Mazda Motorsports has awarded $500,000 in scholarships for 2025 and in this week’s Driver Development Roundup you will get the details and some hints on how to get there yourself. I also have a ton of scholarship news from around the world, more on Robert Wickens’ journey in breaking barriers and several driver journeys for your inspiration.
Becoming a Professional Race Driver
In the video above, Enzo Mucci discusses your chances of getting to Formula 1. “What’s your chance of getting to F1. Let’s discuss it and start to plan how you are going to achieve it.”
ESPN asks the question, is IndyCar’s once-promising pathway to F1 now a road closed? “Formula 1 is such a mysterious world,” he added. “You swear certain doors are going to open, then they never do. And then doors you thought would never open again just randomly open up because some guy decided to leave, or some guy started doing poorly. It’s just a constant world that is evolving, and you just need to be there and ready.”
Read more on the ESPN website here.
On the other side of things, DMARGE asks, when should underperforming Formula 1 drivers be booted for fresh talent? “In this sport, age and experience are valuable commodities to any driver and his ability to stay competitive, providing insights and instincts that younger drivers may take years to develop. But, ultimately, Formula 1 is a results business, and when you’re not getting them, it doesn’t take long for the pressure to mount.”
Read the full article here.
Racing driver Robert Wickens has done it: despite his paralysis, he can drive a racing car again! Thanks to a revolutionary hand control system from Bosch Motorsport, he can steer the accelerator and brakes directly with his hands – without using his feet. But Wickens wants more: he wants to race. Back on the big stage of the Indy 500. The big question is: how will the modified car perform under simulated racing conditions?
Accompany Robert Wickens on his further journey, which is characterized by incomparable passion, courageous dreams and ground-braking technology in Part 2 of Breaking Barriers above.
RACER went inside Formula E’s recent groundbreaking all-female test. “Opportunities like this allow you to spotlight drivers that have a lot of potential,” NEOM McLaren’s Bianca Bustamante tells RACER. “I feel like it’s a very rare opportunity to get behind the wheel of these cars. We all know how expensive it can be and how limited (the opportunities) are.”
Read more at RACER.
The Race meanwhile looks at what happens next in Formula E’s female drivers masterplan. “I think if they can demonstrate they can close the gap, some of these teams will start to employ them as development drivers, and then they’ll get rookie test time, and then they’ll hopefully find their way into competing and driving in the main championship.”
Read the complete article here.
The Alpine A110 Cup has introduced a number of change that could benefit drivers climbing the motorsport development ladder. As In previous years, the competitors will battle on several levels. In addition to the overall classification, the Professional, Junior, Challengers and Gentlemen categories and the team championship will offer multiple dimensions as the drivers will compete for €36,000 in race prizes throughout the season.
These prizes will be added to those of the future winner of the Alpine ELF Cup Series. The successor to Pierre Sancinéna, Gaël Castelli, Jean-Baptiste Méla, Lucas Frayssinet, Lorens Lecertua and Charles Roussanne will be able to choose between a production Alpine A110 Pure or a prize fund worth €50,000 excluding VAT. The latter will either allow them to defend their A110 Cup title or take it to the next level with the A110 GT4 or Rally. Meanwhile, the best Gentlemen will win a bonus of €10,000 in spare parts vouchers for 2026.
Alongside the Alpine ELF Cup Series, the A-arrow brand will innovate with a format focused on Endurance racing. Designed for long-distance racing, the Alpine Endurance Cup will be held within the Ultimate Cup Series.
Run over the four Ultimate Endurance GT Cup events not conflicting with the Alpine ELF Cup Series calendar; this series will aim to strengthen the endurance experience while consolidating the Alpine route to major competitions. The Alpine A110 Cups will have a dedicated classification and points system over the three 4-hour rounds and the 6-hour finale, and their competitors will benefit from an end-of-season bonus of €10,000 in spare parts vouchers for the following year. This new format will make it possible to race an Alpine A110 Cup at a reduced cost by sharing the car between two or three drivers (in the case of the 6-hour race).
More details can be found here.
Daily Sportscar speaks to FEL President Chris Bye about the state of Canadian motorsport and why he thinks he can change it with the Sports Car Championship Canada.
“There was just a ton going on. And then it all stopped. So I’d been thinking, ‘Where is the next Zacharie Robichon gonna come from?’ Because there was no homologated racing in Canada,” Bye said of the state of Canadian domestic racing at the time. “There were a couple of homologated series, but they were running with non-homologated cars, and it was kind of a hodge-podge, I’d say. There wasn’t a clear ladder. There was just no structure.”
Read the full interview here.
AF2 Motorsport has announced an exciting initiative to offer one lucky driver the chance to compete in the 2025 Prototype Winter Series for a fraction of the regular budget.
The team will be running a raffle to determine its driver line-up for the 2025 Prototype Winter Series, with an entry price of just €5000. Open to all FIA Bronze-rated drivers, the deadline for entries is December 5th, with the ticket price required to be paid by December 10th. A minimum of 23 entries will be required by December 10th to proceed with the raffle.
More details can be found at the Winter Series website here.
I have always emphasized to young drivers the importance of education and having a Plan B if becoming a professional race driver does not work out for whatever reason.
Pitlane Development looks at the various non-driving careers you can pursue in motorsport. It is a thought provoking opportunity to help you formulate your education and career plans while your pursue your race driver dreams.
You can read the article here.
Driver Development Program News & Resources
Mazda Motorsports once again demonstrated its commitment to developing the next generation of racing talent, awarding a total of $500,000 in scholarships at the 2024 MX-5 Cup Shootout and the 2024 Spec MX-5 Shootout. These two events, held at alongside each other at Homestead-Miami Speedway, showcased a deep pool of promising drivers aspiring to professional racing careers. With opportunities to secure coveted scholarships and join one of the most respected development programs in the industry, finalists faced intense competition, with judges evaluating not only speed and skill but also adaptability, data analysis, and coachability.
At the 2024 Mazda Spec MX-5 Shootout, Mazda Motorsports awarded three scholarships totaling $150,000 to Vinnie Meskelis, Joey Andrews, and Emy Kissick. Originally, two scholarships were planned, but after an incredibly close competition, a surprise decision was made to award a third scholarship at the last minute. For the first time in Spec MX-5 history, a female driver will join the Mazda Factory Club Racing team. Emy will race alongside Vinnie and Joey in Spec MX-5 presented by Toyo Tires during the upcoming 2025 SCCA Super Tour. This trio represents Mazda’s continued commitment to nurturing grassroots talent and providing aspiring racers with a clear path to the top levels of motorsports.
Second time was the charm for Noah Harmon (Orlando, FL) who took home the big $150,000 scholarship from Mazda in his return to the MX-5 Cup Shootout this week. Harmon will use the prize money to compete in the 2025 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin. Helio Meza (Houston, TX) graduated from last year’s Spec MX-5 scholarship to win the runner-up prize of $100,000 toward his 2025 season. The Mazda Women in Motorsport Initiative Scholarship was won by Ashlyn Speed (Arlington, TX) who will have $100,000 to put toward her racing career in MX-5 Cup next year.
Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) has announced a new scholarship program for its 2025 season, awarding up to six drivers in the highly-contested championship with cash prizes to assist in the next step of their racing career. With incremental prizes given to each of the top-five drivers, as well as the top-finishing rookie, the 2025 Driver Champion is set to be awarded $100,000 cash.
The 2025 Driver Champion in Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) will receive a scholarship to step up to the next level—FR Americas—in 2026. The winner will be provided the use of a JS F3 chassis from Ligier Automotive, an F3 engine developed, engineered and provided by Mountune, tires supplied by Hankook Motorsports, and race entry fees from PMH.
In the Ligier JS F4 Series (JS F4), the 2025 Driver Champion will win a scholarship to compete in F4 U.S. the following season, which includes the use of an F4 U.S. chassis and Ligier Storm engine from Ligier Automotive, tires supplied by Hankook Motorsports and race entry fees from PMH.
The scholarships, paired with additional contingency awards given to the Champion, Vice Champion and Third-Place Champion, present a significant prize package for drivers competing in both F4 U.S and JS F4. Both scholarship prizes cover the cost of the season, excluding testing, team costs and travel. With the additional value added by product and contingency prizes, the F4 U.S. awards carry a total value of $295,280, while JS F4’s prizes combine for a value of $197,680.
More details can be found here.
Nine candidates are competing for the 2025 Porsche Junior youth development initiative this year. All twelve Carrera Cups worldwide and selective challenge series were eligible to nominate their rising star drivers. There are a total of 35 national and regional Porsche one-make cups. Next season’s Junior will be announced at the Porsche Night of Champions on 7 December. The current Porsche Junior, Frenchman Alessandro Ghiretti, heads into his second year of sponsorship.
The Porsche Junior program is one of the central components of the Stuttgart-based sportscar manufacturer’s motorsport pyramid. Since 1997, Porsche Motorsport has been supporting exceptional young drivers and guiding them to the top echelons with a support package of up to 225,000 euros each. The programme consists of extensive coaching and training in the areas of vehicle dynamics, mental work, nutrition, fitness and media relations.
Find out more about the program and this year’s candidates at the Porsche website.
A new driver development partnership between HMD Motorsports and TJ Speed Motorsports aims to help more drivers make it to IndyCar. Further down the road, a deeper collaboration could follow.
Mike Maurini – President – HMD Motorsports: “By partnering with TJ Speed, we’re establishing a comprehensive development ecosystem that equips drivers with the necessary tools, resources, and environment to thrive. This partnership is a pivotal step in our mission to cultivate future champions for the INDY NXT by Firestone and NTT INDYCAR SERIES.”
More details can be found here.
After three days of on and off-track evaluations at New Jersey Motorsports Park, PT Autosport has chosen Zach Hollingshead as the team’s 2024 Aspiring Driver Shootout winner.
“This means the world to me,” said Hollingshead. “I thought it would be a tossup between any one of us. It feels awesome – it means that everything I’ve been doing for the past three years has finally come to light, that all the hard work has paid off. I get to represent an amazing team, and I hope to show them what I can do. It took a while to get rolling this week, as I’d never driven anything mid-engine. It definitely took a few sessions to get used to, but in the end, I think I handled it pretty well and put down a few good laps. For the qualifying sim, everything came together, and I was able to just lock in. A huge thanks to PT Autosport for this amazing opportunity.”
Read more about Zach’s journey on RACER here.
SpeedCafe looks at the career so far of New Zealand driver William Exton and asks, could this karting star be New Zealand’s next big thing? From nearly 100 applicants, Exton came out on top to win himself a fully funded GT4 scholarship for the forthcoming season after winning the Giltrap Motorsport Junior Scholarship.
“My dream is to be a race car driver, and this is the perfect next step to becoming a professional race car,” said Exton.
Read more about William’s motorsport journey so far here.
Formula Scout reports that the Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 team has recruited karting legend Mike Wilson this year to help develop the youngest of its junior drivers.
“This is the first year [I’ve worked with them],” Wilson explained to Formula Scout. “They’ve grown a lot, actually. I think every race has got its own story, every track is different. But I can see that the boys have step-by-step always got better. Which is, that’s our goal, basically.”
Driver Development Pathways
As I pointed out above, Mazda Motorsports has an extensive scholarship program available to young drivers to help them develop their motorsport careers and if you want a tip of how to get there, the SCCA has some advice for you.
As they recently pointed out on their website, 100% of 2024 Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout finalists can boast SCCA backgrounds. “Mazda Motorsports has announced the names of the 12 drivers who have been selected to participate in the 18th running of the Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout, but here’s the twist: All 12 drivers hold ties to the Sports Car Club of America.”
Read more about these ties here.
Motorsport UK Magazine Revolution has Theo Micouris, Abbi Pulling, Robbie Sandford and Gracie Mitchell, four Motorsport UK Academy graduates in their spotlight. The Academy is a performance pathway for motorsport’s talented young athletes providing the UK’s future stars with opportunities to learn, develop, thrive, and ultimately unlock their full potential.
You can read about their motorsport pathways here.
Feeder Series looks at the 5 female drivers with the best chance of earning an F1 seat.
“In 2022, Feeder Series named Jamie Chadwick, Maya Weug and Abbi Pulling as the three female drivers most likely to make it to F1. A lot has happened for women in motorsport since then: W Series collapsed, F1 Academy launched, and Jessica Hawkins became the first woman to test an F1 car since 2018. Although Hawkins won’t drive in F1 herself, she predicted in September that the series would have a female driver in four to eight years.”
Read who they have selected here.
Motorsport Magazine looks at the career of new Audi-Sauber F1 signing Gabriel Bortoleto. “When we met I was immediately impressed by the attitude. So not only as a driver we decided, but as a person. He can really be a leader for the team. He’s already demonstrated in the junior categories that he has what it takes to be a winning driver.”
Read more about how he made it to F1 here.
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects. As a former 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.
