JANUARY 24, 2023

F1 sons rev engines on road to the grid

Two youngsters with familiar names are revving their engines in the direction of Formula 1.

Kimi Raikkonen, Abu Dhabi GP 2019
© RV Press

Two youngsters with familiar names are revving their engines in the direction of Formula 1.

Almost two decades ago, Kimi Raikkonen and Alex Wurz were teammates for a time at McLaren.

Now, in 2023, their sons are racing towards F1.

17-year-old Charlie Wurz, who is Monaco-born, made his single-seater debut in 2021 in Formula 4 but is currently dominating the Formula Regional Oceania championship in New Zealand.

"Nice job son," Austrian Alex Wurz said on social media.

"Pole, win and championship lead down-under in Kiwi land after 6 from 15 races," he added.

Lando Norris won the series in 2017.

Meanwhile, Gino Rosato, a former Ferrari official and close friend of 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen, spent a day this week watching 7-year-old Robin Raikkonen race karts.

"I felt I had seen this before," Rosato said on social media.

"Very quiet, little interaction, always looking a little lost and uninterested. But like his father, the magic comes to life.

"Quick, fast, rapid, natural talent, call it what you want. F1 here we come."

(GMM)