E-star Oli: Fund young talent not just rich kids
F1 has to stop investing in rich kids and start giving opportunities to the youth who deserve it – according to Formula E star and European karting team owner Oliver Rowland.
Rowland is increasingly fed up at the lack of chances for ordinary people to get into motorsport.
In recent times, F1 teams have sought paid drivers, such as Nikita Mazepin, Lance Stroll and Nicholas Latifi, who bring enormous wealth into teams through their families.
But with the surge in popularity of F1, Rowland reckons motorsport’s top table is now so financially secure it’s time to make the club less exclusive.
He said: “Unfortunately, the way F1 has been the last six or seven years, teams have struggled and one source of income is to make the driver profiles which people have to pay for, which is fine.
“But at some point when you do have cash to spend, don’t invest it in kids who have loads of money, invest it in kids that do deserve the opportunity.”
Rowland competed alongside current F1 stars in the GP2 and F2 series, before his opportunity in Formula E, where he’s now one of the most experienced British drivers on the grid, driving for team Mahindra.
But he knows he was lucky to get the breaks – and he wants to provide the platform for other talented youngsters with his Oliver Rowland Motorsport team.
He added: “I’ve taken kids who are probably unable to complete the eight to 12 age level to going all the way to Europe and F4. I want to give back, because I was in the same situation as them.”
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