Lamborghini Squadra Corse has announced their 2025 Young Driver programs and I have all the details on how they work in this week’s edition of the Driver Development Roundup. I also have a look at the Indian F4 championship, how you can take part in F1 Academy’s Driver Development Virtual Workshop Series and much more!
Becoming a Professional Race Driver
One month from now, the Indian F4 championship’s third season will get underway with a new winner from the Formula Global Shootout Program (FGSP) and a shift in car operation. Earlier this year, Feeder Series spoke to Akhilesh Reddy, the promoter of Indian F4 and chairman of series organizer Racing Promotions Private Limited (RPPL), about the championship’s plans for 2025. “[We want to offer] an academy format focusing on driver progression and equal opportunity,” Reddy said when asked about the strengths of the championship.
The age of 15 has become a crucial threshold in the climb toward top-level motorsport: as soon as you turn 15, you move into cars, often regardless of the context. Although this practice is widely criticized, it has become a custom that is hard to avoid when you have a medium-term program underway. VroomKart discusses this with those who have followed young drivers from the very beginning and offers their thoughts.
“In short, between Max’s (Verstappen) era and Kimi’s (Antonelli), there’s been a shift in awareness: today, there’s a greater tendency to protect young drivers, to guide them with more structured programs, even if the pressure to arrive early remains high. Early talent has always existed, but now there’s an effort to nurture it with more balance.”
Skip Barber Racing School and Griiip, a global motorsport data technology innovator, have announced a multi-year strategic partnership to bring cutting-edge data analytics, live insights, and digital coaching tools to the world of driver development, both on and off the track.
“This collaboration with Griiip marks an exciting evolution for all our programs,” said Michael Berg, CFO, Skip Barber Racing School. “The ability to offer every student and instructor a seamless, data-rich experience will elevate our training, create more value for our customers, and allow us to stay connected with students between track days.”Key Features & Benefits:
Driver Development Program News & Resources
Lamborghini Squadra Corse, the racing division of Automobili Lamborghini, has announced the latest Super Trofeo and GT3 Junior Program intake of drivers, each of whom will have the chance to be selected for the annual end-of-year assessment and shootout at Misano World Circuit in November.
A total of 16 Super Trofeo and four GT3 drivers have been shortlisted for the year-long program, focusing on both on and off-track performance. All 20 drivers will be monitored and assessed throughout the season, with specific evaluations on progression, consistency, experience, professionalism and technical feedback. Additionally, a further six drivers form the Lamborghini Young Professional Driver roster and will receive support from the Sant’Agata Bolognese factory and the Scuola Federale ACI Sport.
New for the 2025 Young Driver Program intake is the selection process, which has moved away from the age-based only criteria and now focuses on the most impressive drivers from the opening two rounds of the year, using a coefficient ranking across the three continental championships. Drivers were assessed by the Scuola Federale ACI Sport’s chief instructor Niki Cadei – in collaboration with YDP advisors and Lamborghini Factory Drivers Andrea Caldarelli (North America) and Marco Mapelli (Europe and Asia) – on a variety of performance indicators.
More details on the programs can be found here.
F1 Academy’s Driver Development Virtual Workshop Series is designed to equip young drivers, parents, and support networks with expert-led insight. This series of webinars will cover a wide range of topics from race craft and mindset to health, fitness and performance.
Each session is aligned with the themes of their Driver Development Guide, which you can now download for free here: https://www.f1academy.com/latest/oopmXRq6TdWMHlrsYTTGN/driver-development-guideb
Technical Skills Workshop – Wednesday 30th July
Register here for free: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/76b425a6-070e-4e5c-b008-50f0a2cedb12@b792abe2-95a9-4aff-9e3a-4beb3206df89
Physical Development Workshop – Tuesday 26th August
Register here for free: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/6ea67721-84ad-4987-849d-acafd00225ae@b792abe2-95a9-4aff-9e3a-4beb3206df89
2026 will see even more opportunities for aspiring drivers to get involved in karting, if they lack current access to high performance FIA karting equipment through: The 2026 Motorsport UK British Champions of the Future Academy Programme.
Launched in conjunction with RGMMC, a global promoter of karting events, the program has had successful seasons in Europe and the Middle East.
Arriving in the UK in 2026, the programme will take place at four UK locations, with drivers able to compete in three classes; the Mini 60, Ages 8 – 12 (chassis – Parolin powered by TM), OK-N Junior, Ages 12-14 (chassis – Kart Republic powered by IAME) and OK-N Senior Ages 15 to 18 (chassis – Kart Republic powered by IAME) classes. All karts and engines are drawn by lottery.
The new series also acknowledges the growing number of drivers joining the sport from Motorsport UK’s “Arrive and Drive” Championships and forms another critical step in the Karting Pathway, which was established in 2020.
Full details can be found here.
From the Sim Racing Roundup
The Skip Barber Simulator Center is now open and in last week’s Sim Racing Roundup you will find all the details. I also have thoughts from F1 rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, racecraft tips, tech news and more!
Driver Development Pathways
Inside Track’s Bryce Turner interviews Canadian IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship racer and Team Canada Scholarship alumni Parker Thompson ahead of the Chevrolet GP at CTMP. Thompson, who is currently third in GTD points with co-driver Jack Hawksworth, talks about his season so far and racing in his home event. You can watch the interview in the video above.
Fresh from being announced as a development driver for Cupra Kiro and taking part in Formula E’s rookie test in Berlin, Bianca Bustamante tells BlackBook Motorsport how she is making new opportunities, embracing authenticity and writing her own rules.
“Anything in life comes with pressure, even choosing what to eat for dinner comes with pressure – or at least for me it does because I’m very indecisive. But yes, it’s a double-edged sword. I’m using my platform to drive me forward in my career. I’m using marketing and media to fuel my dreams.”
Hugo Schwarze is combining an unexpected campaign with VRD Racing in GB3 on a race-by-race basis with his Le Mans Cup commitments this season – and finding success in both. Feeder Series spoke to the German driver mid-year about how his dual campaign is playing out.
“Compared to the other drivers on the grid, I’ve not done as much testing in the new car, so I’m targeting top 10s in the first race weekend,” Schwarze said at the time. “As long as I get to grips with the car, get some good laps in and have some good racing, I’ll be happy with that.”
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.
