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 from 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," the Mercedes AMG Petronas prodigy 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 we finished 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's a 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.
