hwy1strat

Does anyone know what the steps are to get into formula 1 racing?

Birdieman4

First and foremost, you need an SCCA formula (open wheel) license. You can get this through Skip Barber racing school. After that, I would attempt to go to a few F1 races and meet as many people out there as possible. Sending E mails to teams, letting them know that you want to be a part of their team. Tell them that you are willing to learn on an apprentice basis, and would like to attempt to work your way into the team as a helper. getting your foot in the door this way as a crew guy or helper is a great way to start. The other way to do it is to start racing lower level series races, like champ car stuff. If you are good, you will get recognized, very possibly. But remeber this. There are a lot of talented drivers out there, many of whom have never been in an F1 car, who would be better than many of the current F1 guys now. People try their whole lives to get to the top, and even though their driving skill is there, they never quite get there, often times out of sheer luck.
O, there is another way. This is simple. Win the lottery, start your own team, and drive the car. See, it's just THAT easy.

tf66

to drive? get a shifter go-kart ....and move to europe

to work on them? ... get a mechanical engineering deg. in vechile dynamics....and move to eupore.

f1 does'nt care about cart or the irl period. you'll have more luck working on prototypes that go to the 24hr races.

The stang II

My brother has raced with Scott Speed in shift karts in which he now races in F1. My brothers goal was to race in F1 but now it's NASCAR now.

Your **** outa luck if your not 8 years old.

Most F1 drivers have raced since then can remember, my brother started at the earliest age (8) in karts, then moved up to shift kart 125's when he was a little older and has won many duffy trophies, and road race nationals. He had an Ital kart which are the best shifter karts, or was 4 years ago.

So basically, get into shift karts, race national races, get good, and you will get recognized. But if your over 16 your too old to get into it and make it big time.

If my brother raced with Scott Speed back in the day in shifter karts, look how long it took him, and he was hella good. PLUS YOU HAVE TO HAVE MONEY$$$$$. IF your not rich or have sponsors **** outa luck.

Chadzilla

Its basically impossible. Especially for Americans. You have to race shiftercarts basically from the womb, and win win win and get recognized. It would be the most amazing expirience in the world to race F1. Most sophisticated cars on the planet.

Spiffu

What the last few posts said is true. Alonso has been racing karts since 4. Started F1 at 18, he's world champion at 24. Youngest ever.

Mario Andretti is the only american ever to win the F1 world championship and really the only american to be successful at all at F1.

Fact of the matter is road course racing isn't really encouraged here anywhere near it is in europe. Nascar strikes again.

Fact: Finland produces the most overall world champion race car drivers in the world on the whole. Be it F1, WRC, GT, Touring car.



In america, it seems most of the champ car drivers are ending up in nascar. IRL use to be a good path to F1 (Pablo Montoya) but look where he ended up.

tr6nut

Ah, Grasshopper, you are showing your youth. Phil Hill was the first american to win an F1 world championship. There have been several other american drivers (Dan Gurney, Masten Gregory, etc.) who acheived success in F1, but not enough to win a championship.