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• Shifting gears: Jamaican sensation Alex Powell gains traction in transition from karting to Formula 4
  Jamaica’s rising motorsport star, Alex Powell continued his thrilling ascent through the racing ranks, as he recently captured his first victory in Formula 4 at the European 4 Championships in Monza, Italy.

   

  For the American-born driver, who has repeatedly demonstrated his immense potential on the karting circuits, the transition to Formula 4 has been both a learning curve and a major step up, but it’s one he’s fully embracing.

   

  Powell, 17, has been in the spotlight for some time, with his karting career marked by consistent performances that hinted at future greatness. Now, with his first Formula 4 win under his belt, Powell is starting to make waves in the highly competitive single-seater category, where precision, skill, and perseverance are critical. 

   

  Reflecting on this new chapter in his career, which started just over six weekends ago, Powell was candid about the challenges and triumphs of competing at a higher level.

   

  "Obviously, life in F4 is a lot different to life in karting. Karting was a very familiar atmosphere and a very familiar culture for so many years of my life. So, you know, after a while, it became more of a routine as opposed to learning something new. Although it was always moving into new categories, into higher categories; it was pretty much the same principle as opposed to now in F4 and generally single seaters, it's a very different approach, not only to the race weekend, but also to everyday life," Powell told SportsMax.TV in a recent interview from his base in Italy.

   

  "Because you really have to take the initiative to know that you're now becoming a professional athlete. So essentially, you need to do things that a professional athlete would do, and it's a big switch, or it was, at least for me, to adapt from the karting sort of mentality to the new car mentality. That everyday life sort of difference took a while to get used to, but now it's obviously more natural to me...it's coming more naturally and it's all positive now," added.

   

  The jump from karting to Formula 4 is one that requires more than just talent. Powell has had to invest significant time in learning the technical intricacies of his car and how to communicate effectively with his engineers. The shift also demands a new level of fitness and mental focus. 

   

  "It's been a successful season at times, but also a very tough one at other times. I guess it just shows that at the end of the day, it's still motorsports and it still gives you the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. So, yeah, adapting to the new car and to the new feel took a lot of hard work as well. Of course, knowing that you're going from one discipline of racing pretty much to a completely different one, it really was a lot of hard work to really understand it's still coming to me. I still have a few things to learn , especially during the race as well. So it's still all part of the learning process that I'm going through at the moment," Powell shared.

   

  The recent win for Powell was a breakthrough accomplishment that has only heightened his hunger for more.

   

   

  "Winning my first race was an amazing feeling because were finishing on the podium multiple times, finishing second and third. So, it's something you work so hard for, and when it finally comes together, it’s almost unreal. But at the same time, it huge motivation going forward," Powell, whose father John Powell is a former Rally driver, declared.

   

  "It shows that I can compete with the best, but there’s always more work to be done. Every race is a learning experience, and I want to keep building on this success, as it gives you that extra push to keep improving,” he noted.

   

  Behind Powell’s success is a relentless drive and dedication that have been his trademarks since his karting days. His routine, as it was then, includes long hours spent working closely with his team on data analysis, and staying disciplined with his physical training.

   

  “To be competitive in Formula 4, you need more than just raw talent. It’s about how much effort you’re willing to put in. There are no shortcuts. So I’m always trying to find that extra bit of performance, whether it’s improving my lap times or understanding the car better. It’s a continuous process of growth,” he stated.

   

  Despite the pressures of competing at such a high level, Powell remains grounded, thanks in part to the support of his family and fans. In fact, he has given very little thought about his future prospects, opting instead to focus on immediate challenges.

   

  "I'm not looking very far in the future solely because I find that it's common for the concentration to drift off a little bit if you find yourself thinking too much into the future. For me, at this current point in time, it's just focusing on what's coming up next as well as to put in the work, both mentally and physically," he affirmed. 

   

  "I think if I'm able to do that and apply the things that I want to apply and prepare well for every weekend, then the results will follow. But for me, what's most important is just to make sure that I'm really present, not results driven, more performance, and really looking on how I can improve myself in every area," Powell, a cousin to 100m sub-10 king Asafa Powell, ended.

   

   

   

   
• FIA wrong to punish Verstappen for swearing, says Steiner

  Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has said the FIA was wrong to punish Formula One world champion Max Verstappen for swearing. 

  The Red Bull driver, who won his third world championship title last year, was asked to do community service by the motorsport’s governing body for swearing in a news conference during last month’s Singapore Grand Prix.

  Verstappen then protested against the punishment by giving short answers during an official news conference and termed the penalty "ridiculous", going on to say that such decisions could speed up his exit from the sport. 

  Now, the former Haas boss has weighed in, saying that the FIA should not have “made a big story out of it.”

  “Max didn't swear at anybody. He used the f-word about his car. So nobody got offended by it, in my opinion,” said Steiner, who departed Haas at the start of the year. 

  "The best way [to handle it] would have been not to make a big story of it. Sit down with the drivers, they have a meeting every weekend, and say: 'Hey, guys, can you tone it down a little bit? We are the FIA, we don't really like this.' 

  "But don't say: 'If you do, you get a fine, a penalty, whatever.' Because you know these guys, they've got an ego as well. And they say: 'I don't want to do that.' And then what do you create? All this controversy - for nothing."

• Leclerc excited by 'motivation' Hamilton's arrival will bring to Ferrari

  Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc thinks that the arrival of Lewis Hamilton can help take both the team and himself to another level.

  At the start of the 2024 season, Ferrari shocked Formula One by announcing that Hamilton would replace Carlos Sainz and be joining for the following campaign.

  His impending arrival is something that Leclerc is clearly excited about, as he explained in an appearance on the Beyond The Grid podcast.

  “When a champion like Lewis gets to any team, it brings a lot of motivation out of every single person,” Leclerc said.

  “He will come along with all the experience that he's had over the years with Mercedes – a different way of working, a different vision – and this is always benefitting a team.”

  Hamilton is a seven-time Drivers’ Championship winner with his last title coming in 2020, meaning he is level in the all-time standings with Michael Schumacher, while he also holds the F1 record for the most race wins ever (105).

  Understandably, Leclerc is looking forward to being able to measure his own performance against a strong yardstick.

  “Obviously for me it's going to be amazing because I’ll have, in the same car as me, the most successful driver in F1 history,” he said.

  “That will be both extremely interesting for me to learn from one of the best ever, as well as a really big challenge and motivation to beat Lewis and to show what I'm capable of.

  “With Lewis joining the team, he will definitely be a benchmark so it will be very important for me to be on my top level.”

  On a personal level, Hamilton’s arrival will spell an end to the four-year period that Leclerc and Sainz have been together at Ferrari.

  Leclerc was reflective about the relationship the pair have had while racing together, with Sainz set to join Williams in 2025.

  While they have a good personal relationship, Leclerc said that it has not always gone smoothly.

  “I think we get on very, very well,” he said.

  “Yes, there have been many moments where, inside the helmet, I hated him and he hated me, because we didn't view the situation in the same way.

  “But everything was fixed after a discussion between us two. We share many interests and we’ve had a lot of memorable moments that I will remember forever.”