Written by the Divebomb Team
Motorsport is truly an international affair, drivers from all over the world participate on different venues scattered around the globe, all with the same desire - to win. In the arduous F1 summer break, the international affair lined up with the biggest international sporting event in the world - the Olympic Games.
The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics has been rumoured to host motorsport for 2028, so that got us thinking, who could represent their respective countries at the 2028 Games? Well, here’s our findings into them, as we present our first five selections.
United Kingdom
Dan Jones
Driver 1: Lando Norris
A simple choice for the first driver to represent the United Kingdom in 2028. Lewis Hamilton will be 43 by the time the Los Angeles Olympics rolls around, with the great man likely to hang up his helmet by the time the torch is lit in Los Angeles. Following in his footsteps will be Lando Norris, with the McLaren star already establishing himself as one of the best drivers in the world, and will be entering his prime years by 2028.
Immense raw pace mixed with incredible consistency, Norris’ abilities will only be exemplified by 2028, where the Briton will be 28 years old at the time of the Games. Norris could very well be a Formula One World Champion should his career path match his potential ability, and would certainly be a strong contender for the Gold Medal at the Games, should motorsport be included as an event. Norris will only add to the fine repertoire of British Formula One drivers like Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Nigel Mansell and Lewis Hamilton, and will be flying the flag for the United Kingdom at the Olympics - a very easy choice for this selection.
Driver 2: Arvid Lindblad
Yes, I’m going for it. I can already hear the outcry for George Russell, but let’s take a risk here. Russell is a very highly regarded driver, and arguably already more established then Norris. And at a similar age bracket, Russell will also be in his prime years in the sport, and similarly, could very well be a World Champion.
But I’m going to go REALLY bold. Arvid Lindblad is a 16-year-old F4 driver, and part of the elusive Red Bull Junior Team. Lindblad is regarded as the most exciting karter since Max Verstappen, and being in the same Red Bull Junior Program, has the potential to step up to F1 early. And he’s backing up the hype too. In his first full season of car racing, Lindblad is dominating the highly competitive Italian F4 Championship, and could make the step up to FRECA or FIA F3 in 2024.
By the time 2028 arrives, Lindblad will be 21 years of age, and probably entering the F1 fray. Although he won’t be as established as Russell, he could very well bring in the same excitement that Verstappen brought to the Red Bull system, and could very well be the person flying the flag for the United Kingdom in a decade's time. Lindblad has already stolen headlines at an early age, who’s to say he can’t in the future?
However, maybe I am being over-optimistic, there is no doubt Russell will very much be in the picture too. I would also just like to give a quick mention for Oliver Bearman, who should be an F1 regular in 2028. He’s impressed immensely in F3 and F2, and although he won’t be on the level as the other three mentioned, he will be a star of the future.
Canada
Gabriel Tsui
Lance Stroll
At this moment, Lance Stroll is the only Canadian Driver on the F1 grid. In his seven seasons in Formula 1, he has achieved one pole position and three podium finishes. By 2028, He will be 30 years old, at the prime of his abilities. Stroll has been able to consistently finish within the points with a decent car, and has also avoided DNFs as his career progressed.
Stroll is no Villeneuve, but he is a very talented driver. He has shown time and time again that he has the pace and the skill to compete with the best. This season, he is on pace to finish ninth in the driver's championship, with a career high 83 points. And a quick reminder that Stroll is only 24 years old, his best years are still ahead of him.
The only other driver that could take this number one spot would be Nicholas Latifi, but Latifi is off pursuing a MBA degree at London Business School, and doesn’t seem to be engaging in any racing for the next couple of years.
Patrick Woods-Toth
The second driver will be Patrick Woods-Toth, a 19 year old who has been racing in the F4 US series, and he has been nothing short of impressive. He has finished within the top five in every race this season, racking up three wins and nine podium finishes in 12 starts. He is leading the driver’s championship by 36.5 points, and will look to dominate the final six races in Virginia and COTA.
He is one of the most exciting Canadian young talents, leading the series right after he made the jump from karting to F4. It is possible that he can make the jump to Formula Regional Americas in 2024, then explore F3 or Indy Lights opportunities. A driver with speed and overtaking skills, he could be the one to represent the Canadians at an international stage.
Other Canadian youngsters such as Alex Berg and Nicole Havrda could certainly be a candidate for the number two spot, as they are competing in F4 US and Formula Regional respectively, and have had good results. However, at the moment, Woods-Toth has shown the most potential, and has the my vote to be the number two driver for Canada.
United Arab Emirates
Naira Tarek
With the potential inclusion of motorsport in the 2028 Olympics, the United Arab Emirates will surely be gearing up to make history, with the first two outstanding Emirati female racing drivers, Amna and Hamda Al Qubaisi. The Al Qubaisi sisters have carved their own paths of success and inspiration for many young girls wanting to pursue their dreams in motorsport!
Passion and success are nothing new to them, as their outstanding father, Khaled Al Qubaisi, was the first Emirati to win at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans in France with a presence on the podium. The history of the sisters started with them karting around the ages of 13 and 14, and now they are the first successful Emirati female racing drivers. The love for motorsport genuinely runs in their family!
Driver 1: Amna Al Qubaisi
Amna Al Qubaisi, the outstanding twenty-two-year-old racing driver, competed in the 2018 Italian F4, and in 2019, she became the first Emirati and female race driver to compete in the F4 UAE Championship. The young racing driver started her career in karting around the age of 13 and has continued to grow ever since. Amna’s strong passion for racing was always there; it was always within her.
With the strength and amazing racing skills Amna has, we know that she will ROCK the Olympics in 2028 and give the UAE a whole new edge in the motorsport industry! Her achievements so far are a huge source of pride for our country, and she is helping raise awareness about the inclusion of women in a male-dominated sport.
The perceptual change of women in motorsports is wholeheartedly because of the Al Qubaisi sisters. For too long, women have been seen as outsiders in this sport. Even as fans, their opinions were never taken into consideration. However, the Al Qubaisi sisters’ achievements show that women can be just as successful as men in motorsports. This is a message that is sure to resonate with young women everywhere, and it is one that could be broadcasted to a wider and more global audience at the Olympics.
Driver 2: Hamda Al Qubaisi
As for Hamda Al Qubaisi, an excellent twenty-year-old racing driver, she made history in 2021 as the first female race driver to earn a podium in Italian F4 and also finished fourth in F4 UAE. Hamda has been known for her excruciatingly outstanding talent in racing; to her, it’s only the car and her against the world.
Her success is a great indicator that dreams are possible as long as you set your mind to them, no matter what obstacles we may face. Now, she is currently racing for MP Motorsport along with her sister, Amna, for the 2023 F1 Academy season. The impact they both have on girls is a result of their great work despite all odds!
Returning to the Olympics, the possible participation of the sisters will leave a beautiful fingerprint on every girl out there wanting to race, wanting to break down the barriers of male dominance, and wanting to prove herself to HERSELF.
In light of the previous statement, their impact is very strong at the moment; now imagine how powerful it would be after racing at the Olympics. Imagine the immense amount of strength girls would feel. Imagine the power they would feel. The UAE is already a country of gender equality; however, the rise of the Al Qubaisi sisters made them reach other countries where there haven’t been any cultural changes to the presence of women in motorsport and inspired them to include more females.
With their strength, determination, and amazing racing skills, the Al Qubaisi sisters are going to make HISTORY in the 2028 Olympics. They will not only be representing the UAE but will also be representing all women who are breaking down barriers in the world of motorsports.
Italy
Jasmin Low
Italy is a country that takes pride in their rich motor racing history, a hub of motorsport home to many a driver, manufacturer, team, race, and world champion. The first ever F1 World Champion Giuseppe Farina was Italian, as well as Alberto Ascari being the first double world champion. All three championships were won with an Italian team, the famous Prancing Horse- Scuderia Ferrari. With the high expectations placed on Italian racing drivers to perform, choosing the drivers to represent them at the Olympics would be no small task. There are many talented young drivers from the Bel Paese who would make the nation proud, so, here are the two drivers I have picked to fly the Italian flag at the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Driver 1: Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Kimi Antonelli) is an Italian driver who is currently 17 years old, and is a part of the prestigious Mercedes Junior team, which he joined in 2019. Antonelli has already been touted as one of F1’s future stars because of his impressive record. F1’s own Will Buxton has even predicted for him to join the F1 grid with Williams in 2025, even though he would be just 18. Kimi’s career started at the age of seven, where his talent in karting became obvious, winning championships in karting such as the WSK Euro Series and taking back-to-back victories at the FIA Karting European Championship in 2020 and 2021 (just to name a few), before finally joining Italian outfit Prema racing for his first taste of single-seater racing for his first full seasons in F4, winning both the Italian and ADAC (German) F4 championships.
In 2023, Kimi is competing in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) with Prema after already winning the Formula Regional Middle Eastern Championship earlier in the year, where he currently leads the points standings.
Italy is a country with immense pride in their motor racing prowess, home to the famous Scuderia Ferrari. The Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) currently has no Italians in their driver lineup, although I’m sure that Antonelli is ‘the one who got away’ for the Scuderia, since the FDA also had interest in signing Kimi from early on in his career, but Mercedes beat them to it.
In 2028, Antonelli will be 21 years old at the time the 2028 Summer Olympics take place in Los Angeles. Chances are, by 2028, Antonelli will be in Formula One, possibly with Williams or Mercedes. Given his formidable racing career to date and title as one of motorsport’s junior prodigies, he is a strong contestant to represent Italy at the Olympics.
Driver 2: Gabriele Mini
Gabriele Mini is an 18 year old Alpine Academy driver who is currently in his rookie year of Formula 3 for the 2023 season with Hitech. His successes in karting included two Italian championships and the WSK Super Master Series, and he also won the Italian F4 championship in his rookie year in 2020. In 2022, he was runner-up in the FRECA championship.
Mini is the best performing F3 driver, and there are currently no F2 drivers racing under an Italian licence. Unless another driver such as Antonelli comes storming through the feeder series ranks, Mini is next in line to become the next Italian F1 driver, should he continue the path toward the pinnacle by moving up to F2 in 2024 and continuing to finish on the podium before being picked up by an F1 team.
Mini being added to the Alpine junior ranks just ahead of the 2023 season start is an encouraging sign that Gabriele is making improvements as a driver, and now has more resources to nurture his racing talent. Come 2028, Mini will be 23 years old and have much more experience under his belt, with his best years still ahead of him. Competing in the Olympics could very well be a breakthrough year for him to make his mark in Italian racing history.
United States of America
Olivia Hicks
Driver 1: Josef Newgarden
By 2028, Josef Newgarden will be thirty-eight-years-old, but the Penske driver shows no sign of slowing down.
The two-time NTT IndyCar Series Champion has won the most races of any driver in the series, with 29 career wins and 52 podium finishes. Despite facing a challenge from Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou and veteran driver Scott Dixon, Newgarden has had a standout 2023 season. His highly anticipated maiden Indy 500 win and record-breaking sixth win at the Iowa Speedway sealed his fate in the history books.
Who better to lead the U.S. in motorsport’s debut Olympic year than Captain America himself.
Driver 2: Kyle Kirkwood
In just his second IndyCar season, Kyle Kirkwood ranks 11th in the championship standings — sandwiched between experienced drivers like Colton Herta and Felix Rosenqvist. The twenty-four-year-old Andretti Autosport driver has won two races this season and has proved to be stellar on street courses, winning in both Nashville and Long Beach.
The Floridian is the only driver to reign supreme in all three IndyCar feeder series championships. Kirkwood won the USF2000 championship in 2018, the Indy Pro 2000 in 2019 and the Indy Lights championship in 2021.
With a few years under his belt, Kirkwood is bound to be more consistent come the 2028 Olympics. While Kirkwood’s teammate and fellow American driver, Herta, may seem like an obvious choice for an Olympic lineup, he has lacked the pace he had last year and has failed to add to his seven career wins. However, as the youngest driver to win in the American racing series, Herta is another possible choice for the global games, along with Indy NXT driver Jacob Abel.