Marussia Virgin Racing Formula One team starts go-kart category
Formula KGP is a new seven round National Karting Championship, which joins the Super 1 Series. Marussia Virgin Racing will use the collaboration as the foundation of its young driver program, the first stepping stone for exceptional young karters to progress all the way through to Formula One.
Karting is the first step to gauging the potential of a future World Champion and Marussia Virgin Racing will be keeping a close eye on the stars of the future. At the end of the season, the top three drivers and one ‘wild card’ – a driver who has demonstrated outstanding ability in the new Formula KGP Championship irrespective of points placings – will win a Formula Renault test.
To underline its support for the category, the Marussia Virgin Racing logo will also appear on the karts, drivers’ suits and helmets as well as being integral to the Championship identity.
The launch will take place on Saturday 26 February at the PF International Kart track in Lincolnshire. A show kart, complete with the Marussia Virgin Racing colors and team logo, will be presented and the Formula One team’s driver Jérôme D’Ambrosio will conduct some demonstration laps.
John Booth, Team Principal, Marussia Virgin Racing
“Karting is the beginning of a long but ultimately very rewarding journey. I believe very strongly in nurturing the talent of tomorrow and providing opportunities for drivers to move through the ranks. It’s not an easy progression, so if the talent is there, it should be supported. As a team, we have to think today about the drivers of tomorrow and that means ensuring there is a rich pool of talent to draw from further down the line."
Andy Cox, Managing Director, Formula KGP
“Formula KGP is delighted to form this collaboration with Marussia Virgin Racing. Karting is a crucial step in the development of a driver; perhaps in many ways it could be the very discipline that defines a driver for the future. With this collaboration, karting connects directly with a Formula One team and an entire grid can race under the gentle eye of Marussia Virgin Racing, with such an innovative approach, a future talent could be discovered. With a test drive in Formula Renault at the end of the season, I can't think of a better situation for a driver to showcase their talent to a Formula One team."