I too like many others here am a supporter of karting as a sport in it’s own right. The lad and dad combination is a precious one for sure, but we shouldn’t prescribe a particular formula for karting involvement as the right one.
I have enjoyed the challenge of hands on support during my son’s karting, but kart mechanics is not for everyone. Even to start karting via a kart team requires a considerable parental investment to get up the learning curve in order to simply to participate, let alone compete. So what does this mean for a kid possessing potential karting “talent” but handicapped by non-technical although moneyed parents?
Maybe there is a big pool of rich kid karting talent out there straining to be set loose! We shall see…
The other key point is talent. I don’t think anyone would dispute that raw driving and racing talent is a prerequisite for success in F1. How much of this talent is evident in kids during their kart racing careers? How many kids are truly mercurial, impressing by achieving almost instant success and wowing everyone (beyond mum, dad and grandma)? Not many. For a lot of kids karting “talent” is hard won by relentlessly karting every single weekend, participating in top race series, having great (and expensive) team support, and a limitless supply of the very best equipment. Most of the kids who climb to the pinnacle of karting as a sport have all of this. Seat time, commitment and money all generate a lot of raw karting ability. Ability and talent are oh so intertwined that it is ultimately very difficult to distinguish between the two.
How much talent / ability are likely to emerge via FKS? Potentially quite a lot if ability (talent?) can be bought!
I would not be surprised if FKS becomes the preferred choice for retired racing drivers’ kids and other motorsports folks as well. A convenient add-on to a grand prix weekend for the lucky few!
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