A lifelong passion for motorsport has shaped my entire career
My Dad built my first kart when I was four years old. Growing up, I spent countless hours at UK circuits, watching him race his Lotus Cortina, race number “61”. It was the perfect introduction to the world of racing, and my childhood experiences contributed a lifelong passion for motorsport that has shaped my entire career.
By eight, I was competing in kart races. After progressing through various lower-level single-seater series, I took the unusual path at 18, competing in a seven-year-old Benetton B197 F1 car in the Euro BOSS GP Series.
The risk paid off. I won the 2004 EuroBOSS championship, breaking five lap records along the way, including Brands Hatch (Indy) where I still hold the lap record. My achievements earned me a nomination for the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award and caught the attention of teams in GP2, including Christian Horner’s Arden International.
Despite these successes, I faced a common challenge in motorsport: budget. While I spent some time in Indy Lights over in the USA, the writing was on the wall. Wanting to stay in Motorsport, I shifted my focus towards developing and testing F1 and various race cars and coaching drivers.
Over the next decade, I coached in various countries, helping racing and track-day drivers improve their skills. This experience laid the groundwork for my next venture: Driver61.
In 2015, I founded Driver61.com to share my experiences with a wider audience. I knew that Driver61 was going to work after publishing my first piece of YouTube content, a circuit guide to Donnington Park in the UK.
The Driver61 YouTube channel has since grown significantly. In 2020, I broadened the channel’s scope, mixing technical knowledge with wider, F1 and related Motorsport topics. This approach proved successful, with the channel gaining over 1.26 million subscribers and attracting 47.5 million views per month.
Today I’m focusing on our mission to help more people into Motorsport, be it driving, eSports or Motorsport Careers. In June 2024, I launched FluidJobs.com, a specialist recruitment platform for the motorsport industry.
So far, we’ve attracted 5,000 weekly active users and featured over 400 job listings, ranging from graduate to senior positions in top-tier motorsport series. Fluid Jobs aligns with Driver61’s broader mission to introduce more people to motorsport, simulation, and related careers. I’m particularly focused on helping talented graduates enter motorsport engineering roles.
I’ve had valuable input from HR professionals in Formula 1 and spent time with university Formula Student teams. We’re working to bridge the gap between talented individuals and motorsport organisations.
For those looking to enter the motorsport industry, my advice is simple: Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and always push yourself to improve. Be resilient and always persevere. There are so many opportunities in this field beyond just driving!
