Williams includes karter Lucas Palacio to its F1 academy vehicle driver line-up, as Dennis Hauger moves to INDY NXT from F2 in 2025.
Williams–
Williams Racing today reveals promising karting celebrity Lucas Palacio as the latest and youngest enhancement to itsDriver Academy The 10-year-old American has actually fasted to excite in his brief occupation, initially taking to the wheel aged simply 3 and winning on his main karting launching in 2020 aged 6. Since that initially race, Lucas has actually proceeded to outshine his peers, getting in the Mini Swift group in 2022 with an age waiver and accomplishing several success and platforms throughout champions in spite of being significantly more youthful than his rivals. Continuing his remarkable surge, he won all 3 Mini Swift National Championships (USPKS, SKUSA Pro Tour and Stars Championship) a year later on.
This year he has actually finished to worldwide karting, completing in the WSK Super Master Series where he protected a 2nd total outcome, adhered to by the ACI Italian Championship 60 Mini Class where he completed the collection 4th out of 69 vehicle drivers. As the current ability to sign up with the Williams Racing Driver Academy, Lucas will certainly get training and support to support his abilities and sustain his development in the junior groups of motorsport.
He signs up with an expanding stable of celebrities of the future that Williams is spending in with the Williams Racing Driver Academy, structure on a honored custom of providing young ability a course right into F1 which has actually most just recently seen Academy item Franco Colapinto grad to an F1 race seat. The Driver Academy sustains vehicle drivers on every sounded of the motorsport ladder, dealing with them on and off the track to establish the abilities needed to race on top degree.
It becomes part of Williams’ dedication to opening gain access to to motorsport, consisting of the Komatsu-Williams Engineering Academy which was just recently introduced to find and establish the brightest and finest young design ability around the globe. We likewise influence the future generation with our free-of-charge colleges program, which will certainly this year host 5,000 8 to 15-year-olds at our Grove HQ to present them to STEM occupations with the lens of motorsport.
Lucas Palacio: “This is a dream come true to be part of the Williams Racing family. I’ve always loved racing since the first time I drove a kart so it’s amazing to be part of this team. Now I can’t wait to get started with James Vowles, Sven Smeets, and everyone at Grove!”
Sven Smeets, Sporting Director, Williams Racing: “We’re very pleased to announce that Lucas has joined the Williams Racing Driver Academy. He’s an exciting young talent that has shown promise in his first few years in karting and has progressed quickly for his age. We’re looking forward to supporting Lucas as he continues to develop throughout his karting career.”
Dennis Hauger–
Andretti Global introduced today that Dennis Hauger will certainly sign up with the Andretti INDY NXT schedule for the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone period piloting theNo 28Andretti Dallara Rounding out the group as the last Andretti INDY NXT vehicle driver to be validated for following period, Hauger will certainly sign up with formerly introduced colleagues Lochie Hughes, Salvador de Alba andJames Roe The 21-year-old Norwegian vehicle driver began karting at the age of 5, browsing Norway’s nationwide karting rankings over the following years.
At the age of 10, Hauger increased his competitors and started karting worldwide, and by the time he was 12 he authorized with kart supplier, CRG and contended on their karting group. After accumulating various platforms and champion titles in his karting years, Hauger made his open-wheel auto racing launching in 2018 in the F4 British Championship and was called aRed Bull Junior Driver The following year saw Hauger win the Italian F4 Championship, coating 2nd in the ADAC Formula 4 Championship and run 2 races in the Euroformula Open Championship.
In 2020, Hauger progressed right into the FIA Formula 3 Championship and by 2021, the Norwegian was crowned the Formula 3Champion Following his Championship- winning Formula 3 period, Hauger went up to the FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2022, safeguarding 5 success and 13 platforms over the last 3 periods. Hauger worked as a Red Bull Junior Driver for 6 years and was called a Red Bull Reserve Driver for the 2022 and 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship period.
In what will certainly be his very first time driving on an American track, Hauger makes his on-track launching as an Andretti INDY NXT vehicle driver at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway roadway program at today’s Chris Griffis Memorial Test.
J-F THORMANN, HEAD OF STATE, ANDRETTI GLOBAL: “Dennis is a driver who has been on our radar for some time, and we’re excited to see him make the jump into American open-wheel racing. He’s no stranger to performing in highly competitive development series, so I can’t think of a better next step for him than to join the INDY NXT grid. We think he’s going to be the perfect addition to round out our 2025 INDY NXT driver lineup, and we’re proud to be a part of his INDY NXT debut.”
DENNIS HAUGER, CHAUFFEUR, ANDRETTI INDY NXT: “I’m really grateful for the opportunity to race with Andretti Global. I’m looking forward to starting things up with the team and getting to know everyone. We’re already getting down to work before the season starts with testing, and I’m excited to go out there in an INDY NXT car and get that experience. I can’t wait for the 2025 season – I hope it’s a great one.”
[Note: The story is as per press release]
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