Interviewed by Tom Evans, Edited by Harshi Vashee
Joseph Loake (15) is an extremely talented racing driver, currently competing in the British Formula 4 championship and has racked up 2 wins and 3 podiums in the series to date.
Tom: First of all, when did you start to take an interest in Motorsport?
Joseph: When I was 10, I really got into F1, so (I) started karting to try it out for myself, so (I) signed up for the NatSKA championship for a bit of fun.
Tom: Who were the racing drivers you admired the most growing up?
Joseph: Ayrton Senna and Max Verstappen. The aggression they show on track is what makes them the best in the world and I think that’s what creates champions.
Tom: Why did you choose your current driver number?
Joseph: I originally wanted 48 (I can’t remember why but for some reason I really wanted that) however, it had already been taken, so I flipped the numbers and made it 84.
Tom: In 2016 you won the NatSKA championship in your rookie season. What was the most rewarding part of winning a major championship for the first time?
Joseph: It gave me the want and belief to try and make a career out of motorsport. I realised that maybe I was actually ok at driving so I wanted to see if maybe I could make a career out of it.
Tom: Last year (2020) you took the BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship with dominant fashion winning 8 out of 8 races! But what was the most difficult part of achieving this?
Joseph: I don’t think anyone expected me to be so dominant in Fiesta Junior, however I think I achieved it by a lot of hard work on and off track, making sure I maximised my full potential.
Tom: You’ve chosen to race in the British F4 championship for 2021. What was the hardest part of adapting to a new series?
Joseph: I think the biggest challenge was getting used to the huge car difference. Once I got used to the car it was no different than any other championship in my eyes. There’s other cars on track and I want to finish in front of them.
Tom: You won your first F4 race this year, how did it feel to win at such a high level?
Joseph: It was amazing. No words describe the feeling. It was just so unexpected as I set myself a goal of a top 10 finish going into the weekend. To come out with a victory in my first race weekend was such an incredible achievement for me and everyone else who helped me along the way!
Tom: And finally, what are your hopes for the future of your career?
Joseph: I hope to make it to formula 1, and I believe that I can do that. It’s all about being in the right place at the right time.