The M1 Radical Driving Academy has launched with support from Team Stradale and I have all the details in this week’s Driver Development Roundup. I also have the latest driver development news and resources, more inspiring driver journeys and why you need to face your fears!
Overview
Becoming a Professional Race Driver
Face Your Fears!
New F3 Prize ‘Not Going to Finance a Full Season in F2’ but Will Still Help Drivers
Recently, Formula 3 introduced a prize fund of €1 million to be split among the top five drivers who step up from F3 to F2. Bruno Michel, the chief executive of the series’ promoter Formula Motorsport Limited, spoke to Feeder Series and selected media following the announcement.
“I think it’s quite fair to do that and I think it’s quite fair to encourage the pyramid. The fact that we are helping F3 drivers to go to Formula 2 is something that is quite natural. Maybe we could have done it earlier, but at least we’ve done it this year and we’ll do it for a long time.”
Spec-Racing in Karting and Feeder Formulas: Is the Competition Really Equal?
Providing the exact same equipment to all drivers on track has for many years served as a kind of guarantee that the difference on track comes only from the driver’s skills, since it is generally believed that driving talent becomes the main ingredient – with equal machinery – for a driver’s eventual progression to higher formulas. However, a closed system with very restrictive rules, not only in karting but especially in single-seaters, can hide some pitfalls. Giovanni Minardi explores these with Vroom Kart.
M1 Concourse and Team Stradale Launch the M1 Radical Driving Academy
M1 Concourse and Team Stradale have announced the launch of the M1 Radical Driving Academy powered by Team Stradale, an elite driver development program designed to deliver the highest level of performance driving instruction in the Midwest.
“This partnership represents the best of both worlds,” said Francesco D’Avola, Founder and CEO of Team Stradale. “By bringing together M1’s extraordinary venue and community with Team Stradale’s decades of experience developing drivers at every level, we’re delivering something truly unique. This academy isn’t just about speed – it’s about mastering technique, building confidence, and elevating the driving experience.”
For more information, program dates, or registration details, please visit www.m1concourse.com or www.teamstradale.com.
Balancing Mental Health and Talent in Young Athletes
Our young athletes are rightly celebrated for their successes, physical prowess, resilience, and ability to perform. However, behind this outward success lies a far more complex and often hidden challenge: the immense psychological pressure to meet expectations.
Be that from their coaches, families, the sport itself, or, for the most accomplished of them, their entire country. None of which is likely to match the battle they might have with themselves. Read more abut the issue here.
BWT Alpine Formula One Team and JAAQ Open Up On the Mental Challenges of Elite Sport on World Mental Health Day
BWT Alpine Formula One Team marked World Mental Health Day this October 10th and is committed to mental health support within the motorsport industry and globally. Through the season BWT Alpine Formula One Team has continued to champion its collaboration with Official Mental Health Platform Partner, JAAQ – Just Ask A Question.
Launched last year, the partnership has provided team members with the ability to better understand their own mental health and of those around them in a safe and supportive environment. The team is proud to represent JAAQ on the A525, in team hospitality and back at base at the Enstone factory, in the UK.
Read. more here.
Achieving Grassroots Success with the SCCA
Amateur racing is a fantastic route into professional motorsport. SCCA’s Eric Prill shares his experiences in the video above.
BTCC and FIA F3 Race Winners Among Porsche Carrera Cup GB Junior Finalists
British Touring Car Championship race winner Daryl DeLeon and FIA Formula 3 victor Callum Voisin are among the finalists battling to become the next Porsche Carrera Cup GB Junior. The chosen one will receive £85,000 towards their Carrera Cup budget across each of the next two seasons as well as a wealth of support and opportunities from the manufacturer.
Motorsport Prospects Announces Strategic Partnership with Race Away RPM
I am excited to announce a strategic partnership between Motorsport Prospects and Race Away RPM, a global platform that provides full-spectrum immigration and travel concierge services to professional motorsport staff and athletes. This new collaboration marks a major step forward in my mission of partnering with verified, cutting edge motorsport professionals providing the services race drivers require.
Hayes Wins Inaugural Ladies Race of Champions at American Speed Festival
Shift Up Now Athletes Laura Hayes, Pippa Mann, Taylor Ferns and Megan Meyer competed in the inaugural Ladies Race of Champions (LROC) – with Hayes bringing home the victory – at the fifth-annual American Speed Festival at M1 Concourse (Pontiac, MI) on October 4-5, 2025.
The LROC was part of a new, multi-event partnership between M1 Concourse and the Shift Up Now Foundation, culminating on October 25th with the foundation’s second-annual fundraising event, “A Night with the Shift Up Now Foundation.” In addition, Hayes was awarded $10,000 for her victory, which goes directly to the mission of providing funding and opportunities for talented female racers.
Driver Development Program News & Resources
Nicky Hays Named 2026-27 IMSA 3D Scholarship Recipient
One of the more impressive under-the-radar drivers of the 2025 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America season will have a chance to expand his IMSA career into IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in 2026. Nicky Hays’ perseverance and patience paid off as he’s been named the latest IMSA Diverse Driver Development (3D) Scholarship recipient.
Hays, a Huntington Beach, California native who holds dual citizenship from the Philippines, was awarded the scholarship for 2026-27. It provides benefits worth up to $380,000 to compete in one of four IMSA-sanctioned series, with support from IMSA and multiple corporate partners.
Ava Dobson Secures €50,000 Career Contribution as Top Female in GB4
Arden Motorsport’s Ava Dobson has secured a €50,000 career contribution prize from MotorSport Vision after finishing the 2025 GB4 Championship season as the highest scoring female driver. The prize is to be put towards a seat in next year’s F1 Academy series, should she secure a seat in the all-female category in 2026. Dobson has already raced in the series this year, with a wildcard appearance in Miami in May.
FF CORSE GT Driver Academy Looking for 2026 Drivers
Each year FF Corse look at welcoming new members to their GT Driver Academy program. If you think you have what it takes to join this prestigious academy, you can register your interest for 2026 here.
Tommy Harfield Wins 2025 Jake Cook Memorial Award
The winner of the Wera Tools British F4 Jake Cook Memorial Award for 2025 is Tommy Harfield of Chris Dittmann Racing. The Jake Cook Memorial Award is unique in British F4, as it is voted for by the Team Managers of the paddock and given to a current season British F4 driver who has shown determination, hard work, resilience, personality and respect throughout the year. As well as a trophy, the winner of the Jake Cook Memorial Award receives a cheque for £500, which is matched by Eve with an equivalent donation towards mental health charity Mind.
2025 DWDM Global Scouting Program
DWDM Global Scouting Program is a 4-day intense training at the cutting-edge Drivers Lab facility base in Dubai. Backed by success stories like Isack Hadjar and Kai Daryanani, we are here to support the next generation of racing talent. Full details can be found here.
Champions of the Future Karting Academy Announce a Collaboration with F1 Academy Discover Your Drive That Extends to the new UAE Series
Female drivers wishing to join the UAE Series can apply to be part of the F1 Academy Discover Your Drive selection by completing their registration before Friday, October 19th.
Three drivers will be chosen to receive:
- A discounted entry fee
- An F1 ACADEMY DISCOVER YOUR DRIVE™ branded race suit
- Support from F1 ACADEMY DISCOVER YOUR DRIVE™ throughout the sea
Register now via their website and be part of the next chapter in motorsport development.
Last Week on The Business of Being a Race Driver
Motorsport Sponsorship 101
Last week was about motorsport sponsorship 101, a back to basics look at finding motorsport sponsors. Sometimes it is better to go back to basics, especially when things are not going to plan. All this and much more in last week’s edition of The Business of Being a Race Driver.
From the Sim Racing Roundup
Simon Pagenaud Aids Cadillac F1 with Sim Role
Simon Pagenaud will be assisting the Cadillac F1 team with a simulator role and you will understand why in last week’s edition of the Sim Racing Roundup. I also have details on how Thibaut Courtois will integrate sim racing into his F4 team, what it is like to race in Red Bulls race simulator and much more!
Driver Journeys
Miki Monrás on Battling Bottas and Ricciardo in the Late 2000s and the Rising Cost of Junior Racing
In the late 2000s, Miki Monrás was one of Spain’s brightest prospects on the junior single-seater ladder, trading blows with the likes of Daniel Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas and António Félix da Costa in Formula Renault and GP3. But while his rivals pushed on towards F1 or careers in GTs, the Spaniard’s single-seater journey came to an abrupt halt in 2011. Feeder Series caught up with Monrás to reflect on the times he rubbed shoulders with greatness, the challenges of racing in the post–financial crisis era, and life beyond motorsport.
The Aaron Jeansonne Journey – From Dirt Karts to Porsche Brickyard Glory
At the Brickyard, Kellymoss rookie Aaron Jeansonne realized his dream, capturing his maiden Porsche Carrera Cup North America victory. This is how he got there. “He raced asymmetrical go-karts on dusty tenth-mile tracks, learning the basics of setup, competition, and perhaps most importantly, how to lose. Those lessons carried into a Skip Barber school and then into the Lucas Oil Formula Car Series, where he began chasing the dream of climbing the open-wheel ladder.”
Ella Lloyd Assesses Her Progression, a Year On From Her F1 Academy Debut in Singapore
“It was definitely getting thrown into the deep end!” says Ella Lloyd, a year on from her F1 Academy debut at the Singapore Grand Prix. Sitting at the MTC, Ella, who has since turned 20, still has the event fresh in her memory. “Having done a year now, I’d say Marina Bay has probably the most technical sections of any track we visit, so it wasn’t straightforward: my first weekend, just the one Free Practice session, and on a street circuit!” Read more 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.
