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[JamesSmith]

Hi! Im a 14 year old boy from Gothenburg, and my dream is to become a F1 driver (like Hamilton, and those guys). I started karting a couple of weeks back, like 2 weeks, I have access to a karting center here where I live, where u can take lessons and all kind of things. I enjoy driving soooooo much, there's so much fun. I'm not like, really bad, i'm actually pretty good. So i have some questions:

Number 1: Can i still become a F1 driver, or is it too late?

Number 2: What should i think of when i drive?

Number 3: What should i do to get started?

Number 4: Does it take a lot of physical training?

Number 5: About how much money will it cost now in the beginning to start practising?

Number 6: Is karting the best way to get started, or is it a better way?

Thanks a lot!

[racechick]

Hi James. It's not easy becoming an F1 driver. It is expensive, it is hard work and it takes a lot of determination and talent. Many drivers start Karting when they're six or so but there are some notable exceptions-Webber and Senna of the current crop certainly came later to race driving and so did ex world champion Damon Hill. First of all see if you really like it, see if you have a talent for it,take advice and then follow your dreams. You may not make it, but if you don't try you certainly wont. Good luck.

[f1ea]

Hi! Im a 14 year old boy from Gothenburg, and my dream is to become a F1 driver (like Hamilton, and those guys).

Like Hamilton??
Ohhh that's where you went wrong.

Number 1: Can i still become a F1 driver, or is it too late?

Number 2: What should i think of when i drive?

Number 3: What should i do to get started?

Number 4: Does it take a lot of physical training?

Number 5: About how much money will it cost now in the beginning to start practising?

Number 6: Is karting the best way to get started, or is it a better way?

Thanks a lot!

#1: It's never too late. I guess.
#2: You'll know as you learn.
#3: Visit tracks. Hopefully get in a karting school. Read, watch and learn about racing in general.
#4: Yes! a lot.
#5: It depends, but in general, yes. Very expensive. So now's the time to break that piggy bank.
#6: it's a very common path.

None of us have made it to F1... so I guess you're asking the wrong crowd

Good luck!

[andrew]

Hi! Im a 14 year old boy from Gothenburg, and my dream is to become a F1 driver (like Hamilton, and those guys).

Like Hamilton??
Ohhh that's where you went wrong.

You want to be more like vettel or Schumacher or for ultimate coolness, Maldonando. No one interesting likes Hamilton.

[racechick]

Ignore him James. You picked the best driver on the grid!!!!! Copy him and you wont go far wrong.

[madbrad]

It can happen if you have unlimited resources for your Karting efforts. Get up to the most competitive level, after spending tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars(some of this comes from sponsorship which you gradually get along the way if you are good) to get the best and fastest kart. This is the catch 22 that makes racing such a difficult business. You need money to get a good kart but you need a good kart to get money. Anyway, winners in the highest level of karting get noticed by important men who look for talent for the feeder series of open wheel racing. You also have to catch a lot of luck. This is the route taken by a good chunk of todays and yesterday's F1 drivers. They usually don't purposely choose that route, they just follow the way their carreer is going. Don't forget, once in those feeder series you still need to supply alot of money to the team. All the teams in the lower formulae operate from driver sponsor money. For many of those drivers, coming from a very wealthy family was key. I just described to you the carreer paths of Senna and Couthard. Many more I'm sure.
If you are really good, or lucky, look at the path o Schumacher or Hamilton. Taken from the parents and bred from youth and indoctrinated in the ways of Mercedes.

Even the worst F1 drivers had to go through all this. Taki Inoui is an extremely wealthy man.

Yes you have to be very very fit. These guys are the fittest athletes anywhere and they spend hours a day training and working out, as well as adhering to very strict diets. Their necks bear inhuman levels of lateral Gs in the heat of battle, and their bodies endure immense heat and other stresses that would render a normal man unconscious. They are so honed as to keep a low heartrate during a race. Someone with half a beer gut would pass out from the G forces and puke from their internal organs sloshing around. They need massage therapists as well. You need to practice working on your reaction time too. without that you will always be at the back of the grid.

[LRW]

Number 1: Can i still become a F1 driver, or is it too late?

No.

Number 2: What should i think of when i drive?

Getting ahead of the car infront.

Number 3: What should i do to get started?

Tell Ron Dennis that one day you WILL drive for him

Number 4: Does it take a lot of physical training?

Yes

Number 5: About how much money will it cost now in the beginning to start practising?

Between €100 and €100,000

Number 6: Is karting the best way to get started, or is it a better way?

Yes

Thanks a lot!

no worries.

[JamesSmith]

Why do some of you think bad of Hamilton?

[scotty]

Let's not open that can of worms, please!

My tip - get funding. LOTS. You need money to have the equipment to stand a chance.

[racechick]

Jealousy James. He's better than the driver they like

[JamesSmith]

Haha, i see!

[LewEngBridewell]

All the best with it James, anything is possible if you really want it and put your mind to it. Keep us updated with how you're getting on, we're a very supportive community.

[Hammer278]

Hi! Im a 14 year old boy from Gothenburg, and my dream is to become a F1 driver (like Hamilton, and those guys).

Like Hamilton??
Ohhh that's where you went wrong.

You want to be more like vettel or Schumacher or for ultimate coolness, Maldonando. No one interesting likes Hamilton.

Lol follow his advise James, you might end up becoming a taxi driver.

Anyway, its great you're doing what you enjoy...try to get into competitions as much as you can where it takes you places. Find areas which lead into international categories or feeder series, there are normally scouts (Not F1, but international categories) at big venues. Even individual competitions. You might want to ask the guys who operate the track itself, the could give you feedback.

What are your times in relation to the best made at the track you drive at? If you're quite close to the best times or beating them you might want to pursue, but still...you should be ready to race for any motorsport category, F1 only has place for 24 at this stage and this number might get smaller from 2014.

[Jabberwocky]

I am not sure what the legal age is for it. but have you tried doing a track day experience?

[JamesSmith]

I'm thinking about taking a smaller kind of job, like selling newspaper or something so i can drive more often. Because, it's quite expensive to drive. What do you think abou that?
But anyway, going karting today, so I might talk to someone there at the center about starting karting more seriously!