More Than Equal continues to shape its future with its Driver Development Program welcoming new talent this week. You’ll find all the details in the latest Driver Development Roundup, along with Enzo Mucci’s thoughts on what it truly means to be “outstanding,” why Alex Wurz’s sons are racing in Japan, and much more from the world of driver development.
Overview
Becoming a Professional Race Driver
You’ve Got To Be Outstanding
Alex Dunne Explains the ‘Right Decision’ to Quit McLaren
Alex Dunne has explained why he chose to quit the McLaren Driver Development program, the Formula 2 star describing it as the “right decision”.
“For me, there’s a goal and a plan in place and that’s to be a Formula 1 driver,” he told balls.ie. “From the options that I knew I had, the decision we made was one that had to be made to be in F1.”
Alex Wurz On the Reasons Both His Sons Are Racing in Japan in 2026
In an interview with Japan Racing Insider, Alex Wurz explains the decision for sons Charlie and Oscar to race in Japan this year with Toyota backing. “The fact that both Charlie and Oscar are racing in Japan next year with Toyota’s blessing is no accident — their father Alex, who was an active F1 driver from 1997 to 2007, spent several years racing for the Toyota Gazoo Racing WEC program and remains on the books of the Cologne-based TGR-E outfit today as an advisor.”
Applications Now Open for the 2026 Rod Campbell Award – Deadline February 18
The Rod Campbell Award, established to honor the memory and legacy of the late motorsports executive Rod Campbell, is returning for its sixth consecutive year. With the 2026 edition now upon us, the prestigious award is now accepting applications from individuals aged 18 to 23 who are pursuing careers in automotive or motorsports journalism, public relations, marketing, sales, business development, or sponsorship. The application window will close on February 18, 2026.
The application process is open to individuals aged 18 to 23 who are pursuing careers in the following fields including but not limited to: automotive or motorsports journalism, public relations, marketing, sales, business development, and sponsorship.
More details and how to apply can be found here.
McLaren’s First Hypercar Driver Signing is an Underrated Gem
McLaren has revealed the identity of the first driver tasked with spearheading its new Hypercar program. The driver in question is Mikkel Jensen, who had raced under the Peugeot Sport banner since 2022. At 31 years old, the Dane may not enjoy the approval rating of a former single-seater star – but he is nevertheless regarded as one of endurance racing’s global benchmarks. Read more about him at The Race here.
Racing Women: Introducing the New Era of International Women’s Motorsport
UAE Director Walid Al Nabali sits down with Graeme Glew, CEO and Founder of Racing Women, and Dori Bano, Creative Director, to discuss how Racing Women is redefining the global motorsport landscape. From grassroots talent discovery to professional racing, commercial partnerships, media expansion, and the long-term vision of an all-female team at Le Mans, this episode explores what it truly takes to build a new era in international women’s motorsport. Bold vision, real opportunity, and a global movement in the making.
Driver Development Program News & Resources
Five Drivers Join More Than Equal Development Program
More Than Equal has named five drivers to join its development program alongside its current trio Ivonn Simeonova, Lana Flack and Skye Parker. Alexia Danielsson, Amelia Wyszomirska, Gianna Pascoal, Julia Angelard and Zoe Florescu-Potolea have joined the program aimed at developing elite female racing drivers after a talent search and assessment.
Full details can be found here.
Karting
Champions of the Future Academy International Program Announced
The Champions of the Future Academy have announced their international programs for 2026 covering Spain, Greece, Italy, Oman and the UAE. You can get all the details here.
FAT Karting League F4 Shootout
The FAT Karting League is currently conducting an F4 Driver Shootout as part of their initiative to provide karters with a fully-funded seat in F4. Full details of the program can be found here.
“Our first two drivers are locked in. Who will be next? We’re pleased to announce that @ellis_mckenzieracing and @sheaaldrich34 will be joining us for the @fat.racing F4 shootout. Alongside two wildcards, which are yet to be announced, the drivers will compete for a seat in British Formula 4. Stay tuned for our full driver lineup at 12 PM GMT 23rd January. Four drivers. Seven days. One dream.”
They have also released their pre-season schedule for 2026.
On the Podcast This Week
No Quitters: The Mindset of a Pro Racer
Don’t forget to download and listen to this week’s Motorsport Prospects Podcast where I interview USF Pro Championships Series Development Director Rob Howden. Rob has some great advice for those wanting to become professional race drivers so make sure you tune in! The episode drops on Wednesday, January 21st at noon EST on all your favourite podcast platforms.
Last Week on The Business of Being a Race Driver
Motorsport Sponsorship Advice to Start 2026
I provided more motorsport sponsorship advice to start off 2026 in last week’s edition of the Business of Being a Race Driver. You will learn about the difference between sponsorship decks and proposals, the power of polite persistence and more!
From the Sim Racing Roundup
Stellantis Motorsport Gets a New Sim Rig
Stellantis Motorsport is installing a new sim rig and in last week’s Sim Racing Roundup you will find out why. I also have news on a new Cross Car esports competition, choosing a sim racing wheel and more!
Driver Journeys
Hunter Salvatore on How Formula Ford Journey Aided Performances Overseas
Formula Ford frontrunner Hunter Salvatore has taken the next step in his racing career by contesting the F4 Formula Trophy UAE series in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The F4 Formula Trophy UAE is a series used by young drivers to kick off their journey to Formula 1 as an introduction to open-wheel racing, with 18-year-old Salvatore finishing sixth.
For Salvatore, the skills he had learnt during his season in Formula Ford set him up for a successful competitive debut overseas. “We were advised to race Formula Ford because that’s where you developed your skills to go further,” said Salvatore. “The Formula Ford prepared me well due to its ability to move around courtesy of a lack of aero and grooved tyres, which improved my car control considerably.”
You can read more here.
How a ‘Dinosaur Driver’ Got to be Porsche’s Fastest-Rising Young Star
Laurin Heinrich is the youngest driver to race a works Porsche 963, and after that one-off in Bahrain last year, he’s earned a call-up to Porsche Penske Motorsport for the endurance races in 2026 alongside Julien Andlauer and Felipe Nasr.
“It caps off a rapid ascension and an absolutely amazing journey for the German. He didn’t kart competitively until his teens, and his first year in cars in 2017 came after his used-car dealer father bought an F4 car to do the German championship, but had no engineer and only karting mechanics to go up against the likes of Prema and Van Amersfoort.”
RACER charts his journey here.
How a Chance F2 Paddock Meeting Kickstarted an EFO Race Winner’s Journey in Europe
Coming into 2025 with only two podiums in his racing career, Everett Stack turned things around in his rookie Euroformula Open campaign, scoring two wins and positioning himself as a constant threat for the top five in the second half of the season. Feeder Series caught up with the American to learn about his career and understand what triggered the sudden improvement in his results.
“I was in Silverstone in 2022 during the F1 grand prix, and I was there with Aston Martin and I met René Rosin, the owner of Prema,” Stack said. “He talked to my dad about [the fact] that there’s a step up to Europe. The driving is different. Europe is a bit more competitive than America, at least in the feeder series area, so I would say that influenced me and my family to make the step, just talking with people that know better than us.”
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.
