On the horizon: Jack Aitken

Fast, intelligent, determined and the latest race winner in the 2.0 class of World Series by Renault. His name is Jack Aitken, the man on the move who has just established himself as a front runner in the last two rounds in the support series of WSR.

F1technical.net’s Balazs Szabo interviewed the driver himself to bring someone close to you who is still a teenager, but who turns into an unforgiving racer when he closes his visor.

Jack has just finished his studies, so he can fully commit himself to racing activities. He is part of the BRDC Rising Stars program which means he is able to use their facilities at Silverstone. He compares his driving style to the one of Lewis Hamilton or Romain Grosjean. He is however aware of the need for making it smoother. He prefers rainy conditions to dry track and can cope better with oversteer then with understeer. When it comes to charging his batteries between races he prefers a book to the telly and mountain to beach.

Jack started racing in 2002 at the age of 7. Since then he has been developing his career by climbing up the ladder. Between 2006 and 2011 he competed in different karting series and finished runner-up in Rotax Max Euro Challenge in 2010 and BNL Karting series the year after. He began his formula.car-career in 2012 when he competed in the Dunlop InterSteps Chamionship with Fortec Motorsport. He finished third that year.

Last year he made the jump into Formula Renault 2.0 NEC which he finished runner-up by claiming four podium finishes. He also contested in three rounds of the 2.0 class of WSR. After three complicated rounds of this year’s championship, he managed to raise his game and claimed his first podium finish at the Nürburgring and crossed the finish line first in the second race of the following Hungarian round.

Question: How would you describe yourself? A mature racer or a young teen?
Jack: Well, both! I'm probably a very different guy at the racetrack than when I'm just relaxing with friends, and while I'm probably more racer than teen, I probably couldn't call myself mature… 

Question: Can you learn the tracks you visit beforehand? Have you got any chance to work in a simulator?
Jack:  I do regularly work in simulators. There isn't a replacement for real track time, but sims are getting better everyday, so you'd be crazy not to use them to at least learn the geography of the track before going, even if only to get a sense of the place.

Question: How hard was it for you to get used to racing cars after your spell in the world of karting? 
Jack: Surprisingly easy actually! My first time was definitely a nerve-wracking experience, not helped by it being at Thruxton which is a phenomenally quick track. But it had four wheels and an engine so I figured out the basics pretty quick and wasn't far off the pace either.

Question: Do you enjoy getting famous among the fans? Doesn't disturb your concentration that you get asked to sign autograph even directly before a race?
Jack: I couldn't say it's not a cool feeling, especially when I get kids (and even adults) asking me how to get into motorsport. Signing autographs and taking pictures isn't something that disturbs you, it's just a bit of fun! After all, even I'm a fan of racing and these guys have come to watch you, so it's nice to see busy grandstands.

Question: How can you prepare yourself mentally for the races? Do you try to find a silent place in the team's truck where you can relax?
Jack: I try to go through the same routine every time - organise my kit, do my warm-up somewhere quiet, review my notes, then walk to the car. It's not so much about relaxing, but more getting just the right amount of aggression. Controlled aggression. 

Question: Which types of tracks do you enjoy more? Circuits dominated by fast turns or by slow hairpins? Why?
Jack:  Fast turns. I admire a technical track for its difficulty, like the Hungaroring, but nothing makes a racer smile like the Copse-Maggots-Beckets sequence at Silverstone, or Eau Rouge, even though it's easy flat! It's that risk factor, the high-speed disaster just inches away, that you fall in love with when you drive like this.