Written by Lee Hallam, Edited by April Thorne
Young talent is what it’s all about in Formula One and motorsport in general. Young drivers from around the world are rising to the top, taking part in the famous rags to riches tale. We have seen drivers such as Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, all world champions start from the very bottom and rise to the top to break world championship records. Vettel - becoming the youngest ever world champion, Lewis Hamilton becoming a seven time world champion and Max Verstappen becoming a race winner at just the age of 18. It just proves that you should never give up!
Across all forms of motorsport there will always be those that stand out from the crowd - particularly young drivers. Here are three young motorsport drivers who show a craving for glory or have seen glory and are heading in the direction that ensures a future full of success.
1. Gus Burton - British Carrera Cup
Who is Gus Burton?
The current reigning British GT4 Champion is heading in the right direction. The young 19 year old has a lot to prove in his Maiden Season of GT racing, taking part in the Porsche Carrera GB Cup, continuing his three year long partnership with Century Motorsport that looks to continue to grow as they look for success with Gus in their maiden season of GT3 racing as well.
So where could we see Gus heading to on his path to the top of motorsport?
With Gus having a successful Junior GT category career under his name, his aim is to get to the top which is considered to be the GT world Challenge and the very top of the GT racing ladder.
What was his junior career?
2017 - At age 14, Gus, in his maiden junior GT racing season, took part in the Inaugural Clio Cup Junior Championship. He was in contention for the title in his first ever season of racing until a rugby injury prevented him from finishing the rest of the season.
2018 - In his second season of the Clio Cup, Gus was leading the championship until the halfway stage of the season where he switched to Ginetta racing series.
2019 - By taking part in the Ginetta Junior Championship, he notched up several podiums in his first full season and finished in the top five on several occasions and finished the Championship in a respectable seventh place .
2020 - He made the step up to the Ginetta GT super cup where he would finish in an incredible second place in his first and only season in the racing series finishing on the podium sixteen times out of the races available that season, more than any other driver that season. He also won five races and managed to secure two Pole positions.
2021 - He won what could be considered as one of his best achievements so far, that is Silver British GT4 championships winning both the drivers and constructors championships with Century Motorsport.
Now, we are in 2022 where Gus has taken the opportunity to prove it all and certainly moving in the right direction to get to where his ambition lies - to be the very best in GT racing. At 19 years of age he has a lot to show the world and could possibly have a very successful career path if he continues to perform the way he has over the last six years.
2. Oliver Bearman - Formula 3
Oliver Bearman (or Ollie) is considered to be one of Britain’s next rising stars in the path to formula one. He is just aged 17 and is already the reigning ADAC Italian F4 champion and the ADAC German F4 champion and won both of those over the course of 2021. He had a successful junior career in karts, and single seater racing and is currently driving for Prema Racing in the FIA Formula 3 Championship. But what exactly lies ahead for the young Brit?. And could he be considered the next Lewis Hamilton?
What is Ollie's ambition and where could we see him over the next few years?
Currently racing in the FIA Formula 3 championship, the third category of world single season seater racing series, Ollie races for PREMA racing team which is also considered one of the best Junior racing teams over the last 10 years of motorsport as they have produced drivers with immense talent go on and become rising stars. Now Ollie has that chance driving for one the best teams he has it all to prove. As of his success in the both ADAC Formula 4 championships he was granted both a drive from PREMA and a seat in the Ferrari Driver academy further cementing a better chance of being in formula one in the not so distant future.
Ollie started his racing career in 2013 in karts, which was where anyone who wanted to get into single seater racing would tend to take part in. He would race in karts up to 2019 before making the move to single seaters. But what was his success like in the junior categories of motorsport?
2013 - 2019: Super 1 National Kart championship
Best results: Runner up 2016 and 2017,
IAME Euro series Champion 2019
IAME Winter series Champion 2019
IAME International Final 2019
2017 Kartmasters British Grand Prix winner
2020: He made his single-seater debut in the ADAC Formula 4 German series as well as racing 3 rounds in the Italian ADAC formula 4 series. In his debut season he finished in an incredible 7th place finishing the season with 3 podiums and 1 race win.
Best results: 1st place Hockenheimring Race 1
2021: continuing in both the ADAC Formula 4 German and Italian Championships, Ollie had a sensational year winning both championships. The German series with Van Amersfoort Racing and the Italian series with PREMA. After his success over in Italy it was enough to impress the Ferrari team and PREMA to promote him to FIA Formula 3 championship.
As his 2022 campaign kicks off, Ollie looks like he could be in for a good season with PREMA, as he got off to a very respectable start finishing second place in his first ever feature race and also taking the fastest lap of the race. Now the main question is can he keep up his good form and be consistent throughout the season, and whether he will strive to be Britain’s next generational talent.
3. Fabio Quartararo - MotoGP
Also nicknamed ‘El Diablo’ Fabio has proven to be one of the best MotoGP young talents since Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez. At just age 21 Fabio has already won his first MotoGP world championship last season, and continues to lead the riders’ world championship for this season. He has everything to play for and keep his rightful nickname as ‘el Diablo’
Where would we see Fabio and what are his ambitions?
At just his young age Fabio has already achieved his dream of lifting the MotoGP world championship. So his next targets would be to try and break world records and he is already stepping a foot in that direction. He is not only quick but give no room for error and will go to all costs to win. Fabio has really been on fire these last 3 season in MotoGP and wants to make more gains. So how has ‘El Diablo’ gone through the ranks to get to the top of his game
Fabio started on bikes at the very young age of 4 starting out at his local race track in Nice. By the time he was 7 he moved to Spain to take part in the Promovelocidad Cup, and soon shot through the ranks winning the 50cc class in 2008 and then back to back titles with 70cc class before waiting two years to finally win the 80cc class. He won promotion to Moto3 in 2015 racing for the Estrella Galaxia 0,0 run by Honda and the Leopard racing Team. He would endure 2 podiums in his career at Moto3 before making the step to Moto2.
Having made a small mark in moto3 he had something to prove and won his first Grand Prix at Catalunya in 2018 driving for Speed Up. Despite this slow start but proving himself he was able to catch the eyes of Yamaha where he would sign up for and drive in 2019 for the Petronas team and would endure success from the very start by securing and breaking the record for the youngest pole sitter in MotoGP history. 2019 he would secure 5th in the drivers and finish with 7 podiums. I’m 2020 he endured success winning 3 races with his first being the first race of the season in Jerez. Until the half way point of the season he suffered an accident which left he in trailing the rest of the season. 2021 he finally achieved everything that was asked for and won 6 races that season and had a dominant season and won the championship with 2 races remaining. And now sets his sights on 2022
Career: Mentions
Promovelocidad Cup 50cc winner - 2007
Promovelocidad Cup 50cc winner - 2008
Promovelocidad Cup 50cc winner - 2011
2nd place Moto3 America - 2015
2nd place Moto3 Netherlands - 2015
1st place Moto2 Calaluna - 2018
1st drivers championship - 2021
After a storming start to the season in 2022 Fabio looks to create history to become one of the youngest multiple world champions in MotoGP history or even better to win as many titles as Valentino Rossi. Can he do it and will he keep the ‘el Diablo’ reputation.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
There you have it, my pick of three of motorsport’s best and upcoming talents, waiting to break records. Some already have and some are just waiting in the wings, but here down below are some honourable mentions:
James Baldwin - 2019 worlds fastest gamer and British GT race winner
Roy Nissany - FIA Formula 2 driver and Williams reserve
Callum Illot - 2020 FIA formula 2 Vice Champion and NTT Indycar racer