Kyle Mitchell hits Formula BMW
Posted Thu, 22 Mar 2007
Sixteen-year-old Kyle Mitchell has taken concrete steps to becoming South Africa’s next Formula 1 star. The Benoni youngster, who fended off the challenge of more than 20 fledgling racing drivers at the BMW Performance Centre in Bahrain last month, has won one of five coveted Formula BMW Asia Scholarships.
The Scholarship Qualifying, which took place at the Sakhir Formula 1 circuit in Bahrain from 3 to 5 March 2007, included both theory and practical sessions during which drivers were assessed by a team of BMW Motorsport professionals.
Mitchell’s scholarship includes a $50 000 cash contribution towards the cost of a full season in Formula BMW Asia (with $10 000 earmarked for parts), plus free participation in the proven, season-long BMW Education & Coaching Programme (E&C).
The wide-ranging BMW E&C programme is one of the most professional of its kind in the world, and utilises the expertise of BMW Motorsport in all areas, including driving instruction, technical knowledge, fitness and nutrition, media training, and sports management. All the tools a young driver needs to reach the very top of the sport, which Mitchell hopes will ultimately be the pinnacle of Motorsport — Formula 1.
"My dream is to compete one day in Formula 1," explains the excited youngster.
"Formula BMW has given Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel and Timo Glock the grounding to get to Formula 1, so I’m definitely in the right place to follow my dream."
Mitchell first attracted the attention of Formula BMW Asia when he won the Karting World Finals in Italy last year to become South Africa’s only Motorsport Junior World Champion.
Following this performance, he was invited to test for a Formula BMW Asia team in December at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia.
"It was an incredible experience," says Mitchell. "It’s a world-class Formula 1 circuit and I ran really well once I got to grips with the track. I had no idea that a successful test would lead to an invitation to compete in the Formula BMW Scholarship Qualifying trials.
"The field for the trials included some really good drivers from every corner of the Asia-Pacific region, along with Slovenian Dejan Milavec, American Johnson MacKenzie, and fellow South African Alex Jacovides.
"It was an incredibly competitive few days and I’m incredibly excited to have this opportunity. However, the scholarship will only cover about a third of what a full season will cost us. I just hope we can find some additional sponsors so that I can compete in the entire programme — especially seeing as the series will support two of this year’s F1 races and attract over 900 minutes of local television coverage on South African TV."
Mitchell’s excitement about the opportunity is further justified by the widely held position that Formula BMW is the world’s leading entry-level class in Formula racing.
In 2007 the series will be held in Germany, the UK, Asia and the USA, while the high-tech, standard FB02 racing car — that drivers as young as 15 years old compete in — has been seen on the grid since 2002 and has set standards particularly on the safety technology front. The single-seater is propelled by a 104kW BMW engine up to speeds of 230km/h. BMW Motorsport has also developed the FORS Formula Rescue Race Seat especially for Formula BMW, while the HANS safety system is also mandatory.
In 2007, Formula BMW will be staged four times as part of the Formula 1 support programme. All of the series offer the multifaceted Education and Coaching Programme as well as sponsorship for promising racing talents.
"Formula BMW offers talented young drivers more than just a car," said BMW Motorsport Director, Mario Theissen.
"In the Education and Coaching Programme we have designed specially for them, they learn everything they need to know to hold their own in the big wide world of motor racing. Formula BMW has shot out of the blocks to become the top entry-level class for Formula racing worldwide."
Significantly, Mitchell’s participation in the Formula BMW Asia series gives him a real shot at Formula 1. At the end of each year, young racing drivers from the four international Formula BMW series compete against each other to win a test drive with the BMW Sauber F1 Team.
South African Motorsport fans can follow Mitchell’s progress in the series on M-Net Supersport during the year. Interested sponsors can contact Kyle’s father Greg Mitchell on (011) 849 9285.
