Here is a brilliant initiative from the top tier: Mercedes driver George Russell has stepped up to create his very own karting academy, aimed squarely at discovering hidden stars and guiding them through the brutal financial realities of motorsport.
As Russell himself put it, karting is where it all started and taught him the fundamentals of racing, making this a genuine effort to give back to a discipline where tight budgets too often slam doors on genuinely talented kids. The newly minted GR63 Academy is officially scheduled to launch in 2027, but the search for talent begins much sooner.
The pathway starts this coming December with open-access Arrive & Drive Qualifiers held at Silverstone, where children aged eight or nine can jump in for just £25 per qualifying session. From those initial rounds, the 80 fastest drivers will progress to a high-stakes shoot-out at the end of January. Exactly 25 youngsters will ultimately be selected to compete in the GR63 Championship, which features an eight-round series run across various circuit configurations at Kart Silverstone.
Those chosen 25 will receive a full set of Russell’s signature vibrant blue kit to wear on track. The competition demands excellence: drivers must fight to finish in the top five to secure a place in the final shoot-out, where contenders face assessment on their talent, lap times, fitness, race craft, and media skills. The ultimate prize for the winner is a fully-funded kart season in 2028.
Support for the project runs right to the top of British motorsport. David Coulthard, President of the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC), praised the collaboration, noting that the BRDC has always been committed to reinvesting in the sport and nurturing home-grown talent, making Silverstone the natural home for Russell's new venture.
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