This week you will learn about the importance of using an old-fashioned notebook from somebody whose success is a testament to its utility. You will also learn how to be a top driver, the life of a freelance GT professional and some exciting driver development programs in the karting world.
All this and more in this week’s Driver Development Roundup on Motorsport Prospects. News for race drivers and those aspiring to be one.
In the video above, Enzo Mucci explains how to be a top race driver. “Face and focus on your weaknesses as a performer. See your performance in the curious way to keep improving. Here I will share with you what spotters and scouts are looking for.”
As the premiere of the HIGHSPEED Étoile racing anime looms, the project will also bring its presence to real-life race tracks in 2024 in the form of HIGHSPEED Étoile Racing run by Platinum Factory Co., Ltd. The team hopes to develop and support female drivers, which will be reflected in their inaugural lineup of Kotomi Maeda and Ai Shimizu. Kohta Kawaai, the 2023 Super GT champion in the GT300 class, will serve as team director.
“Development of the team began last fall before scouting drivers. Platinum Factory CEO Ryūtarō Nakagawa explained, “We not only want to create opportunities for women to play an active role, but we also want to create an environment where drivers can grow alongside the anime characters.”“
Sports technology and analytics company Kitman Labs have announced a partnership with More than Equal, the global independent motorsport initiative with a mission to find and develop the first female Formula 1 world champion.
The partnership will provide More than Equal with an advanced operating system which will centralize data for female drivers participating in More than Equal’s pioneering Development Program, a high-performance preparation program that supports young, talented female drivers who have the potential to develop into elite racing drivers.
Aston Martin has named the 32-driver roster for the latest edition of its Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy, with the winner set to receive support and assistance from the manufacturer and a test outing in a GT3 car. All drivers selected are aged between 16 and 26 and they compete in Aston Martin GT3 or GT4 machinery in recognized championships, either international or on a national level.
Drivers will be evaluated based on their ability to manage the strategic, teamwork, commercial and public relations aspects of their role. The driver selected at the end of the program receives financial support towards their 2025 race program, as well as assistance and guidance from the factory.
Feeder Series has an excellent profile of sportscar racer Alex Fontana and his journey from single-seaters to GT racing what what life is like as a freelance GT professional.
“As a freelancer professional who earns a living off of this, the hardest part is looking for rides. You get a lot of doors in your face and it’s psychologically damaging. With limited access to testing and championships to race in, especially without management, the biggest achievement of it all is just being able to do it.”
NBC News looks at how Rajah Caruth parlayed his video game expertise into real-life NASCAR success. “At 21, Rajah Caruth became only the third black driver to win a NASCAR race. He credits video games with helping him on his road to success. NBC News’ Sam Brock reports.” But Caruth’s success is not just from his skills on the sim. He also employs that most low-tech tool of all, the old-fashioned notebook.
“He walks around with his notebook and jots down whatever you have to say,” said Bubba Wallace, who has served as a mentor to Caruth. “I’ve never done that. I don’t know if anybody else in the garage has done that. So he’s different in that way. But he just wants to learn and get better.”
James Nicholas, who three weeks ago took part in the PalmerSport Ginetta Scholarship shootout at Bedford Autodrome, has won his first ever car race in the PalmerSport W2R G56 GTA in the Ginetta GT Academy.
PalmerSport and Ginetta are already planning to repeat the scholarship programme in 2025, with details to be announced later this year. In order to be eligible you must be an existing PalmerSport customer. To register your interest, email sales@palmersport.com.
Registrations for the GT Talent 2024 selections are now officially open. Use discount code GTSPECIAL24 to get an extra 10% off. The code is valid until April 14th. Full details can be found here.
Eurocup-3 is quietly shaking up the Formula Regional market, but exactly how successful has the series been since its inauguration? Feeder does an in-depth look at the series including details on budget requirements.
“Eurocup-3 was received by some as a Spanish version of England’s GB3 Championship, and in some ways, it is. Both series have visits scheduled to international circuits, support from to a lower series and plans to move up drivers within a national ladder.”
In a wide-ranging conversation, Claire Williams, the former team principal of her family’s eponymous F1 team and one of the most prominent women in the sport, discusses with BlackBook Motorsport her career in motorsport, the challenge of growing female representation, and life after Formula One.
“There’s clearly a lot more work that needs to be done in that area, but my greatest consideration, what I wanted to achieve, was showing that women have worked in the sport, remind people that a woman used to run a Formula One team, because that’s not the case today.”
Emanuele Pirro has left his role as McLaren’s driver development director, less than a year after he was announced as joining the team. The five-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner and former Formula 1 driver was brought in by McLaren last April to lead its revamped driver development programme, and announced his exit in an Instagram post today.
“After a year of hard work and satisfaction, I will be leaving the McLaren Driver Development Programme,” said Pirro. “I trust the internal resources who will run the MDDP will continue on my path and help the programme now, giving the type of unique support developing drivers need alongside the professionalism and experience of the great teams they are all representing.”
Karting Developments
Karting Developments is a new feature of the Driver Development Roundup where I will be covering noteworthy karting driver development programs and initiatives in this critical step of the race driver development ladder.
Former Formula 1 engineer Rob Smedley is turning his attention to helping motorsport become a more diverse environment, but says there’s still a long way to go as he explains in a piece he wrote for Autosport.
“We have to get girls turned on to this at five, six years old – the age they come into the Bambino karting category. At GKL, we’ve got a lot of ex-F1 engineers and we’ve tried to relay STEM learning through the context of motorsport. We’ve built an online learning platform where each kid can complete a course. Teaching them about forces, electricity, materials, and the things that are important for engineers and scientists, through the context of motorsport, the kids get really into it. I was surprised.”
Embedded within the broader framework of the FIA Sport Club Development Strategy, which aims to empower and strengthen FIA Sport Clubs worldwide, the Angola’s Karting Development Programme is a testament to the dedication of the community to foster young talent and promote the sport at its grassroots level.
Supported by the FIA Africa Development Taskforce and the broader FIA Club Development Strategy, this grassroots initiative serves as a blueprint for replicable models in other provinces, aiming to establish sustainable karting academies across Angola. Under the collaborative action plan with the Angola Motor Sports Federation (FADM), similar projects have been initiated in Nigeria and Ethiopia, reflecting a concerted effort to promote grassroots motor sport and engage young enthusiasts.
Female drivers supported by F1 Academy sampled the sweet taste of victory during the opening round of the Champions of the Future karting series in Italy. The new karting series launched by RGMMC, Champions of the Future Academy (COTFA), hit the Cremona International Circuit in Italy for the first time last weekend. In collaboration with F1 Academy, three female drivers in each of the categories have been nominated as part of the all-female series’ Discover Your Drive program.
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.
