In establishing a path for talented young Chinese racers to drive their way towards an opportunity to progress to Formula 1, Formula Racing Development Ltd (FRD) has launched the “Road to Champion with the Renault Sport Formula 1 Team” scholarship program.
Formula Renault has a decades long history of preparing young racers to move up to compete at the highest levels of the sport. The Asian Formula Renault Series has continued that legacy as numerous drivers have emerged from the category to move to higher level championships, including Formula One driver Rio Haryanto and F3 Euro Champion Felix Rosenqvist.
The 2016 Asian Formula Renault Series will see nearly 20 drivers contest 12 events that will be staged in China, Thailand, and Korea.
The final three rounds of the championship will be key, as the races in Shanghai, Zhuhai, and Zhejiang will determine the winner of the 2016 “Road to Champion with Renault Sport Formula 1 Team.” The top driver from those three rounds will be earning a full season of single-seater racing in 2017, to be arranged by Renault Sport F1 Team.
The scholarship program intends to leverage the Asian Formula Renault Series platform to create opportunity for young Chinese racers to race their way towards Formula One.
“This scholarship will encourage talented young Chinese racing drivers to further participate in motorsport,” said Kenneth Ma, president of FRD Motorsport. “This will have a big impact for young drivers, and the recognition from an F1 team will give even more impetus to compete. For Renault Sport it is also an opportunity to develop future Chinese F1 drivers at a grassroots level.”
