Last year, Carlos Sainz took a significant step by collaborating with the Royal Spanish Automobile Federation (RFEDA) Karting Academy series in Spain to promote young motorsport enthusiasts. Through this association, the former Ferrari driver introduced his own CS55 Racing Academy.
This academy has been working with leading kart manufacturer OTK, with Sainz aiming to provide top-class equipment and groom young kids aged six to eight who aspire to make a name for themselves on the national scene.
The Spaniard’s goal was to ensure that kids could take up karting without worrying about the high costs, a common barrier for many aspiring racers and their families. While it may seem like a small step at the grassroots level of the F1 ecosystem, Sainz hopes to nurture promising talents who could one day reach the pinnacle of motorsport.
With the collaboration with RFEDA proving successful in 2024, Sainz has announced that the CS55 Racing Academy will continue at full steam in 2025. The Madrid-born driver personally appeared in a video for the Spanish Automobile Federation to make the official announcement on Instagram.
“I’m really excited to share that for the second year in a row, the CS55 Racing Karting Academy will continue. As you know, it’s a category for kids aged 6 to 8-super young, taking their first steps into the world of motorsport.”
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Sainz emphasized that the objective of his karting academy remains the same—to promote young Spanish talent in partnership with the Spanish Automobile Federation and the national karting championships.
He also pointed out that the kids currently joining the academy are only six to eight years old, meaning it will take time before they progress to junior formula categories. Still, given the long and costly journey for many aspiring racers, Sainz’s initiative is commendable.
Alonso would be proud of Sainz’s efforts for Spanish motorsport
To date, Spain hasn’t seen a whole lot of drivers succeed in F1. While many may find it shocking, Fernando Alonso was the first Grand Prix winner and World Champion from the Iberian country. So, the Oviedo-born driver knows the dire reality of racers from his country trying to reach the pinnacle of motorsport.
Alonso won his first Drivers’ title in 2005, followed by another the year after, and his popularity rose exponentially. Soon, the 32-time Grand Prix winner also undertook initiatives to groom racing talent in Spain.
He owns a karting track and museum in his home region, Asturias, mainly for attracting and inspiring kids to take up motorsport as their career and enrich the country’s legacy on the global stage.
The Spaniard is encouraging as many kids as possible to explore racing as a hobby at his karting track. For those with enough interest and talent, he is ready to provide a platform to nurture their skills through his karting school—an initiative that naturally aligns with what Sainz has started.
As someone who knows Alonso closely, both as his idol and compatriot, the #55 driver could take inspiration from the two-time world champion and perhaps even collaborate with his karting school to strengthen efforts toward increasing Spanish representation in F1.
