Welcome to my first column for Auto Action!

The team at Auto Action have supported me from the beginning of my career, so I’m pleased to now be a contributor to the magazine and be able to give you all a bit of an insight into my journey.

2020 has started with a bang, there’s been a lot squeezed into the year already, but it’s an exciting time in my career and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

You would have already read the big news elsewhere in this issue or on the AA website that I’ve signed with Italy’s Prema Powerteam to contest the 2020 FIA Formula 3 Championship, and also with the Renault Sport Academy.

Prema is the reigning teams champion and its drivers filled the podium in last year’s F3 title chase.

In October, I had an opportunity to spend two days testing with the team at the official F3 rookie test in Valencia and we topped the final session. From that experience, I know I’m in excellent hands.

After the test, I headed to Abu Dhabi for that final round of the Formula Renault Eurocup with R-ace GP and we were lucky enough to come away with the championship.

Out of winning the title has come the opportunity to sign with the Renault Sport Academy, which is wonderful recognition and a massive honour and privilege for me.

The academy nurtures up-and-coming racing drivers with the goal of placing them in F1 and the ultimate target of having one of its drivers becoming a future World Champion with the Renault F1 team.

In addition to much-needed financial support, Renault’s impressive program has the tools I need to develop and improve myself in and out of the car, with fitness programs, mentoring, engineering development, and guidance.

I’ve already spent time at the F1 team factory in Enstone where I met Daniel Ricciardo and had my first F1 simulator experience. It felt awesome driving the virtual F1 car around Barcelona and I can’t wait for more sim time.

Daniel’s a great character and I’m looking forward to spending more time with him this year. In addition to having a few laughs, I’ll pick his brain about how he handled things through all the stages of his career as we’ve both taken the same pathway in moving from home to Europe with the dream of racing in F1.

In amongst the meetings, announcements, and training, there’s been school and a quick trip home to spend Christmas and New Year’s with my family, which was very special, spending time on the lake at Yarrawonga.

Now I’m back in the UK and I’ve had my head buried in the text books as I’ve only got until July when I finish my General Certificate of Education A-Levels (the UK’s equivalent to Australia’s VCE or HSC) at Haileybury in Hertfordshire (about an hour from London) where I board.

It’s a busy time but it’s only just the beginning and I’m excited about what the future holds.

The F3 Championship kicks off a week after the Australian Grand Prix in Bahrain on 22-23 March, and all nine rounds again broadcast live on Fox Sports with its F1 coverage.

I hope you’ll all be watching and cheering me and my fellow Aussies – Jack Doohan, Alex Peroni, and Calan Williams – on as we fly the Aussie flag with pride.

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