Arrive and Drive Opens New Asian Karting Pathway
The FIA’s first Karting Arrive and Drive Asia-Pacific Championship crowned Hong Kong’s John Han and Denmark’s Signe Pejs Ørnbøll in Macau, while demonstrating a more accessible route into international competition.
“Forty-four drivers from 16 countries contested the inaugural regional event at the Circuit of Macau-Coloane from 11–13 September. Competitors raced centrally supplied machinery, with equipment allocated and rotated to reduce the performance differences that can come from team budgets.”
Get all the details at Asian Motorsport here.
Toyota Gazoo Racing Launches the “GR KART”: An Inside Look at Japan’s Vision for Grassroots Racing
Kart.com provides an inside look at Toyota Gazoo Racing’s new GR Kart initiative mentioned last week, particularly as it could impact European karting. “For European racing observers and industry figures accustomed to the standards of FIA Karting Championships, FFSA series, and single-make trophies (Rotax, IAME), the arrival of such a machine immediately prompts the question of its viability on our tracks. As it stands, the GR KART is strictly tailored to the Japanese domestic market. It was developed to integrate into the local SL Kart Meeting club series, bridging the gap between rental karting and affordable grassroots racing. Technically, it does not meet European paddock homologation requirements: proprietary 215 cc 4-stroke engine, belt drive, and non-CIK-FIA homologated bodywork and braking systems.”
Read their full analysis here.
Last Week on The Business of Being a Race Driver
Understanding Motorsport Sponsorship Pricing
Understanding motorsport sponsorship pricing is just some of what is covered in last week’s Business of Being a Race Driver. I have a lot of videos that pack in a lot of advice on what sponsors want and more, so it literally pays to pay attention!
From the Sim Racing Roundup
From Sim Racing to Real Racing: How the Simulator Is Becoming a Motorsport Pathway
Sim racing is no longer just a way to practice between races—it is increasingly becoming a pathway into real-world motorsport. From helping drivers learn the brand-new Madring before ever turning a real wheel there, to preparing competitors for Saudi F4 and providing professional teams with sophisticated driver-development and vehicle-testing tools, the virtual and physical worlds of racing are becoming increasingly connected.
Last week’s Sim Racing Roundup looks at how sim racing can develop skills, prepare drivers for real competition and, in some cases, create a direct route from the virtual grid to the real one, including a new real-world pathway partnership highlighted in the Racing Women feature.
Driver Journeys
Why I Race – Laurin Heinrich
Later this month, Laurin Heinrich will turn 25. A week after that, he may be crowned champion in the IMSA WeatherTech Series SportsCar Championship. For the second time.
The Kurnach, Bavaria-born driver won the IMSA GTD class with AO Racing in 2024, his rookie season in the series. Two years on, he is Porsche’s best-placed GTP driver in the points standings with two rounds to go, despite spending the majority of the season with a Porsche customer team – JDC-Miller MotorSports – that uses the previous generation of the 963 prototype.
Accruing a second IMSA title in three seasons is still a long shot. Heading into this weekend’s penultimate round on the Indianapolis road course, Heinrich lies 118 points adrift of Whelen Engineering’s Cadillac ace, Jack Aitken. But it’s a small enough gap that he’s been brought back into the Porsche Penske Motorsport stable one race early, to maximize his chances of a late-season surge that tips the trophy in his direction. And few sportscar aces maximize chances like Laurin Heinrich.
RACER profiles the sportscar racer here.
Chiara Bättig on Her Record-Breaking F1 Academy Wild Card Showing
Chiara Bättig recently garnered attention for her impressive performance as F1 Academy’s wild card entrant at Silverstone, claiming pole position and a second-place finish in her first outing in the series. The Swiss driver sat down with the Feeder Series Podcast to talk about the transition from karting to single-seaters and how the Red Bull Junior Team has supported her F4 journey.
From Child Model to Eurocup-3 Podium Finisher: The Late Success Story of Rafaël Pérard
Rafaël Pérard has gone under the radar since his karting debut, but he has made steady progress in his maiden Eurocup-3 campaign with Palou Motorsport. The Monaco resident who got into motorsport with the help of Charles Leclerc’s family is now knocking on the door of Formula 3 for next year. He explained to Feeder Series more about the unlikely start to his motorsport career and where it’s taken him since.
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.
