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It’s easy to become ambitious about racing. Racing fascinates as speed thrills. However, pursuing the dream of becoming a professional racer is hard.
You must have seen the pros ace it on the tracks. But how are you planning to acquire the skills and experience to take the first step on that path? It’s not like you can enroll on your local race track the way other sportspersons enroll for a sport.
How do you upskill yourself? How do you build your reputation? How do you get the required attention from the right people? Before answering these questions, you’ll need to ask yourself some questions.
Becoming a racing driver is both expensive and hard. If you desire to hold the steering wheel of a Formula car, you need to know the “why.” The stronger your why, the higher your willpower to pursue the career.
As the Danish racer Kevin Magnussen says, “I am living my childhood dream of racing in Formula 1, and I’ve put my whole life into achieving that dream, so it is only natural for me to be giving absolutely everything I’ve got to achieve success in racing and the day I no longer do that I will retire from racing immediately.”
“Following team orders, well, it’s got to be done. You know, many times you get asked to do something or help the team in some way that perhaps is not benefiting your own race. But then, you know, those things tend to come back around. So, in another race in a different situation, your teammate has to do the same. And, you know, unless I think you’re fighting with your teammate for the World Championship, I think you’re better off following team orders.”
“You never reach a point where you feel completely ‘ready’ – there’s always more you can do. But I think every team and driver is going to be feeling uncertain going into the pre-season.”
Your ambition to become a racing driver must be inspired for the right reasons. If your top goals/priority is money, fame, or lifestyle, and racing is your path to these goals, then you’re in the wrong sport. Tasting race victories and championships, fighting for pole positions, and driving a race car at its fullest limit are some of the traits of a true racing driver.
Every stage of a career offers different opportunities. Likewise, in racing too, different segments offer unique opportunities that require specific training and preparation. What kind of racing inspires you?
Name the specific kind of racing that inspires you, such as Formula 1, endurance racing, rally, MotoGP, etc. Explain what captivates you. Is it the speed, strategy, technical innovation, unpredictability, or sheer skill of the drivers? If possible, add a personal anecdote—it could be a specific race, driver, or moment that cemented your passion.
When you have a goal in your mind, you need to figure out the next steps to be taken and the accomplishments needed to reach that goal. Double down on your research, pave your path, and identify what it takes for each step to reach the end goal.
A driver with just a desire to drive professionally will rarely make it. Your success depends on your preparation: in your marketing, networking, and finances, in the shop, in the gym, and at the track.
You will be able to deliver only when you balance physical health, financial stability, and continuous improvement to stay competitive. Many drivers enter racing with bigger dreams but fade away in no time. Racing is unforgiving, and if you don’t evolve and adapt to industry changes, you will fade quickly. Since racing is a results-driven industry, teams invest in those who consistently deliver.
Diversification within motorsports is one of the key strategies to increase your racing career’s longevity.
You have the option to explore rallies, esports, and endurance to extend your career. Also, you have to build a strong network and maintain a healthy sponsor relationship to increase your career’s longevity.
Despite getting a driver’s license for your usual car, which is still driving, driving a high-performance race car is a different discipline. All great race drivers have got their basics right. When you have a strong foundation, you can rely on them every day by working on your driving skills in your daily life.
A strong foundation includes but is not limited to paying extra attention to new hazard perception, braking distances, focusing on developing your awareness, balancing shifts, and grip levels.
Many aspiring racers knock on the doors of institutions without knowing much about the sport. Aspirants can find ample resources both offline and online. Safeisfast is one such resource that puts out resources and interviews with some of the world’s top professionals.
When it comes to offline, Speed Secrets Weekly is a subscription service that offers weekly articles about driving straight from some of the most reputed driver training authorities. Ensure you utilize these resources to the fullest to save you valuable time.
An athlete is inspired, informed, and motivated by watching their role models perform. The same goes for professional drivers, too. You must observe the legends to learn their techniques and pick up tips. But you can’t replicate it by just watching.
When you watch an athlete perform effortlessly at their game, it looks easy. But when you try it, you will come to know the reality. You realize that you need to develop your technique and skill. And racing is no different.
Racing is an aspirational sport. While you can get inspiration from watching the legends perform either live or on video, nothing compares to direct conversation with real drivers who have made it to the tracks.
All said and done, everything boils down to understanding your vehicle. The more you understand your vehicle, the better you are to master it. When you know your car is in and out, you can use it to your advantage. Aspirants should get their hands dirty with their own equipment to gain an understanding of this.
Also, you can explore other avenues, like learning from mechanics, engineers, and designers. This helps you understand the maintenance and repair of race cars. And you can find tutorials on YouTube, which is an excellent resource.
Earning a spot in racing is all about commitment, preparation, and adaptability. It’s more than speed.
Building a career out of this is challenging, but with the right mindset, proper training, discipline, and strong networking, you can pave your own path.
All you have to do is to know your ‘why,’ get funding, and master your car. All these steps count.