Interview With…….Felicity Roberts

For many young racers Karting is an accessible but fiercely competitive way to enter motorsport. This is true of Felicity Roberts who, inspired by F1, is racing in the all action Daytona Motorsport Jamie Chadwick series. Karting is often the first motorsport on the route to international racing so you many well see her on the F1 grid in the future!

Question 1 – Who are you and what do you race? - Hi, my name is Felicity Roberts, and I'm 12 years old. I currently race in the Jamie Chadwick Series Cadet Championship, run by Daytona Motorsport. Next season, I'll be stepping up into the Junior category, which I'm really excited about! I'll also be competing in the Daniel Ricciardo Series (DRS), so it's going to be a busy and exciting year of racing!

Question 2 – What got you into motorsport? - I've always enjoyed watching Formula 1, and my favourite driver is George Russell! I also love going to Brands Hatch with my dad to watch the racing. Seeing the cars on track and all the excitement of race weekends really inspired me, and I knew I wanted to have a go at racing myself. That's where my passion for motorsport really started!

Question 3 – What do you want to race in the future? - After karting, I'd love to get the opportunity to race in the Junior Saloon Car Championship (JSCC) and then hopefully progress into GT racing or touring cars. I really enjoy watching those types of racing and would love to be behind the wheel one day! But one of my biggest dreams is to make it into F1 Academy. I know it's a long journey and there's lots of hard work ahead, but I'm determined to keep pushing myself and see how far I can go!

Question 4 – Karting is a very competitive and intense sport. What keeps you working hard to be the best racer you can be? - I like to take my racing one round at a time and always set myself goals. My aim is to try and finish on the podium at every race weekend, but my biggest motivation is to hopefully win the championship one day! Having something to work towards keeps me focused and determined to keep improving. I also play football to help with my fitness and stamina, as karting is really physically demanding. Staying fit helps me keep my energy and concentration up throughout a race, especially when things get tough!

Question 5 – What do you wish someone had told you before you started racing? - I wish someone had told me just how expensive motorsport can be and how much hard work goes on behind the scenes! It's not just about getting in a kart and racing. There's so much more involved, from finding sponsors and building relationships to putting in the work away from the track. Getting sponsorship is really difficult, especially when you're just starting out. That's actually one of the reasons why, at just 12 years old, I decided to start my own motorsport-inspired bracelet brand, FR78, to help support my racing journey. I'm hoping to grow the brand alongside my racing career and build something that can help me achieve my dream of becoming a professional racing driver one day!

Question 6 – What's your favourite Rocked-IT product and why? - Without a doubt, it has to be my Rocked-IT kit bag! It's the perfect size to fit all my racing gear in, and it's really comfortable to carry around on race weekends. It keeps everything organised, safe and dry, which is especially important with the British weather! I take it everywhere when I'm racing, and honestly, I'd be lost without it on a race weekend!

Question 7 – Motorsport looks like an individual sport but it requires a team behind you. Who deserves a special mention? - My biggest thank you has to go to my mum and dad! They do so much to help me follow my dreams, from driving me all around the country to race weekends and helping fund my racing, to picking me up and keeping me smiling when things don't quite go my way on track. I honestly couldn't do any of this without them!

I'd also like to thank my sister, who comes along to support me and cheer me on at races, and a special mention to Mairon Motorsport for all the help and advice during my track walks, helping me understand the circuits and improve my driving.

Of course, a massive thank you to my amazing sponsors, Rocked-IT, Tesouro Timepiece, South Coast Trailers and Abruzzi. Their support means so much to me and really helps me continue doing what I love.

Racing might look like an individual sport, but there's a whole team of people behind me, and I'm so grateful to everyone who's helping me chase my dreams!