Latest news with #GB3Championship
Al Etihad
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Al Etihad
Dubai-raised Al Azhari reflects on driving roots ahead of UK stint
15 May 2025 00:29 KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)At just 17 years old, Dubai's Keanu Al Azhari has taken a significant leap in his motorsport career – one that could put him on the path to Formula rising UAE driver has joined the Alpine Academy, the junior development programme in England, and is set to compete in the GB3 Championship with the Silverstone-based Hitech GP this move marks a turning point for Al Azhari, who has long been seen as one of the UAE's brightest racing prospects. Having already made a name for himself in Formula 4 over two seasons, the teenager sees his latest step as both validation of his talent and a gateway to bigger things."Joining Alpine is a big milestone in my career and a reflection of all the hard work that I have put in," he said."I'm really proud to be part of the Alpine family, and they will help develop me during my junior single-seater career. Hopefully, this move will be another step towards reaching my career goal of reaching F1 one day, as that is my dream. It's going to be a tough few years, but I am ready to show everyone what I have now."And he is thankful to Dubai Autodrome, where his career roots have been entrenched. Motorsport runs in the family. Keanu's father, Karim Al Azhari, was a regular on the local racing scene, and Keanu was immersed in the world of racing from an early age at the Autodrome and even got his racing license from there."My first memories of going to the track were at a very young age, when I was three years old, watching my dad race," he trajectory so far certainly supports that ambition. Last year, he secured four wins, nine podiums, and five pole positions, finishing runner-up in the Formula 4 Spanish Championship, while in the Formula 4 UAE Championship in the same year, he earned two wins, five podiums, and four pole positions to secure third place Azhari is among a number of young drivers who have transitioned from karting to motorsport. That list includes UAE's Rashid Al Dhaheri, former Dubai Kartdrome O Plate champion, who recently joined Mercedes' Junior Driver Programme, Zack Scoular, competing in British GB3, Jamie Day, an ex-karting champion and part of the Aston Martin drivers' junior team in European Endurance GT3, Edward Jones, who finished third in Indy 500, and Federico Rifai, a multiple-karting champion and former Saudi F4 winner."He always had a passion for motorsport and the hunger to succeed in every race and it is wonderful to see that he still has that commitment," said Dubai Autodrome General Manager Faisal Al Sahlawi, who has seen Al Azhari come through the ranks."With plenty of years ahead of him, he possesses all the correct attributes to be an even better driver and become a future world motorsport champion. We hope many young drivers across the UAE can follow in his footsteps." For now, Al Azhari's focus is firmly on GB3 and proving he belongs in the upper echelons of junior motorsport. With the backing of Alpine and a competitive seat at Hitech GP, he has the tools – and the drive – to take his dream all the way to Formula One.
Gulf Today
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Gulf Today
UAE prodigy Al Azhari targets Formula 1
A young UAE motorsport driver hopes his move to Alpine Academy can help him achieve his goal of racing in Formula One in the future and praised Dubai Autodrome for its role in his development so far. Dubai Autodrome is a subsidiary of Union Properties. Dubai-based Keanu Al Azhari, 17, recently joined F1's Alpine Academy and will race for Hitech GP in the GB3 Championship this year after two seasons in Formula 4. It is a move that he describes as a 'milestone' achievement, especially as he comes from a racing family, and he is looking forward to his latest chapter in his racing journey, hoping it can eventually lead to a seat in the pinnacle of motorsport-the F1. 'Joining Alpine is a big milestone in my career and a reflection of all the hard work that I have put in,' he said. 'I'm really proud to be part of the Alpine family, and they will help develop me during my junior single-seater career. Hopefully, this move will be another step towards reaching my career goal of reaching F1 one day, as that is my dream. It's going to be a tough few years, but I am ready to show everyone what I have now.' Al Azhari has made an impressive start to his motorsport career. Last year, he secured four wins, nine podiums, and five pole positions, finishing runner-up in the Formula 4 Spanish Championship, while in the Formula 4 UAE Championship in the same year, he earned two wins, five podiums, and four pole positions to secure third place overall. Before getting behind the wheel, he came through the ranks in karting at Dubai Kartdrome, where he was part of its DAKA programme and raced in some prominent competitions, including the IAME Series UAE. His fond memories of the venue came at a very early age, having followed his father, Karim, in his motorsport journey, and he is grateful for the support he has received from Dubai Autodrome. He said: 'The Dubai Autodrome and Kartdrome have been a big part of my life. My first memories of going to the track were at a very young age, when I was three years old, when my dad, Karim Al Azhari, was racing in local competitions. After finishing my karting career, it was the place where I learned how to drive a racing car and got my racing licence. 'I have taken to the track and driven in so many different layouts of the track, which have helped me develop before I went into the Formula 4 European Series races. I'm really grateful for their support, as they have played a big role in my journey today.' Al Azhari is among a number of young drivers who have transitioned from karting to motorsport, having tested themselves at Dubai Kartdrome. The list includes UAE's Rashid Al Dhaheri, former Dubai Kartdrome O Plate champion, who recently joined Mercedes' Junior Driver Programme, Zack Scoular, competing in British GB3, Jamie Day, an ex-karting champion and part of the Aston Martin drivers' junior team in European Endurance GT3, Edward Jones, who finished third in Indy 500, and Federico Rifai, a multiple-karting champion and former Saudi F4 winner.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Racing only getting 'more expensive' - O'Sullivan
Racing driver Zak O'Sullivan says it will take something "bigger" from the FIA to make Formula 1 more affordable for young drivers to break through into the sport. The 19-year-old was forced to leave the Formula 2 campaign early in 2024 due to funding issues, despite winning a feature race in Monaco and the sprint race in Spa-Francorchamps. O'Sullivan was part of Williams' academy for the past two years and also drove an FW45 Formula 1 car during a practice session at the Abu Dhabi GP in November 2023. "It's always been a problem in the sport but it's only getting more expensive," O'Sullivan told BBC Sport. "Every year I've done racing even if you do the same championship twice, the next year it ends up being more expensive because people are just charging more and more. "Obviously, I kind of fell foul of it but it's easy for me to sit here and say something needs to be changed but in reality the teams are just trying to keep themselves afloat as well. "It would take something far bigger, something from the governing body, to change it. Until that happens, the situation won't change." O'Sullivan, from Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, won the British Formula 4 championship in 2020 and GB3 Championship a year later. During two years racing Formula 3 he won four races and finished second in the overall championship, before moving up to F2 in 2024, progressing through the junior ranks. All young drivers, he said, know they are expected to fund huge costs if they want to compete in the sport. "There are some measures in place to help out with that funding but at the end of the day it comes from family money and if you can't afford it, you can't afford it," O'Sullivan added. "Unfortunately for me we knew it was going to be a very tricky year financially but it came to a head in August. We lasted a while but not long enough. "It's the way the sport is and we really tried hard to get as many people on board as we could to try to fill the gaps but unfortunately it wasn't enough." O'Sullivan to 'make most' of Williams test drive In 2025, O'Sullivan will be taking on a new challenge, competing in Japan's Super Formula series for the Toyota-backed Kondo Racing team. The 12-race series takes place over seven weekends from March to November. O'Sullivan said they are the "closest" cars he can race to an F1 car - Liam Lawson who is set to race with Red Bull in F1 this season, finished second overall in the 2023 Super Formula championship. "For them it's their F1 in Japan - it's very very popular with the fans, purely Japanese based so there's only seven races all on Japanese circuits, all Japanese teams and drivers bar two – so it's a big culture shock for me," O'Sullivan said. "I've got a lot of learning to do, I've got to work on my communication in Japanese, I'm really looking forward to it." O'Sullivan's experience through the junior system might not have turned out quite as linear in moving him up the ranks from F3, to F2 and the sport's pinnacle of F1. However his ambition remains to make it to Formula 1. "Obviously, I'm still pushing for that," he said. "This is a good start for me, there's potential for a career in Japan if I do a good job this year but hopefully some more doors will open and I can keep my foot in as many doors as I can to give myself some opportunities."
BBC News
18-02-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Racing only getting 'more expensive' - O'Sullivan
Racing driver Zak O'Sullivan says it will take something "bigger" from the FIA to make Formula 1 more affordable for young drivers to break through into the 19-year-old was forced to leave the Formula 2 campaign early in 2024 due to funding issues, despite winning a feature race in Monaco and the sprint race in Spa-Francorchamps. O'Sullivan was part of Williams' academy for the past two years and also drove an FW45 Formula 1 car during a practice session at the Abu Dhabi GP in November 2023. "It's always been a problem in the sport but it's only getting more expensive," O'Sullivan told BBC Sport. "Every year I've done racing even if you do the same championship twice, the next year it ends up being more expensive because people are just charging more and more. "Obviously, I kind of fell foul of it but it's easy for me to sit here and say something needs to be changed but in reality the teams are just trying to keep themselves afloat as well."It would take something far bigger, something from the governing body, to change it. Until that happens, the situation won't change." O'Sullivan, from Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, won the British Formula 4 championship in 2020 and GB3 Championship a year two years racing Formula 3 he won four races and finished second in the overall championship, before moving up to F2 in 2024, progressing through the junior young drivers, he said, know they are expected to fund huge costs if they want to compete in the sport."There are some measures in place to help out with that funding but at the end of the day it comes from family money and if you can't afford it, you can't afford it," O'Sullivan added. "Unfortunately for me we knew it was going to be a very tricky year financially but it came to a head in August. We lasted a while but not long enough."It's the way the sport is and we really tried hard to get as many people on board as we could to try to fill the gaps but unfortunately it wasn't enough." In 2025, O'Sullivan will be taking on a new challenge, competing in Japan's Super Formula series for the Toyota-backed Kondo Racing 12-race series takes place over seven weekends from March to November. O'Sullivan said they are the "closest" cars he can race to an F1 car - Liam Lawson who is set to race with Red Bull in F1 this season, finished second overall in the 2023 Super Formula championship. "For them it's their F1 in Japan - it's very very popular with the fans, purely Japanese based so there's only seven races all on Japanese circuits, all Japanese teams and drivers bar two – so it's a big culture shock for me," O'Sullivan said."I've got a lot of learning to do, I've got to work on my communication in Japanese, I'm really looking forward to it."O'Sullivan's experience through the junior system might not have turned out quite as linear in moving him up the ranks from F3, to F2 and the sport's pinnacle of his ambition remains to make it to Formula 1. "Obviously, I'm still pushing for that," he said."This is a good start for me, there's potential for a career in Japan if I do a good job this year but hopefully some more doors will open and I can keep my foot in as many doors as I can to give myself some opportunities."
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Irish teen Dunne steps up to Formula 2 with Rodin
Ireland's Alex Dunne will race in Formula 2 in 2025 to take a step closer to his dream of reaching Formula 1. The 19-year-old will drive for Rodin Motorsport in Formula 2, which is the category below Formula 1 and races alongside motorsport's premier series. After an impressive rise up the motorsport ladder, Dunne was signed in May as a Development Driver by McLaren, who won the Formula 1 constructors' title in 2024. Dunne secured two podiums while driving for MP Motorsport in his first season in Formula 3. "I'm looking forward to the upcoming season and thankful for everyone's support in getting me to this stage – I can't wait to hit the ground running," Dunne said. He drove for Rodin Motorsport in the post-season Formula 2 test for Rodin in Abu Dhabi in December and he posted the third-fastest lap on the final day at the Yas Marina circuit. His team-mate at Rodin will be Australia's Christian Mansell, who had a best finish of fifth in Formula 3. "Alex's talent, dedication, and passion for racing align perfectly with our team's values and ambitions," said Rodin's motorsport sporting director and team manager Benn Huntingford. "We are confident that he will make a significant impact in the upcoming season and know that he is capable of enjoying a really great season with the team." Stepping up to Formula 2 would be 'really nice' - Dunne The champion Irish underdog aiming for Formula 1 Dunne dominated the 2022 British F4 Championship - a title previously won by McLaren's Grand Prix winner Lando Norris - and was runner-up in the GB3 Championship before his graduation to Formula 3 this year. He was also second in the Italian F4 championship in 2022 behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who will replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes' Formula 1 team in 2025. Dunne is aiming to become the first driver from the island of Ireland to race in Formula 1 since four-time Grand Prix winner Eddie Irvine, whose last season was with Jaguar in 2002. Adam Carroll, from Portadown, was the last driver to race in Formula 2 in 2005 and 2006, a period in which he was test driver for BAR Honda's Formula 1 team. In addition to his Formula 2 commitments, Dunne will be reserve driver for McLaren's Formula E team and will drive for the team in the rookie practice in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on 13 February. Rodin finished eighth in the teams' standings in the 2024 Formula 2 season with Japan's Ritomo Miyata and Barbados driver Zane Maloney, who finished fourth in the drivers' championship with two wins and seven podiums. The 2025 Formula 2 season consists of 28 races across 14 rounds, starting in Australia on 15 March and concluding in Abu Dhabi on 7 December.
