How to become a racing driver: 5 ways to a racing license

For generations of people growing up in a time when “sex was safe, and racing was dangerous,” as Sir Jackie Stewart, a three-time F1 champion, nicely said, the profession of the racing driver was the ultimate goal for the future. From that perspective, racing drivers like James Hunt, Alain Prost, and Ayrton Senna looked like automotive gods while blasting through Monaco’s narrow streets and rushing to the party on a yacht as soon as the race finished.

Unfortunately, becoming a part of a flashy world of top-notch racing turned to be an almost impossible task since an enormous amount of skill, luck, and financial support needed to advance even through lower competition ranks. Also, you need to start from an early age and dedicate your entire youth to this task. However, all is not lost, and even if you missed your chance to become the next Lewis Hamilton, there are still plenty of ways to fulfill your racing fantasies and find yourself behind the wheel of a proper racing machine. Today, we will tell you more about five ways of how to become a racing driver.

Track days

On any given weekend, all over the world, there are track days on local racing circuits. You don’t even have to own a race car, and you can bring anything you want as long as it fulfills the necessary safety standards. A track day’s goal is to see how you handle yourself and how you control the car, driving way over the speed limit, but safely, on the track.

Of course, track days are not really racing, but they are a gateway for something more serious and perfect insight into what competition driving is. You will learn how to behave on the track, find your brake points, extract the most performance out of your vehicle, and pay attention to other people sharing the circuit.

Enlist into racing school

Racing is the polar opposite of normal driving, and in order to fully understand its essence, vehicle dynamics, and sheer excitement of driving (too) fast, you have to go back to school. There are numerous racing schools with various levels of competence; however, if you are serious about your education, we suggest finding one that employs ex-racing drivers, offering a wide range of vehicles, and is located on an actual race track.

This way, you will be able to test several types of race cars, from single-seaters to GT3-class models, learn valuable real-life advice, and polish your performance to perfection. Although racing schools offer weekend packages, we suggest you approach it more seriously and find a longer course since the fine art of racing is not something you can learn in two days. If you let your talent shine, learn the technique, and improve your skills, maybe some of your racing professors will recommend you to some racing team, at least as a test driver. We wish you good luck!

Computer Games

Even though it might sound silly, virtual racing can be your big-ticket to a real-life position behind the steering wheel of a race car. In 2008, Nissan started a GT Academy program, which awarded the best players of the popular Gran Turismo 6 game with real-life training by Nissan’s factory race team. The project was very controversial back in the day, but introduced dozens of young drivers to the world of professional racing, with some of them becoming champions.

Modern computer games like Asseto Corsa or Forza Motorsport are basically very realistic simulators with real-life cars, modifications, setups, and tracks designed to provide the player with an immensely vivid experience. It is no secret that even the best racing drivers use them to practice and learn the tracks, especially during the winter months, when there are no races. So, maybe this is not the way you thought it would be, but it is the way to get yourself in the driver seat in a matter of minutes.

Become a gentleman racer

One of the coolest and most elegant ways to enter the fascinating world of racing is to become a gentleman racer. This category of racers represents the wealthy individuals mesmerized by the speed and excitement of competition driving. They buy their way into racing, whether through purchasing a race team or a race car, and share the grid with professionals fighting for the title.

In higher ranks of motorsport (life Formula 1 or WRC), there is no place for gentleman racers. Still, in cup championships like Porsche Carrera Cup or GT series like Blancpain GT, those dedicated amateurs are very common. Combining enthusiasm with a passion for racing and top-of-the-line racing cars sometimes gives impressive results. It is not strange for gentleman racer to take the checkered flag and win the race in front of professional racers.

Buy a race track

Owning a race track is the ultimate driver’s goal. Having your own oasis of speed and being able to drive as fast and as much as you want is a heaven for all people obsessed with performance machines. You can polish your skills to perfection and be very fast in the right car. You have the advantage of home turf, and you know every square inch of its surface.

However, indulging in your gasoline passion this way could be a smart business move, as well. Having a proper race track means renting it for various events, testing, track days and racing. You can even start your race team and turn your hobby into a very lucrative career.

Edel & Stark offers rides on race tracks during sports car tours in Europe and the United Arab Emirates. We would be pleased to welcome you behind the wheel of a Ferrari, Lamborghini or other racing car and show you how to become a racing driver. Please contact us at any time for further information.