In a major change for 2024 and beyond, the Macau Grand Prix will now be known as the Formula Regional World Cup, and I have the details. I also have news on a new race series in New Zealand for up-and-coming young drivers, how neurodivergent drivers can thrive and an explanation of the UK’s National Motorsport Academy. All this and more in this week’s edition of the Driver Development Roundup on Motorsport Prospects.
Please note that there will be no Driver Development Roundup next week as I am off on vacation. It will return on June 10th. Thanks so much for reading!
The Macau Grand Prix has been a showcase for Formula 3 over the last four decades but things will be changing in 2024 as it will now be known as the FIA Formula Regional World Cup for Formula Regional cars. This should open up the race to more global drivers as there are Formula Regional race series in numerous regions around the world. Macau will become the second grand prix in the international FRegional calendar, joining the New Zealand Grand Prix which runs as the FRegional Oceania season finale.
“When looking at maximising the appeal of the FIA FR World Cup, we considered the benefit that there are multiple Formula Regional competitions taking place across Asia, the Americas, Oceania, the Middle East and Europe, providing a wider pool of potential drivers and teams who could compete in Macau.”
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing New Zealand has confirmed that it will launch a new winter series for its older generation Toyota 86 cars next season. The new Toyota 86 Trophy Series will begin in May 2025 and will run exclusively over the winter months. It will be a grassroots non-championship status series running from May to July designed to be a high quality entry level feeder series for drivers either looking to progress to the new GR86 Championship, or who just wish to compete in a thoroughbred race car with a proven history in providing great racing and great motorsport talent.
“Motorsport is a feature of our wider strategy here in New Zealand,” Toyota New Zealand’s Managing Director Neeraj Lala explained. “In the case of the new Toyota 86 Trophy Series it is a reflection not only of our passion for supporting the sport at grassroots level but to also find a sustainable solution for the earlier generation car. That passion is actually part of our core corporate values.”
Richard Branson explains how neurodivergent thinkers can close the skills gap and perform at the maximum, much like race drivers Ben Taylor and Austin Riley do on track.
“It’s also why I was so happy to meet an autistic race car driver with the auticon Racing Team when I was in Melbourne last year. It so inspiring to see a young person like Ben Taylor following his dreams and helping other neurodivergent people realise they can achieve anything they set their minds to. It’s also a powerful way of showing the brilliant skills that autistic people bring to the table – particularly in terms of IT, coding, and analytics.”
F3 driver Sophia Flörsch was featured in the recent edition of Playboy Germany where she discusses her career as well as the challenges featuring female drivers. If you don’t read German you can use something like Google Site Translate to read the article.
“In terms of strength, coordination and responsiveness, it doesn’t matter which gender is in the car. There are now some very good sports medical examinations. My pulse moves on the track between 160 and 185 heartbeats, depending on the race phase. The same values also include Formula 1 drivers.”
The development of a young driver is something that must be done with care. Stretch out the process too long and the driver may miss out on opportunities to advance. Rush the process and the driver may not have the chance to live up to their potential. Mercedes have admitted that they have made some mistakes in what could be their next superstar driver, Kimi Antonelli.
Toto Wolff: “But he’s 17. Fourteen months ago he drove an F4 car [Antonelli last raced in F4 19 months ago], and there is so much expectation in Italy. We are a little bit guilty also of talking about him at that stage. We should let him do his F2 thing and deliver results and not be too carried away with what could be or should be.”
The latest On the Kerbs Podcast features the Director of Motorsport at the National Motorsport Academy, Dr. Kieran Reeves. You can watch the episode above.
“Having specialised in engineering at University, we discussed how he blended this with motorsport and teaching and how this led to the creation of the NMA and what this organisation hopes to achieve as it continues to grow in the future. Kieran and I also talked about what it’s like to manage a racing team on top of this, what the education system in the UK needs to do to improve and help the next generation see a path for them into the world of motorsport, his biggest racing challenge to date and much more!”
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.
