Formelaustria Young Driver Programme Director Harry Miltner explains why the academy was launched, what its goals are, and what benefits racing talents can profit from
The program is important for the success of young drivers because it provides them with support in many areas. How did the idea to create such a program come about, and how did you and your partners manage to get it off the ground?
I’ve been active in Formula 1 for over 20 years and have been repeatedly asked if I could do something for domestic motorsport. In 2014, we launched Formelaustria.at to give the Austrian drivers a media platform. At the end of 2022, Sepp Renauer convinced me to launch a Formula 4 program with him after I played a key role in founding the FIA F4 Central European Zone Championships. I agreed. We based our approach on the Formula 1 team academies and their quality standards, even though we don’t have the same budget.
Formula racing isn’t just about driving a car well; many other components are involved. Which areas are supported by the program?
A driver must be in top physical and mental shape to be able to perform well in the car. They must also be well insured and present themselves well off the track, i.e., in front of the press, at public appearances, in discussions with sponsors, etc. We take care of all of these things with our partners as well.
What is most important to you personally to be able to implement in the program?
That we get the participants to where they need to be in order to realistically aspire to greater heights, and ultimately to Formula 1.
In your opinion, how do the drivers’ parents react to the sport their children participate in, and how can the program cushion/support this?
Drivers’ parents are generally great because they put in a lot of effort and go to great lengths to give their children this opportunity. Sometimes they are a bit too impatient and a bit too subjective.
Formula racing is not a cheap business. What financial support does the program offer for drivers’ parents?
Typically, smaller Formula 4 series require a budget of €200,000 and up. We have reduced the budget to €165,000 to make things easier for the talented drivers. The program also offers around €50,000 in services such as professional PR for participants, media training, digital advertising space for their sponsors, etc.
The mental component of the drivers is extremely important. How does the program contribute to this?
As already mentioned, we rely on the expertise of the Sportordination Wien and our experience as former professional athletes.
What does the daily/weekly routine of a driver in the program look like? What is the focus?
That depends on whether the racing season has already begun or not. If so, most of it is determined by the race weekend schedule – arrival Thursday afternoon, track walk, on-track sessions starting Friday, departure Sunday evening. Before the season and between races, a lot of focus is on fitness, mental training, regeneration, simulator training, and test drives.
There are many candidates who would like to participate in the program. How do you select the drivers who can participate in the program?
Anyone who has already competed in (inter)national kart championships or is a top sim racer can apply. There is then a two-day trial with seat and pedal adjustments, training, simulator training, and a test drive. After that, a decision is made as to which of the two program levels is suitable, and the budget is discussed.
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