Rising star Louis Sharp will take another big step towards his dreams of being a future Formula 1 driver when returning to the British Formula 4 Championship in 2023 as one of the title favourites.
The impressive 15-year-old New Zealander has already announced himself as one of motor sport’s brightest young prospects with notable victories in Europe and the Middle East in what was a highly promising first season of international competition. Now, with on-going support from Rodin Cars, Sharp will be looking to further enhance his reputation and amplify his overseas experience.
The bright young Kiwi prospect came to the UK at the beginning of the 2022 season following an impressive CV in karting which saw him win more national titles and series wins than any of his peers by the age 12.
Building on that junior success, Sharp entered the 2022 British F4 Championship with top team Carlin and continued to impress – even more so as he was unable to contest the opening round while waiting for his 15thbirthday and thus become eligible to compete in the series.
Thereafter, as the youngest driver on the grid, he won races at Oulton Park (photos above and top below) and Silverstone and scored no fewer than ten further podium finishes – remarkable results which netted him a fine fourth place in final overall championship positions and helped Carlin to win the coveted Teams’ Championship (photo bottom below).
Further underlining his talent, the Antipodean ace then won both the end-of-season UAE F4 Trophy races staged alongside the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in November (photos row two below) – two inspiring victories, in front of the Formula 1 teams, that ensured he ended a stellar debut campaign on a huge high.
Now, looking to build on those standout performances, Sharp will return to the fast-paced British series, again with Carlin, as one of the pre-season title favourites.
“First and foremost, I must thank David Dicker and his amazing Rodin Cars company for making all this possible,” said a delighted Sharp.
“I’m thrilled to be staying with Carlin after what was an amazing debut season. Coming from New Zealand, it’s been a big learning curve but, already, I’ve learned so much which will help me in the future. I’ve had a bit of success, too, which is a good progression towards my goal of Formula 1.”
After a truncated pre-season testing programme in 2022, Sharp is really excited that next year’s programme is confirmed months in advance.
“It’s great that everything is now sorted as it will give me plenty of time to prepare for the season over the winter. My main aim is to add to what I’ve achieved so far and, without putting too much pressure on myself, my sights must be on fighting for the British Championship title. If I can achieve that I’ll be well set to move further up the ladder towards, hopefully, my Formula 1 dream.”
Carlin has a rich history of nurturing future F1 talents and lists Sebastian Vettel, Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo, Lando Norris and, now, Logan Sergeant among its alumni. Having abetted young Sharp’s progression over the past ten months, the team is delighted to have retained his services for 2023.
“Louis only arrived here a few weeks before the start of last season but we could see straight away just how good he was and how quick he was going to be,” enthused team director, Trevor Carlin.
“Considering his age and lack of experience, he had a fantastic year and we are so pleased he’s staying in the Carlin fold to build-on what we’ve already achieved. Together, I’m sure, we’ll be doing some more winning in British F4 where I truly believe he will be a title contender next season.”
Providing the next generation of aspiring young drivers from around the world with the perfect proving ground to display their emerging skills, the British F4 Championship certified by the FIA features grids of evenly-matched Tatuus T-421 F4 single-seaters, complete with Halo-style safety devices and turbocharged Abarth engines.
The series once again will feature 30 races held across 10 circuits, including an exciting new addition on the British Grand Prix circuit at Silverstone. The opening three races will be hosted at Donington Park – another track with F1 pedigree – over the 22-23 April weekend.
Speeding up his experience and career progression, Sharp will be combining his confirmed UK programme with selected other races in 2023 – these will be announced shortly.
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