QuestionQUESTION: HI. I'm 18 years old and I live in Iceland, a country where there are no racetracks and lacks seriousness in motorsport. My dream is to be a professional racing driver. I'm in karting and currently trying to buy a kart. I know I have potential. So my question is: how does the process work in motorsport? specially about racing teams. How can you join a racing team? Do you get income if you are in a racing team and do you have to spend money on the racecar in a racing team? Do you have to be rich if you want to succeed in motorsport? I cant imagine me paying out million dollars for a racecar. I know its a lot to ask for but these questions have been stuck in my head forever. Ive heard about "Young driver support programs". Some F1 drivers joined these programs and how can you join these programs?
Kind regards
Ólafur
ANSWER: Well, you have several problems. The first is your location. If there's nothing happening in Iceland, you will need to emigrate to a country where something IS happening. The UK is a good choice, so it the USA. Both will cost money.
PROFESSIONAL race drivers make a LOT of money. Amateurs pay through the nose for the privilege of racing .
Cars are expensive, and expensive to maintain. Tires are worn out very fast and cost several hundred US dollars per set. Then there are travel costs. Somehow the race car has to get to the race track, This usually involves a caravan (motor home) and a trailer to carry the car, fuel and oil for the above, and of course, someone has to buy it !
F1 drivers almost always come from EXTREMELY wealthy families, there are rare exceptions, but it takes several million US$ to compete in the feeder series, The only answer is for a young man to get sponsored. And those sponsor-ships are very rare.
Your involvement in Karting will help you become a better driver, and there is a remote chance that you could be discovered by a scout.. However , if I were scouting for talent, I think I would first search in friendlier climates.
My usual advice for people your age is STAY IN SCHOOL, finish university studies, and try to specialize in some form of engineering, or mechanical science . Many of our successful pro drivers in the US are engineers, and are very well paid for their racing talent. But part of that comes from understanding what a race car is doing under them at speed.
At this stage, all I can do is wish you every success! Please finish college, stay in Karting and win a championship or two, then start looking for work on the continent or in the UK.. There are several F1 teams located in the UK and though you might be sweeping and cleaning the toilets, they do hire people . Keep trying
Good luck
Dan Liddy
Sarasota, Florida, USA
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QUESTION: HI. I have always planned on moving to USA after school but Im studying business. Does it really matter what your education is if your skill is driving? because after all their job is driving the racecar.
I dont understand about racing teams. In formula 1 the drivers dont have to pay anything ( i think) because its way too expensive. But what about other kinds of Formula like Formula 3, Formula Ford, Formula 3000 and more? Do the drivers have to pay anything there or is it the teams/sponsors responsibility?
In what types of racing can you get paid for racing and in what types of racing will you have to pay to race?
I always thought if you could get into any racing team as a driver, you wouldnt have to pay anything. Am I right?
Kind regards
Ólafur
ANSWER: OK< I'm going to try here.
Once one gets to the top levels of professional racing, many things are provided for them, and the drivers earn millions of dollars per year. However, getting to that level requires YEARS of racing as an amateur, and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of public relations spent on putting the driver's name in front of potential team owners and managers. It doesn't just happen, and it isn't cheap. To even have a chance at a pro career starting at your age, I would say that you need to have access to around $4 to $5million US dollars. Then you will have to invest it in racing experience at the amateur level, and pay a public relations person to submit the results to news outlets, magazines, and TV networks. Then you have to hope that they publish them.
While you are developing some experience, you will have to buy and maintain a racing car in a class that draws the attention of professionally managed teams. Such a car will cost a minimum of $300,000.00 USD to purchase, and another $200 to $300,000.00 to campaign for a year. And these cars are incredibly fast and powerful. It will take you a year just to get accustomed to the tremendous acceleration and speed. It's NOT like your Go Kart, believe me !
Professional race driving is extremely demanding as a skill, and also as a business effort. The driver must not only be one of perhaps the best 200 drivers in the nation, he must also be quite personable in news and media interviews, in advertising films and other forms of public exposure . It helps to be physically attractive as well.
The one guy I know that made it from the bottom up is Randy Pobst of Palm Bay, Florida. He started racing at about your age in a VW Rabbit. It took him 10 or 12 years to get noticed, and win enough amateur championships that the pro teams started to notice him. And he had a factory ride with Porsche for a few years too. So he did make it bic. But he bought a HELL of a lot of his own cars and tires.
When you do get to the US, feel free to contact me again, I may be about to find out a little m ore for you between now and then. And as I said before
I wish you much luck and good fortune.
Dan Liddy
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QUESTION: And how did Randy Pobst finance his career when he started racing?
Did he come from a wealthy family?
AnswerI don't know the details of his financial background. In our culture in the US, we consider those subjects to be private matters. Most people don't discuss them.
I do know that his father was very supportive and I believe the family owned a business. He also made an association with a local tire supplier in his area who may have helped. And finally, he married a gal that was also a competitive driver, and she devoted a lot of her early life to his success. Two incomes and no children makes for a certain amount of financial security.
Have a pleasant Christmas.
Dan Liddy
