How can I become an F1 driver?
Mazlan Yusoff
Author, Entrepreneur, Investor, Founder, Mentor and Adviser at Mabel Inc
An average F1 driver typically starts building his career from karting at a very young age. It takes money, lots of it. Sponsorship is a large part of motorsports and having good business sense is a real advantage. Beyond that team up with a good coach and talk to him about your goals. Here are some pointers based on current success stories.
1. Start very young in karting
2. Possess and cultivate innate talent
3. Practice every day, compete every weekend
4. Give every extra moment not practicing or racing to developing your skills by studying race craft, technical knowledge, reading everything you can about how others have made it to F1, talking with any other kind of racer who consistently competes
5. Have highly committed parents with lots of disposable income and/or find sponsors with lots of disposable income. Becoming a great kart racer is expensive
6. Develop the ability to pathologically ignore the astronomically slim chances you have of becoming an F1 racer
7. Find qualified coaches who can develop your skills as you progress to increasingly difficult levels of competition
8. Constantly build relationships with teams and team principals who are one, two or three levels above your current level of performance
9. Excel in progressively difficult racing series
10. Gain the sponsorship of an F1 team
11. Be a backup driver for an F1 team
12. Be excellent when you get a chance to compete in an F1 race. This is done by finishing better than the other guy on the team, preferably in the points, and don't wad up the car.