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TEENAGE racing sensation Neal Venter is shifting gear from karting into the world of single-seater competition and is preparing to compete against other young drivers from across the globe in the Formula Gulf 1000 (FG1000) series.
The 17-year-old South African who lives on Amwaj Islands has set his sights on launching a career in motorsports with the aim of one day joining the ranks of Formula One racing greats such as Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen.
The British School of Bahrain Year 12 student first started racing in the national karting championship at the age of 14 in 2010 when he moved to the kingdom with his father Cornelius, an air traffic controller, and his mum Idette, an attorney. Both are thrilled with his step up the racing ladder and believe he has a natural talent for the sport.
Neal said: “I love motorsport and want to start a career in it. I have done two seasons in karting, winning my first race and I finished second overall after a successful first season in the junior category.”
In his second season the Rotax karter took part in the senior category against drivers of vastly greater experience, took a few podium finishes and managed an impressive fourth place overall standing.
He said: “I crave a career in single-seater racing and my main goal is to race in Formula 1. First though, I need to go through junior single-seater series such as FG1000 and Formula Renault in order to move up to Formula 3, GP2 and then Formula 1.
“This will be my first time driving a single-seater car and racing in such a series. I am excited about the next challenge ahead, confident and have been training hard for it.”
The FG1000, which is in its third season, is a one-make single-seater championship featuring identical slicks and wings of Formula racing cars, maintained and run by GulfSport Racing.
GulfSport Racing, owned by motorsports pioneer Barry Hope, based in Dubai and regarded as one of the region’s leading racing products and services’ companies, is committed to developing grassroots racing and drivers.
The most striking characteristic of FG1000 is that it is primarily a ‘racer’s academy’ and has been operating since September 2011 at circuits in the UAE. To date, the series has run 42 test sessions, 14 qualifying practice sessions, 28 championship races, two pre-season test days and numerous driver training sessions for some 30 young drivers.
Barry said: “The GulfSport racer’s academy takes the form of an exclusive training ground for the lucky drivers who get to be coached and run by a team that has over 100 man years of motor racing experience.
“Over the course of a season the drivers get intense one-on-one coaching that pinpoints specific areas for improvement before going out on track for every one of 46 sessions. The rate of development is astonishing.
“Although FG1000 is run as a National Championship in the UAE it has attracted ambitious drivers from the UK, Malaysia, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Oman, India, Kuwait, Spain and South Africa in the age range 16 to 21, and now Bahrain. Whilst traditionally young drivers are funded by their parents, GulfSport’s drivers have received excellent support from high level sponsors such as SkyDive Dubai, Yas Marina Circuit and the Al Qasemi Group.”
The academy has benefited FG1000 graduates Joe Ghanem and WeiRon Tan who are currently fighting for podium positions in Formula Renault UK. Graduate Natasha Seatter went on to win two podiums in the GT Open class at Sepang in a GulfSport-prepared-and-run Radical SR8 which resulted in her being offered a completely free professional drive in the Asia Carrera Cup race in Shanghai.
The series will debut in October this year with 16 races over eight events, held at the Yas Marina Circuit, Dubai Autodrome and, for the first time, at the Bahrain International Circuit, which will hopefully give Neal a home-front advantage.
Barry added: “After 10 years of Formula One in the Gulf since the inaugural 04/04/04 GP in Bahrain, the kart racing scene is now stronger than ever.
“This pool of young karters is where our future champions will come from and it is essential to give these talented drivers the very best training and support in order for them to make good progress in their professional racing careers.
“All the proof I need comes from their parents, who are delighted with the investment they are making in the future of their offspring. After all, this is a family sport. Just take a look at the top young drivers in Formula One and you will always find the committed father in the garage!”
Neal travelled to Dubai for a testing weekend in June at the Dubai Autodrome and impressed Barry with his skillful driving.
Barry added: “Neal is a talented young kart racer. He spent some time getting to grips with the FG1000’s racing clutch and 6-speed sequential gearbox, something he had no prior experience of. But he displayed his obvious talent as he put in some great lap times on the tricky club circuit. With the right people around him, he clearly has a promising future.”
