Being a Formula 1 driver would be dreams of millions of teenagers, adrenaline surge in a sudden, then enjoy the speed and competition. However, the path to Formula 1 requires driving karts in the beginning. We just interviewed a 10 years old go kart racer, Oleksandr Bondarev from Ukraine in recent. Let’s see what we have here.
How did you become a go kart racer with what opportunity?
I was obsessed with speed and cars since I was very little. At the age of 5, my mom finally took me to the track and showed me a go-kart, said that if I want to be a professional racer I would have to start right here at that moment. I remember that day very clearly. I was super excited and scared. I started training with my first coach, who believed in me and he gave me my first lessons of driving and life. When I was 6 I participated in my first race. I finished 7th among 10 racers and was very upset. Next year I became an absolute champion of Ukraine.
What challenges have you met before and how did you overcome your challenges?
Every race is a challenge. Cause you never know what will happen. it’s a race. But I know exactly that if you go step by step, you can become a professional go kart racer. Racing is not a lottery, you can’t win if you’re not good.
What motivates you to continue being a driver?
I have a dream. I do want to become a Formula-1 driver. My dream gives me a lot of energy. And of course my mechanic Andriy Honta, my family and my team Gamoto. When I improve my skills, that makes them happy and proud of me.
With what achievement(s), you would have the chance to be a formula driver?
Anyway, kart racing is a beginning for every type of races and cars. It’s a source of motorsport. So I’m trying to show the best results here to move forward in the future. I have already gotten champion of my country, Ukraine for 3 times in 2017, and champion of European CEE in 2018, and now I’m competing in WSK. It’s probably the highest level of kart races in the world. 100-120 best pilots from all over the world only in my category compete in every race. Hopefully next year we’ll hear the anthem of Ukraine more often there.
How many races did you attend annually in recent years on average?
It’s hard to say, it should be around 20-25 races every year.
How many hours do you train weekly?
Basically I have too many races in a year, so I race in Italy almost every week, and if I don’t have a race, I go for tests for a weekend of so.
Have you ever been hurt because of driving too fast? Do you worry about it?
Well, I’m lucky not to have any serious accidents during these years. There was once my kart turned around and felt over me in the middle of the race. My shoulder was hurt, but In a few hours, I was on track again. And I did it well.
What will you say to Chinese teenagers in China, if they want to join the career?
So the only advice I can give is to believe in your dream and yourself. That helps a lot when you have to work hard to achieve something.
How do you think about electric go kart? Is it a good way to encourage teenagers to join the racing career? Is it good entertainment?
I think it’s a great start for kids and teenagers. And it has a lot of fun. They can feel the speed, power, and competition. Sometimes I do it with my friends, not racers, and it’s a bit different from the professional sport, just pure fun.
Actually, driving Karts is a good way to start if you want to be a professional driver of Formula-1. Kart racing could help you to gain your skills, experience, and capability. It would be much easier if the racer enters the Formula’s world when the racer could totally handle the kart racing.
Watch this video for more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIbckM0rPlU
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