The personal side of racing is rarely talked about but this week you will get some advice on how to deal with relationships as you work towards your motorsport goals. You will also see how the Beyond Rally Women’s Driver Development Program works, the journey of one graduate of the Mazda Shootout Scholarship, and details on the USF Pro Championships scholarship programs. All this and much more in this week’s Driver Development Roundup.
In the video above, Enzo Mucci discusses balancing your racing life with your social life and how it isn’t easy at times. “Today we hit the personal side of racing.”
The Beyond Rally Women’s Driver Development Program has revealed the three finalists who have secured a coveted seat in the Central European Rally (17 – 20 October) behind the wheel of M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3s.
After an intense three-day evaluation which concluded today (Wednesday 18 September) at M-Sport Poland, Krakow, Lyssia Baudet (Belgium), Suvi Jyrkiäinen (Finland) and Claire Schönborn (Germany) beat off intense competition from 12 other candidates to take the next step with the initiative and contest the penultimate round of the FIA World Rally Championship. From there, the ultimate prize of a season in the 2025 FIA Junior World Championship is at stake for one lucky contestant, a dream come true for any aspiring rally driver.
Launched earlier this year by WRC Promoter, the three-part Women’s Driver Development Program is part of the Beyond Rally initiative, and is designed to boost female representation at the highest levels of rallying and provide a stepping stone for emerging female drivers.
Autosport goes behind the scenes as they look inside the WRC’s search for its next Michele Mouton. “It is easier to dream about doing something when you have seen someone doing it.”
More than Equal have announced an official partnership with AVL RACETECH.
“Through this partnership, the female drivers in our data-led driver development programme will receive exclusive access to a guided, intensive SIM Camp using best-in-class AVL driving simulators. Additionally, they will participate in engineering workshops designed to enhance their understanding of data and its use in collaboration with race engineers, including topics such as set-up and data analysis.”
Ali Donnelly, CEO at More than Equal, said: “Supporting our female drivers as they transition from karting to F4 is not just about racing; it’s about empowering them with the tools, technology, and knowledge they need to excel. We are excited to partner with AVL RACETECH to offer hands-on engineering insights and personalised simulator training that will help them not only compete but thrive.”
Full details can be found here and here.
A pair of standout 21-year-olds from this season’s European Le Mans Series, Reshad de Gerus and Gillian Henrion, have become the first two drivers confirmed for the FIA WEC’s post-season rookie test in Bahrain. Both drivers have been nominated to participate in the test by the WEC as a reward for their efforts in the ELMS this season. RACER has all the details.
Formula 3 and Formula 2 boss Bruno Michel says the current feeder series ladder “makes sense” and he isn’t concerned about drivers skipping F3 and jumping straight into F2 in an interview with Feeder Series.
“It’s really up to the drivers and the drivers’ management to decide the way they want to manage the careers of the drivers. For me, if I was doing drivers’ management, I would put the drivers going along the pyramid because for me it makes more sense. To me, going through Formula 3 and then going through Formula 2 is something that makes a driver much more prepared for Formula 1, [rather] than trying to skip one of those two categories.”
Kamden Hibbitt never thought he’d be a Mazda Shootout Scholarship winner racing as a Mazda factory driver in the Spec MX-5 class in the Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour, but here he is, and he’s living the dream. At just 15-years-old, Kamden is tuning his race craft, running up front, and can’t wait to see what the future brings for his motorsports career. Watch the SCCA video above to find out more.
Heart of Racing Team will continue with its Aston Martin programs in the GT3 and GT4 ranks despite the team’s two-pronged Valkyrie AMR-LMH effort in the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship next year according to team principal Ian James.
James also confirmed to Sportscar365 that its Pirelli GT4 America female driver academy will also continue, although Gray Newell, who currently competes in both GT4 America and GT America powered by AWS, is set to graduate to Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS next year in a Vantage GT3 Evo.
The 2025 calendar of events for USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire was unveiled last Tuesday. The schedule for the three rungs comprised of USF Pro 2000, USF2000 and USF Juniors will once again provide the rising talents in open-wheel racing with premier venues to showcase their skills with over $1.43M in prize money and awards on offer.
For 2025, the USF Pro 2000 champion will receive a scholarship package valued at $546,500 to advance to INDY NXT, with the USF2000 champion’s package valued at $405,050 to move up to USF Pro 2000 and the USF Juniors champion’s package at $249,675 to progress to USF2000.
Skip Barber, the Official Racing School of USF Pro Championships, will continue to offer its Formula Race Series champion a scholarship valued at $100,000 to advance to USF Juniors. RACER has all the details.
The Washington Post looks at the F1 Academy and its plan to develop the next female Formula 1 driver. “Observers hope the series will produce the first woman to compete in an F1 grand prix in 48 years and counting. But they also acknowledge F1 Academy can offer only a partial solution to a more extensive challenge. There are long-standing systemic issues holding women back, ranging from resources and funding to what some say can be a misogynistic culture.”
Joey Logano cautions that Connor Zilisch’s swift progression may lead to inadequate preparation for the competitive demands of the Cup Series. In a conversation with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Logano elaborated on the rich tapestry of talent present in the Cup Series, highlighting that it is populated by some of the best drivers globally. To thrive in such a competitive environment, Zilisch must expand his understanding of different tracks and racing conditions. Read more at Slicks and Sticks.
Dragon Racing is organizing an exclusive and intensive 2-day driving course at Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi. Over the two days, you will complete an advanced race license course with a multi-choice test, followed by a practical assessment on the racetrack and ten races in your own race car or a hired race car provided by Dragon Racing. The course is designed to take you from a novice driver to someone who can safely navigate a race circuit and start on any National or International race grid.
The course takes place October 24 & 25, 2024 at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Get more details here and watch highlights from the 2023 session in the video above.
Formula 1’s plans to hold a rookie sprint race after the season finale in Abu Dhabi look set to be given the green light next month, Autosport has learned. “Multiple senior sources have now indicated that the plans for the sprint are moving in the right direction, and that the formal vote on it that will be taken in the next F1 Commission meeting on 2 October will almost certainly be in favour of it happening.” Read more at Autosport.
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.
