The Appeal of Endurance Racing to Young Drivers

The appeal of endurance racing to young drivers is one of the topics covered in this week’s Driver Development Roundup. With opportunities in F1 being scarce, a lot of young drivers are pivoting to sportscars and you will find out why. I also have news on a new driver development program from Porsche, tips on how to network applicable to any age and why you need to win to progress up the motorsport ladder. All this and more in this week’s Driver Development Roundup on Motorsport Prospects.


The Appeal of Endurance Racing to Young Drivers

In the video above, Enzo Mucci directly answers the question “can I make it to F1 after 19 Years old?” Here is his most direct answer and ways in which you can make it. But it’s a long shot.


F4 Global Shootout Program

Following its maiden season last year, the MP Motorsport-run Indian F4 championship is aiming to welcome more drivers in 2024. To fulfill this goal, the promoters have launched the Formula 4 Global Shootout Program, which will take place in July in France. Feeder Series spoke to Racing Promotions Private Limited (RPPL) chairman and series promoter Akhilesh Reddy about the new competition.

“RPPL, the organisers of the Indian F4 Championship, are already supporting Indian drivers with their participation in the championship. We aspire to be a leading international championship in this region,” Reddy said. “Last year, our championship attracted drivers from Australia, Singapore and Vietnam, all of whom have progressed to racing in championships like GB3, GB4, FRECA and French F4 in 2024.”

The ten drivers that will be selected to take part to this program in July will all receive at least €15,000. The overall winner will receive an Indian F4 drive worth around €120,000. The runner-up will have 30% of the winner’s scholarship at around €36,000 and the driver in third will have 20% at around €24,000.


Driver Development Roundup

Porsche Motorsport North America and the Mobil 1 brand proudly unveiled their latest initiative, the Porsche Mobil 1 Female Driver Program North America.

The newly unveiled program aims to create a supportive environment that showcases and nurtures female talent by equipping them with the necessary resources to excel in the world of motorsports.

The Porsche Mobil 1 Female Driver Program North America embodies both Mobil 1 and Porsche’s unwavering commitment to promoting gender diversity in motorsports and paving the way for a more equitable future for all racing enthusiasts.

“At Mobil 1, it is core to our mission to share the love of driving. We’re dedicated to creating opportunities to elevate our passion and champion sponsorships that allow a more diverse and inclusive group of drivers,” shares Jennifer Durgin, North America Lubricants Marketing Manager, on behalf of Mobil 1. 

“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Porsche on this remarkable initiative to further empower female racing talent to thrive at every level, both on and off the track. Through this program, we’ll take steps towards providing resources and developing a more equal road ahead for female racers.”

More details can be found here: https://porschecarreracup.us/porsche-mobil-1-female-driver-program-north-america-unveiled/


Networking

In NASA’s Speed News, Rob Krider explains how to network successfully in motorsports.

“The trick to successful networking is to be a curious person. Admittedly it does help to be a bit of an extrovert. I like to stay at the track during a NASA weekend. Sure, leaving and heading to a hotel for a clean shower and a good night’s rest is the correct move to be a fresh driver on Sunday. However, if you go to the hotel you will probably be missing out on a lot of networking opportunities.”


Driver Development Roundup

Jamie Chadwick recently won an Indy NXT race, the first time a woman has won at this level in 15 years. These two articles look at the significance of this win in the broader context of women in motorsport. “The inspiring part about Jamie’s win is that, not only is she a talented racer, but her record and pedigree come with brand and name recognition. She’s winning at a time when motorsport finally seems to have the desire and appetite to help uplift winning women. Brands finally seem ready to make commitments for helping to keep winning women in race cars.”


Endurance Racing

The lack of Formula 1 opportunities is leading young up and coming drivers to look for other career paths to become professionals earlier than they used to do, and endurance racing has become a popular choice. Formula Scout looks at the single-seater graduates finding a new home in endurance racing.

“It was no chance for us to get to do another year in F3 with a big part of it being the cost coming into next year, and then staying in for F2 was even more further away. So I obviously would like to have a better year last year just to show that I can do it at a high level. But I think if you look at the grid of ELMS, you could argue that it’s even stronger than any of the feeder series.”


The FIA has updated Appendix L of its International Sporting Code to add a clause that states that, although the minimum age for the superlicence required to drive in F1 is 18 years old, special dispensation may be granted to certain drivers to receive one at 17. 

Article 13.1.2 of Appendix L reads: “At the sole discretion of the FIA, a driver judged to have recently and consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competition may be granted a Super Licence at the age of 17 years old.”


Mark Boudreau
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.