Taking stock of your motorsport career is one of the highlights of this week’s Driver Development Roundup with advice on what you need to do and why. I also have details on a racing seminar you can attend, an opinion on the rising cost of motorsport and three more driver journeys.
Becoming a Professional Race Driver
In the video above, Enzo Mucci looks at the brutal truth in motorsport and what you can do about your floundering motorsport career. “In this episode, I sit down to share the realities of motorsport and what it actually takes to make it as a professional driver. The industry doesn’t care about your hopes or desires, it only deals in results. If your performance isn’t where it needs to be then what else can you do to make sure it doesn’t damage your reputation? The answer is simple: create a plan and execute it immediately.”
Cory Smith looks at the crisis of rising coats in motorsport. “If money is the main qualifier, then motorsports stops being a meritocracy and starts being a gated community. And when that happens, the sport loses its edge. Innovation dies when new talent never makes it to the starting grid.”
Pitlane Development looks at the decline of UK motorsport shows and how that poses a threat to the motorsport industry as well as to young careers. “The knock-on effect is clear: the next generation of UK motorsport talent risks losing the visibility and guidance necessary to enter the industry. For young professionals, these shows aren’t just networking events—they are career accelerators. Losing them could push many to seek opportunities abroad or in other sectors, threatening the UK’s reputation as a global motorsport hub.”
The Dash Right Academy Series has put together a seminar called Pro Racing Secrets: What Pros Know, Amateurs Don’t with their Level 1 – The Core Principles of Driving and Racing taking place on September 27th in Dublin, California. Full details can be found here.
Porsche’s next generation of racing stars took some time off the track to improve their career trajectories last July. Drivers from the Porsche EBOOST Junior Program and the Porsche Mobil 1 Female Driver Program – two initiatives that represent the backbone of Porsche’s North American talent development pipeline – are armed with new lessons to carry into the remainder of their 2025 campaigns and beyond after gathering for the annual development workshop at Porsche Penske Motorsport and PitFit. The workshop blended technical insight, physical training, and professional mentorship.
The 2026 technical regulations overhaul will shake up F1, and the rule changes are likely to cause a major shift in the balance of power in the paddock. However, they are less convenient for potential rookies, such as F2 drivers’ championship leader Leonardo Fornaroli. RN365 explains.
Driver Development Program News & Resources
In preparation for its debut in Formula 4, Trident Motorsport has entered into a partnership with England’s Ricky Flynn Motorsport, one of the top karting teams and winner of several World and European titles in recent years. The agreement foresees that young Ricky Flynn Motorsport kart drivers will have the opportunity to be involved in Trident Motorsport’s activities, including participating in the selections held to elaborate the driver lineups for the Formula 4 championship.
At the recent Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix in Nashville, SEGG Media’s executive leadership — Chairman & CEO Matthew McGahan, Company Directors Marc Bircham and Warren Macal, and COO Gregory Potts held close-out discussions with driver representatives while outlining plans for SEGG Media’s new Sports.com Elite Driver Program encompassing Formula One, IndyCar, and other disciplines.. Launching in 2026, the program is designed to support emerging and established elite drivers across Formula One, IndyCar, Indy NXT, and other categories, focusing on driver excellence, brand-building, and digital fan engagement — aligning with the Company’s mission to deliver long-term shareholder value through sporting excellence.
From the Sim Racing Roundup
Why a simulator is critical to an F1 team for 2026 is one of the topics covered in last week’s Sim Racing Roundup. I also have a peek at Pierre Gasly’s sim rig setup, some racecraft advice and much more!
Driver Journeys
In her debut year in single-seaters, Sauber-backed Emma Felbermayr currently sits ninth in the F1 Academy standings with one win. Feeder Series caught up with the Rodin Motorsport driver in Montréal just before she took her maiden win to talk about her impressive rookie season so far.
“It was a real challenge, and the season didn’t start off too bad,” Felbermayr said. “It was quite promising, [I made] some mistakes, I will do some mistakes still, but I think for the experience that I have, so far it’s not too bad. I’m still progressing every race, as we’ve seen already – quite [a lot of] improvement from Shanghai in the beginning to Miami.”
In a recent Women in Motorsports Network podcast, Melinda Russell welcomes professional race car driver and mechanical engineer Sabre Cook. Sabre shares her inspiring journey from growing up around motocross and karting in Colorado to competing internationally in the W Series, and now racing full-time in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America.
Sabre opens up about the business side of racing, the role of sponsorship and social media, and the challenges of adapting to different cars throughout her career. She reflects on her favorite racing memories, including a special victory with her dad as her mechanic, and shares valuable advice for young girls dreaming of a career in motorsports.
After finishing third in 2024, Ethan Nobels was considered one of the title favourites in Brazilian F4 entering his second season in 2025. He spoke to Feeder Series at the opening round at Interlagos about his weekend and what he’d learned from his previous campaign. “What changed was learning from last year’s mistakes where I had a lot of DNFs. I could’ve scored points and even started the season leading overall, but I ended up with a DNF, so this year I’m really focused on coming strong into the final round and trying to win the title.”
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.
