DAVID PEREL, 32

HONOURING the youth, remembering their struggles and highlighting their incredible potential are some of the things that come to mind when racing driver David Perel thinks about Youth Day. He races for Kessel Ferrari. “My job involves racing a Ferrari 488 GT3 against the best drivers and manufacturers at Formula One race tracks around the world,” he said.

He’s dreamt of racing since the age of 3.

“I began racing karts when I was 15 years old but I was forced to stop at the age of 23. I then came back to racing at 29 and quickly climbed the ladder in Europe to eventually land with Kessel Ferrari,” he says.

The Joburg-born speedster says he wishes to share his dream with others.

“I am focused on trying to inspire young South African racing drivers. To make the jump and race in Europe is a huge challenge for South Africans and I want to prove that it’s possible.

“I really want to make our country proud as I try to win some of the biggest racing events outside of Formula One,” Perel said.

Another of his wishes is to find talented young drivers who are hungry enough to make the sacrifices necessary to become successful.

“There’s so much opportunity for us these days, especially in the tech world. My brother and I taught ourselves how to program which allowed us to create our own business which eventually led to me living my dream,” he said.

Some of his proudest on-track achievements include winning at legendary F1 race tracks like Spa-Francorchamps and Imola.

“But my main highlight is actually getting to a point where I am able to live my childhood dream.

“The climb up to this point has involved a lot of sacrifice and I’m proud to have gotten this far,” said Perel.