The priorities of FIA single-seater president Emanuele Pirro kick off this week’s edition of the Driver Development Roundup. I also have news and opportunities from several driver development programs, how to build a future you will be genuinely proud of and Sophia Flörsch’s concerns over pinkwashing.
Becoming a Professional Race Driver
In an interview with Formula Scout, FIA single-seater president Emanuele Pirro explains how runaway costs and poor driving standards are his main priorities in his new role.
““I am convinced that motorsport has done a wonderful part in terms of passive safety, [by which] I mean protecting drivers and officials during an accident, let’s say.” What is lacking still, however, are measures to prevent an accident in the first place – circuit layout and driving standards, which have “deteriorated a lot,” he believes.””
In the video above, Enzo Mucci has a birthday message for you. “If you want to build a life you’re genuinely proud of, it starts now. You’ve got to act in a way that your future self would thank you for. That means it’s time to take a hard look at what parts of your mindset and daily habits need a serious upgrade. Forget wishing for things to get better, let’s make them better.”
F1 teams are signing younger drivers as juniors under the logic that early investments provide scope to benefit from greater long-term returns. But they’re not just investments, they’re also ambitious youngsters. Formula Scout looks at 13 karters who are already signed to an F1 Junior Driving Academy.
See the full list and read their analysis here.
The latest installment of SafeisFast’s RRDC Legends series features the wisdom of three-time Formula 1 World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart. “In this video, we sat down with Sir Jackie who offered his thoughts on what qualities a young driver needs to be successful in motorsport. He emphasized the importance of mind management and mental discipline, skills he learned from his other career as a clay pigeon shooter.”
After a devastating accident, racing driver Robert Wickens is confined to a wheelchair, but that didn’t stop him. Now with Bosch Motorsport as his partner, Robert has a new hand control system, that was designed with racing in mind. This groundbreaking technology not only provides him a more robust solution powered electronically, but it also provides more consistency across break applies, faster response rate, and diagnostics for safety. Watch Breaking Barriers – Episode 01: Revolutionizing Hand Control Systems with Bosch in the video above.
Driver Development Program News & Resources
Continuing a tradition that has long matched talent with opportunity, Mazda has announced the names of the 12 drivers who have been selected to participate in the 18th running of the Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout. The winning driver will receive a scholarship valued at $150,000 to participate in the 2025 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin.
The finalists came from a pool of drivers with success primarily in Spec MX-5, Spec Miata and karting. Each driver was asked to submit a racing resume with career highlights, a bio explaining why they are a great fit for Mazda and a video detailing their interest in MX-5 Cup, what makes them successful and how they plan to support their racing career long-term. A panel of racing professionals and Mazda Motorsports staff reviewed the entries before selecting 12 individuals to invite to the Shootout.
The 2025 MX-5 Cup season kicks off at Daytona International Speedway, January 22 – 24.
You can read the full list of drivers here.
Australian BMW M4 GT4 driver Cody Burcher is on his way to take part in a young driver evaluation program at BMW. On the weekend before the final round of Monochrome GT4 Australia at the Bathurst International, Burcher will be in Munich at BMW’s M headquarters where a full program awaits.
“There will be a series of testing in multiple different areas taking place over the two days,” explained Burcher. “I’m ready to sink my teeth into the opportunity, be a sponge and take everything in and make the most of the opportunity.”
SpeedCafe has all the details.
Following their debut as a team in 2023 and their inaugural racing season with WRL in 2024, AE Victory Racing seeks to provide 1-2 up-and-coming female racing talents with a funded seat in a development program for a partial season at World Racing League (6-8 race weekends) in 2025. The shootout takes place January 8-9, 2025 at Inde Motorsports Ranch.
We anticipate that 3-5 drivers will be selected to participate in the shootout. One to two of those candidates will be selected to drive alongside AEVR veteran drivers in the 2025 racing program.
The shootout will be a two-day on-track event at Inde Motorsports Ranch in Willcox, AZ, January 8-9, 2025. Day one will consist of an orientation and seat fitting in the morning, with one on-track session per candidate including data review and coaching in the afternoon. At the close of day one there will be a catered group dinner hosted by AE Victory Racing at the track. Day two will consist of one additional on-track session both morning and afternoon with data review and coaching.
Full details can be found here.
Fifty of the world’s best female drivers from 25 countries will battle it out in the first Formula Woman Global Nations Cup qualifying round at the Dubai Autodrome on Dec. 12. Each will be hoping to make it through to the inaugural Formula Woman Global Nations Cup, which will also be hosted by Dubai in May 2025. Additional races are also planned around the world next year.
Formula Woman, the world’s first all-female motorsport community and is already proving a great success. Its 5,000 members range from beginners with a passion for motorsport to seasoned racers, and it has attracted interest from the industry and global media.
The series aims to tap into the huge pool of talent and passion for motorsport among women, with the ultimate target being an all-female team in the world-famous 24-Hour Le Mans endurance race.
Get more details here, and here.
Box This Lap has put forward the suggestion that sim racing now offers the most accessible path to motorsport, replacing karting as an affordable entry.
“Today, however, karting has become a very expensive activity, especially at competitive levels. Costs can range from thousands to hundreds of thousands of euros for high-level championships and equipment, making karting no longer as accessible for young aspiring drivers. This limits the opportunities for many young talents who, without substantial financial resources, see their chances reduced from the start of their careers.”
You can read the full article here and make sure to check out the many comments in response to this article when I posted it in last week’s Sim Racing Roundup on my LinkedIn page here.
Marin Living profiles the the Della Penna Foundation and its mission to close the gender gap in motorsport. “The light bulb moment ultimately led to the creation in 2021 of Della Penna Motorsports Next Gen Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization with a mission to close the gender gap in the motorsports industry by empowering young women and girls ages 5 to 16 with mentorship opportunities, experiential knowledge, expertise and skill in a direct, hands-on way.”
You can read the full article here.
Sophia Flörsch has suggested motorsport’s efforts to increase female participation are nothing more than “pinkwashing”. “Where are all the women’s programmes that were announced in 2021/2022? Why media doesn’t ask the right questions? It’s so sad. Pinkwashing. Let’s make a list of female drivers since 2021 and ask them what happens in racing.” SpeedCafe has more.
Driver Development Pathways
Alexander Koreiba has made his home in IMSA in recent years, and if the native of Branson, Missouri has his way, he’ll take what he’s learned in prototypes and apply it towards open-wheel racing.
“The reason I got into racing is because I want to race at the Indianapolis 500 and win it,” Koreiba told RACER. “My career turned towards sports cars because that’s where the opportunities took me, but I’m young enough to where I can make the move to Indy NXT and go after my dream of IndyCar.”
Read more at RACER here.
Sixteen year old Caleb Byers, another of the New Zealand’s hottest young motorsport prospects, will compete in the inaugural Bridgestone GR86 Championship which begins at Taupo Motorsport Park next month.
“My passion has been tin tops from an early age,” he explained. “I have learnt a lot in Formula Ford and in the 2K Cup but the Bridgestone GR86 Championship will be the ultimate level playing field. The new car brings an opportunity for all drivers and teams so it’s going to be a great way to measure my racing skills.
“All the drivers will need to adapt and change their driving styles to match the new car and tyre. The teams will also have to learn the new cars quickly allowing the drivers to be competitive. I think the most important thing will be to consistently finish the races.”
The Toyota Gazoo Racing New Zealand website has more details.
Michael Sauter became the 2024 Formula Regional Japan champion at the penultimate round of the season at Fuji. The achievement would have been scarcely imaginable just one and a half years ago, when Sauter was racing in F4 with a small family-ran team reliant on support from rivals to participate. Feeder Series looks at how and why he made the move.
“We considered all options and just wanted to find a seat,” Sauter explained. “Then came the two guest starts, and because of that, a door opened. We weren’t sure if it was enough for [2024]. Otherwise, I am not sure if we would have added another year of F4 or if it would have been over. Luckily, it worked out.”
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.
