How do you become a Formula 1 driver?

Posted on 07-07-2016 at 14:04 by MauritsH – 30 Comments”

With Max-mania is in full swing racing in the Netherlands, more popular than ever. Ambitions to race at the highest level? Autoblog helps you a hand with a list of tips.

Beginning as young as possible

Let’s start with the bad news begin. At the time you read this, you are already too late. Or better said: too old. Max Verstappen got as a 4-year-old for the first time in a kart and we may still assume that our readers are of that age now passed. On the other hand the number of candles on the cake, not everything. Damon Hill, for example, champion in 1996, joined only at the age of 23 for the first time in a race car. But well, who had a famous last name. That’s also the next tip.

Make the switch to cars

Once you have the championships in the various KF and KZ competitions together have raked, it is necessary to make the transition to the real work. Mick Schumacher is driving, for example, in Formula 4, all are enough riders switched to the Formula 3. However, make sure that you are not too long in a certain class continues to hang, because that’s usually a sign for the big teambazen that your just not that little bit extra to offer compared to the competition.

Have a known last name

Or your dad was a famous racer, your cousin (Bruno Senna) or your brother (think of the brothers Schumacher); a well-known last name you will always help in “the world”. Same last name, you can also get in your disadvantage to work because as soon as there is, for example, a Senna at the start of a match appears, the expectations are immediately high. Now driving Bruno Senna after three years of Formula 1 in the Formula E and in the enduranceracerij. Certainly not something for which he should be ashamed, but you get our point.

Spent ALL your time on racing

Verstappen seems to be between the GP’s and sponsorverplichtingen many an hour spent in the simulator (at home or on the case) and that is bearing fruit. During the race in Azerbaijan, it was pretty clear that so much devotion will pay during the races. Lewis Hamilton, of which more than once it is said that he spend too much time on the randzaken around the F1, had problems with the settings of the engine. It took far too long for the stercoureur of Mercedes the problem was fixed, but by that time his chances of a good ranking as well as desperate. You make us not to believe that that had happened as LH44 some more hours in the simulator had spent and had deepened in the knoppies on his steering wheel, something that the younger generation seems better to understand it.

Put that extra step

Another example, just to give that little bit of extra dedication is beneficial to the results. Racegod Ayrton Senna was known that he was with the engineers of motorenbouwer Honda until deep in the night the smallest details of his sources of power was going over to the engine that bit better. Verstappen seems to do the same or to have done when the men from Renault. You can see the night view, of course, also spend in a club of your choice, but there you go on Sunday, not harder racing.

Immerse yourself in the technique

Furthermore, it is worth to you from a young age to delve into the technique. If you’re a young man already have any idea of the tuning and tweaking of your kart(engine), you’ve got the rest of your career benefit from it. The basics work, after all, in all race series in the same (a car remains a car), and if you’re a rookie in F1 speaks the same language as your engineer, which pays that off.

Take a mentor/step in with a juniorteam of the established order

Both dots we discuss at the same time, because they come about the same. If someone continuously tells you what to better and how to get that last tenth out of your kart/car can squeeze, you will learn simply have a lot more in much shorter time. Since young drivers in a hurry need to be made ASAP about to step from karts to racing cars, it is such a time-saving essential. In the case of Max, we look especially to pa Jos, made the youngest GP winner already in a very early stage part of the Red Bull program. Hamilton was already at a young age, under contract with McLaren and Pascal Wehrlein in the DTM is already running for Mercedes. We mention but a few examples to indicate that you are better asked on the interest of the big teams can generate. Not only to increase your chances at a spot with a topper to increase, but also to have a lot more to learn in a short time.

Care for a large bag with (sponsor)money

If you get there with just talent does not come, are the racing stables in the expensive Formula 1 is always looking for drivers who a nice bag of money to bring. Disadvantage: often especially the smaller teams to pennies shy, because that’s why they are also smaller teams. On the other hand, you can with a “bought” seat in a smaller team still in the spotlight of the big boys drive. Provided that the teambazin neatly to the appointments, however, Giedo?

Moreover, it is an above-average dose of talent is not even required as the bag with the money but is large enough. Fans that the F1 bit longer to follow can have no doubt the eccentricities of men as Taki Inoue, Pedro Diniz and Ricardo Rosset remember. On the starting grid in 2016, it is especially the Indonesian Rio Haryanto who is known as a “pay driver”.

Start hopping on two wheels!

Colleague @Dizono I will be grateful for this tip, but of course you can also just make your career start on an engine(tje). Many racing drivers are after all that went before. John Surtees was world champion on two and four wheels (in that order), and Damon Hill, who earlier in this story already came by, reed is still on engines when he was the age of 20 years already had passed. On the other hand, that both men are in a completely different era, their thing did and that you now reasonably late if you’re only after your twentieth for the first time in a race car get. But we have already talked about. However, we can still point to devote to two-wheelers.

Buy a trialbike

Outside of that it is undoubtedly good for your skills, it is to ride on such a trialbike a great way to get your workout in. In addition, we would prefer to be on his thing in the circle drive we have a x number of hours per day on the treadmill are huffing and puffing. This is triallen a relatively safe way of getting to you physically work. MotoGP ™ riders for example, to drive between the races regularly on dirt bikes, but there is a broken collarbone (or worse) is always lurking.

Have fun

Then do an encore, a platitude and an open door in one. Anyone who ever kart (or soccer) has the papa’s on the side shouting because his son not to his father’s wish performs. Silly, but maybe the guy there was absolutely no pull in? Fun and love for racing are the main ingredients for a potentially successful adventure in motorsport.