Motorsport: Australian youngsters urged to contest for 'dream' Ferrari Driver Academy opportunity

Motorsport Australia is calling on all aspiring young drivers to put their hand up for the chance to be selected in the Ferrari Driver Academy.

In Malaysia in September drivers between the ages of 14 and 17 from 24 different countries will take a Formula 4 car around the Sepang circuit and flaunt their skills in front of a selection panel.

To get there they'll first have to apply via Motorsport Australia, and if they impress at the selection camp, they will represent the Asia Pacific and Oceania region at the Ferrari Driver Academy Scouting World Finals in October.

Victorian 15-year-old James Wharton was the global winner in 2020 which secured him a spot in the Academy, where he has since continued his rapid development to be a Ferrari driver competing in the European Formula 4 Championships.

"Sometimes it's a bit of a dream," Wharton told The Canberra Times from the F4 Italian Championships in Misano.

"I started driving when I was about two years old, then I started around five doing Australian karting, then I went to Europe to do two years of karting. Australia selected me to do a camp in Maranello where they tested me mentally and physically and then I joined Ferrari Driving Academy.

"Now this is my first year of Formula racing."

Last year Wharton did more karting, now he's graduated to F4 racing with the Academy he is learning more than ever before. Every week before race days, he's preparing meticulously on and off the track, and in the Ferrari family he even gets to rub shoulders with F1 stars Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

"They're always with us. They do the same training as us," Wharton said. "Last year because of COVID restrictions Carlos and I would train in the gym together, and Charles has the same manager as me."

Wharton said the Ferrari Driver Academy was pivotal in his rise in motorsport, and urged any up-and-coming karting enthusiasts from the Canberra region to follow in his footsteps and contest for the selection camp.

"It's a big opportunity for younger kids in Australia," he said. "If they can really prove themselves in Australia, then they can do it anywhere.

"We're underdogs in every situation, so we have to work harder than everyone else and when we work harder, it gets better results. All the Europeans they get it all easy."

A webinar now available on Motorsport Australia's website advises prospects on the application process to take part in the region selection camp.

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