A fully-funded karting campaign in 2028 awaits the standout winner of a new youth programme that George Russell has built from the ground up with Silverstone.
The Mercedes driver, an eight-time Formula 1 grand prix winner, unveiled the GR63 Karting Academy this week, targeting boys and girls aged eight and nine across commonwealth nations.
Financial accessibility sits at the heart of the initiative, with entry costs deliberately kept low to remove the barriers that have historically kept talented youngsters out of the sport.
The opening stage costs just £25, allowing any eligible driver to arrive at the Silverstone kart track in December and compete for one of 80 places in the next round.
Those 80 drivers will then face each other in the GR63 Shootout on 31 January, paying £75 to battle for just 25 coveted spots in the main championship.
From stage three onwards, every expense is covered, with those 25 drivers contesting an eight-round championship at Silverstone running from March through to November 2027.
The five strongest performers from that season will then advance to a final shootout in December 2027, where a single winner earns a completely funded karting campaign the following year.
Russell, who built his own foundation in karting by winning titles at both national and international level before moving into single-seater racing, said: “Karting is where it all started for me. It taught me everything I’ve relied on throughout my career. I know how hard it is for talented young drivers to get that first opportunity, especially when budgets are tight.”
He added that the academy exists specifically to unearth hidden talent, stating: “With the GR63 Karting Academy, I want to give something back by finding those hidden talents and giving them the support and platform they need to reach their potential.”
British Racing Drivers’ Club president David Coulthard, whose organisation co-owns Silverstone, framed the project within a broader tradition of British motorsport investment.
Coulthard said the BRDC has “always been committed to reinvesting in the sport and nurturing home-grown talent,” crediting that philosophy with Britain’s long record of success at the highest levels of motorsport.
He described the GR63 Academy as capturing that ethos perfectly, expressing delight at working alongside Russell to support the next generation at Silverstone.
The programme is structured as a four-stage progression, ensuring each successive round raises the competitive stakes while keeping financial burden off young families at every turn.
With grassroots motorsport costs continuing to climb alongside those at the sport’s elite level, the academy represents one of the more ambitious attempts to widen access for the next wave of British and commonwealth talent.