Red Bull add four more drivers to its driver's programme
Red Bull have announced that four young drivers will join their Junior Driver development programme which now consists of nine 15 to 19 year-old drivers.
The latest edition of Red Bull Driver Search set out to scout for the next generation drivers to join the team this August in Jerez, Spain. The 11 invited candidates aged between 13-16 years old came from the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Lebanon and Mexico.
From this group, the first drivers selected to join the programme were Fionn McLaughlin (IRL) and Scott Lindblom (SWE). Now they are being joined by four more peers: Christopher Feghali (LBN), Rocco Coronel (NLD), Jules Caranta (FRA) and Ernesto Rivera (MEX).
The Red Bull Junior Team was founded in 2001, and it currently consists of nine 15 to 19 year old racers driving in the Junior Formula Series.
The three-day selection event consisted of prospective young athletes driving F4 and GP3 racing cars in a shootout format. Their performance was evaluated by Dr. Helmut Marko, an advisor to the Red Bull F1 teams.
“Bringing back Red Bull Driver Search has been an important step for our Junior Driver programme. The invited drivers already highlighted promising young talent, and we remain dedicated to fostering our Junior Drivers to shape the future of motorsport”, says Dr. Marko, Head of the Red Bull Junior Driver programme.
The new team members all come with high aspirations: “My goal is of course to be a Formula 1 world champion”, says Ernesto Rivera. “I love the adrenaline when you are racing; the speed, all the preparation you need, the uniqueness of the sport.”
Jules Caranta was 2 years old when he started karting and moved to a single seated car this year. “My parents had a karting team, so I immediately fell in love with motorsports. Since that moment I have never stopped”.
Having the chance to join the Red Bull Junior Team is an important milestone for a young athlete. As Christopher Feghali states, “Now that I know I will be a member of the Red Bull Junior Team, I am so excited. It is a huge opportunity, and I can't wait to start this new chapter, learning from the best and pushing myself to new limits”.
Feghali’s fellow Junior driver Rocco Coronel agrees: “I am honored to be chosen as one of the Red Bull Junior Drivers after the shootout in Jerez. It is a proven programme that has taken many drivers to the top of motorsports. My dream is of course to become an F1 driver. With this opportunity my dream is getting realistic. I have always followed the Red Bull drivers and how they have grown in the sport. And now I am getting to be one of them”.
