Many who follow Formula 1 have seen them: The cute pictures of the stars as little drivers in karting. Because that's where most people start. For example, reigning world champion Lando Norris became world champion in 2014 and current WC leader Kimi Antonelli European champion in 2020 and 2021.
A non-geared kart reaches a top speed of around 120-130 kilometers per hour and a geared one can get up to almost 160 on some tracks – unlike a go-kart you can rent that goes 50-70.
Ellinor Aspeqvist describes the feeling of sitting in a racing kart as magical.
- The cars are not big and that it goes so fast when you are sitting three centimeters above the ground is a cool experience.
According to her, standing next to it is almost as spectacular, because as a spectator you get so close.
- And knowing that those who drive now are the Formula 1 drivers of the future...
What distinguishes a good karting driver?
- It's like the classic quote, that it's about 10 percent talent and then 90 percent work, says the Swede and explains that it's important to develop a combination of skills:
● You need technical knowledge, such as understanding how the chassis behaves and what settings to make.
● You must be able to perform when required and have the mental piece in place.
● You need to be able to speak in front of a camera and language is very important.
● And have financial backing.
Ellinor Aspeqvist grew up in Halmstad and went to a small school where all her friends were involved with horses.
- I remember how I came home and said to dad "I also want to start riding", and he said "you can forget that", because he was allergic to fur. A few days later he showed a picture and said "maybe you should try go-karting instead?".
It wasn't love at first sight. At first the seven-year-old was terrified, it was scary and loud noises. But her father was patient, training in parking lots moved onto the track, the sausage grill afterwards was cozy and eventually the realization came that "this is what I want to do".
She reached SM level at the highest. The idea was to start competing internationally when she was 17, but her congenital rheumatism made them think: Was it worth the big financial investment, what if she got sick?
To keep a foot in the sport, she helped out as a mechanic in various karting teams. Then started studying sports psychology and became curious about how the national team works. Non-profit work with a little camp led to a project job at the Swedish Motorsport Association and the title of assistant association captain. Just before the project ended, she saw that the FIA (International Federation of Motor Sports) was looking for a development coordinator for the headquarters in Geneva.
- Even though I wanted to become a professional driver, I'm quite happy that it didn't turn out that way. Today I get to help develop the sport and give back to the sport. And see a bit of myself in the young people I work with.
The world is her workplace with meetings in England as well as the Dominican Republic and African countries. The projects are at both the grassroots level and how associations can build talent development and operational plans.
The 26-year-old Swede is now a spider in the web for one of FIA chairman Mohammed bin Sulayem's heart issues: To reduce costs so that karting becomes accessible to more people.
Fia works with two parallel tracks, one of them is the Fia Karting Academy which started in 2011 and where, among others, Charles Leclerc participated. The national associations nominate each driver for 52 places in a junior and a senior series (12–14 years and 14–17 years, respectively). During three races, everyone drives identical cars.
The second track is "Arrive & drive", a similar concept but with open registration that started last year.
- As a driver, you get there and everything is in place. You get a map, engine and support. You really only need to bring a mechanic, tool bag, helmet and overalls. It is still quite a large cost but very much cheaper than if you are going to enter and race at EC and WC level. This will be like an intermediate step so that more people can go from national level to elite level.
Continuing to lower the thresholds is Fia's goal going forward, says Ellinor Aspeqvist. And to build from the ground up, both in terms of organization in countries and the drivers.
- In the Academy, for example, we focus not only on driving but on sportsmanship, on nutrition, on mental training, on physical training, and try to give them the tools they need for the future.
Karting - and motorsport in general - also wants to bring in more girls.
- It is also important to lift up all the girls who work behind the scenes. There are so many awesome women who are engineers, mechanics, work with the media.
Ellinor Aspeqvist is one of them - the women behind the scenes - who achieved her karting dream, but in a different way than she first thought.
