Grand Prix Pathway
Lando Norris tackling the tight and undulating Brands Hatch circuit in the 2015 MSA Formula season
JEP
“ When UK drivers start their journey in Cadet or Bambino karts, there’ s a large selection of quite complex circuits, which helps them build their driving traits,” says Biggs.“ The full-scale FIA homologated circuits abroad are all very good, but when you’ re in highpowered karts, on a big circuit you almost never have to hit the brake, so you don’ t learn so much.
“ When they go into Formula 4, people like Lando Norris actually say that instead of going to all the Grand Prix circuits – which are way too big for the Formula 4 cars and you end up on cruise control down a lot of the main straights – having that selection of twisty circuits and rise and fall
Snetterton 2011, Oliver Bearman brakes hard at the end of the Bentley Straight in GB3
topography helps the driver understand the car, tyre control and how to overtake.
“ In the past we used to do reverse grids in karting, so the fastest drivers would be at the back and that would encourage them to overtake to go through the grid. Through that, we always seemed to be able to develop really good overtakers – and Lewis Hamilton was a part of that era.”
Another very British factor that plays its part is … the elements. Bad weather, it turns out, is actually good for young drivers. Biggs explains:“ When you go to circuits abroad, they’ re usually nicely bedded in with rubber, but because the weather washes that off a lot in the UK, it helps drivers to learn tyre
JEP management on green circuits.”
The recent growth of indoor karting in the UK has opened the door of opportunity for more young talent, and Motorsport UK’ s link through the British Championship has created a pathway for new drivers.“ Traditionally, karting was always seen as a rich person’ s sport, but there’ s a lot more competitive arrive-and-drive options available now,” says Biggs.
“ That has given motorsport a pathway that it didn’ t have in the past, because it was all owner-driver operations – needing a garage to keep a kart, the ability to take a kart to a venue and so on. That’ s no longer really a necessary requirement. People can now go and compete at a reasonable cost on competitive equipment without having those issues.”
GROWING THE PATHWAY Most of the future top-level single seater drivers do follow the karting route, often shifting to an international level before building their car racing careers. However, some drivers, particularly in other disciplines, also find their way into the sport through sprint events or even early-stage grassroots competition.
Wherever the journey begins, the Academy is there to tap into the top raw talents and create genuine
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