Interview conducted by Tom Evans, Edited by Harshi Vashee
We recently were lucky enough to sit down for an interview with Welsh racing driver Matthew Rees,
Tom: First of all, who are you and in what series do you currently race in?
Matthew: Hi, I’m Matthew Rees and I’m currently racing in the British F4 2021 Championship.
Tom: When did you start to take an interest in Motorsport?
Matthew: When I was 6 years old, I stepped into a kart for the first time at Llandow Kart Club and I have been racing ever since.
Tom: Who were your biggest idols growing up, in racing or not?
Matthew: One of my biggest idols has got to definitely be Kimi Räikkönen because he is a very quiet individual, something that I see in myself and he does all his talking on the track.
Tom: Why did you choose your driver number?
Matthew: Number 35 is the race number that I used in my cadet years and is the number that scored me my first ever seeded number so the number has stuck with me ever since.
Tom: Why did you decide to start karting?
Matthew: I grew up in a car. My family and both my grandparents owned their own garages so for as long as I can remember this has been a passion that the whole family shares and I am really pleased to be able to live out my passion for racing in F4
Tom: You maintained an impressive level of consistency during the 2017 Super1 National cadet championship (karting), but what is the key to this?
Matthew: Mostly the key to my consistency would definitely be in the preparation, as myself and the team around me spent plenty of time beforehand testing and practicing lots of race craft needed for the season ahead. Another thing that helped me with consistency was learning to deal with pressure in high stress situations as this was key to defining my final outcome.
Tom: You didn’t race in any series in 2020, so what was the most difficult part of jumping into a brand new series after a year out?
Matthew: The most difficult part about jumping into a new series is learning how to use the gears effectively and learning about the downforce as this plays a key factor in keeping up continuous speed around all the tracks
Tom: As of this interview you are currently leading the British F4 championship. How do you handle the pressure and do you think you can go all the way?
Matthew: One way that I cope with the pressure is to think about each race as it comes and not focus on the championship. This way I can try and perform to the best of my ability. Overall I think that after the first half of the season we are standing in good stead, with a strong team and kit around us. We could go all the way but it will be a close battle as there are plenty of worthy drivers on this year’s grid.
Tom: And finally what do you hope for the future of your career?
Matthew: In the future obviously the main aim is to make it to Formula 1 and be in a good enough car to challenge for the title but if that is not the case, I would like to be able to do what I love and get paid for a living.
