Grand Prix Pathway
The reason why there are so many successful British drivers racing in front of their home crowd at the Grand Prix is not just coincidence, it is because of the racing pathways that have been laid down to nurture and develop new young talent.
One of the most prominent is the Motorsport UK Academy, which was set up by the governing body to give young drivers across all disciplines the chance to access skills and training to support their journeys up the ladder. It includes karting, rally and race, and high-performance categories, as well as the educational Enhanced DiSE study route.
The Academy was launched after Lewis Hamilton began his rise to becoming World Champion, but it has been there to support every current British driver on the Grand Prix grid on their journey, as well as those in the F2, F3 and F1 Academy support races, plus hundreds of other top-level drivers in categories including the World Endurance Championship, Formula E and the World Rally Championship.
The Academy can play an important part in many ways, not just providing skills and training but, for some, simply working almost as a badge of honour.“ A lot of drivers begin their journey in Motorsport UK karting, and the Academy is there to
Lewis Hamilton won the Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship in 2003 – before the Motorsport UK Academy was launched
support with the next steps,” says Cameron Biggs, Coaching and Academy Pathway Manager.
“ Aside from Lewis, all the current British F1 drivers have been part and parcel of the Academy in some way, and they also still engage with Motorsport UK when dealing with Superlicense points or international race issues, so we have continued to be there to help and support them right through their careers.”
THE UK’ S UNIQUE BLEND When it comes to the racing, the early years in karting and cars are when the true talents of the future are formed – and Biggs believes that it is the UK’ s blend of twisty, tight circuits and unpredictable weather which makes for a winning combination. Drivers of other nationalities don’ t get this when growing up in their own countries.
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