Driver development program
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A driver development program,[a] also known as a driver development team or driver academy, is a system or structure designed for young kart and race car drivers to learn and perfect their racing skills. These programmes are devised by racing teams, external companies and funded partnerships primarily to attract and develop future racing talent. Most programmes now employ a wide range of skilled coaches and technologies to train all of the physical and psychological abilities inherent in driving at the limit and winning races. Most racing teams will sign a driver to a multi-year contract in which they fund or part fund the driver in junior formulas (such as Formula 3 and Formula 2 in Europe, and Late models and ARCA in stock car racing) and gradually help them succeed to the highest levels of motorsport. Some teams have been criticized for unfair long-term and low-paying contracts for the talented drivers they find whilst also charging the less talented drivers very high fees for the use of their simulations and facilities. Companies that specialise in racing driver training or development programmes remain commercially viable through selling time in their simulators or gyms and generally speaking do not fund a drivers career. Funded partnerships, good driver management companies and driver search and development initiatives will fund or part fund a drivers development and will survive as long as the owners financial commitment and or success at recouping their investment. Be that a return from a talented drivers wages or a promotional exercise designed by a brand or corporation.
The following is a list of teams that currently have a driver development programs or are driver development teams.
Open-wheel racing
Formula One
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In 1998, McLaren became the first Formula One team to establish a driver development program, founding the McLaren-Mercedes Young Driver Support Programme; its initial cohort famously included 13-year-old kart racer Lewis Hamilton, who became the first driver development program alumnus in Formula One to win the World Drivers' Championship in 2008. The Red Bull Junior Team have graduated 14 members—and two former members—to Formula One, noted for their use of a second team to promote junior talent under the wing of Helmut Marko. As of 2024, Red Bull have coached two World Drivers' Champions, both winning their titles with Red Bull Racing: Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.
IndyCar Series
- Andretti Global – Louis Foster, Bryce Aron, Jamie Chadwick, James Roe Jr., Salvador de Alba, Michael d'Orlando (all Indy NXT), Oliver Wheldon (Skip Barber Formula Race Series), Sebastian Wheldon (USF Juniors)
- Ed Carpenter Racing – Josh Pierson (Indy NXT)
- Juncos Hollinger Racing – Ricardo Escotto (Indy NXT)
- Team Penske – Myles Rowe (Indy NXT)
Super Formula
NASCAR
All of these teams have their own developmental driver programs and/or field cars/trucks on their team for developmental drivers.
- DGR-Crosley (also part of Ford Performance)
- GMS Racing and JR Motorsports (Drivers Edge Development)[1]
- Tyler Ankrum
- Josh Berry
- Toni Breidinger
- Jeb Burton
- Sheldon Creed
- Noah Gragson
- David Gravel
- Carson Hocevar
- Adam Lemke
- Sam Mayer
- Brett Moffitt
- Connor Mosack
- Zane Smith
- Stewart-Haas Racing (also part of Ford Performance)
- Team Penske (also part of Ford Performance)
- ThorSport Racing (also part of Ford Performance)
Notes
- ^ British English: driver development programme
- ^ Drivers who have graduated to Formula One as members of the program, as of 2024. Bold indicates a World Drivers' Champion.
- ^ a b As an engine supplier.
- ^ Also a member of the Red Bull Junior Team.
- ^ Also a member of the Honda Formula Dream Project.
See also
References
- ^ Motorsports, J. R. "JR Motorsports, GMS Racing Launch Drivers Edge Development". www.jrmracing.com. Retrieved 2019-02-17.