At the circuit of Silverstone in the UK, that also hosted the inaugural Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix in 1950, young Dutch talent Rocco Coronel will be making his motor racing debut this weekend. A week after his 14th birthday on 23 October, he will be competing in the Ginetta Junior Winter Series. « My first races in a car, I am really looking forward to it, » says the youngest member of the well-known Coronel racing dynasty, who is also a member of the Red Bull junior programme. As a result, his Ginetta race car features a livery in the colours of the famous energy drink.
In the UK, it is possible to start motor racing in junior classes at the age of 14 already, with certain restrictions. The Ginetta Junior Championship is such a category. The competition machine is the Ginetta G40, sporting a tubular steel chassis, an FIA-approved roll cage and a fibre-glass shell. The cars are powered by 1.8-litre Ford Zetec engines with an output of 100 hp, linked with a sequential six-speed gearbox. Numerous drivers including Formula 1 racer Lando Norris, British GT champion Seb Morris, British touring car champion Tom Ingram and W Series champion Jamie Chadwick got their initial racing experience in the Ginetta Junior Championship.
Next to his karting activities, Rocco Coronel will be racing in the Ginetta Junior Championship in 2025, with this weekend’s Ginetta Junior Winter Series at Silverstone as an appetizer. In the build-up to the weekend, there are two days of testing while the event itself consists of a qualifying heat and three races, two on Saturday and one on Sunday. The competition is part of the annual Walter Hayes Trophy event, with Formula Ford racing as well.
« My first car races, that is something really special, of course, » Rocco Coronel says. « Having never raced a car before, I don’t have any real expectations, I primarily want to learn as much as possible and to gain experience. Obviously, coming first is always my goal, but that isn’t realistic for my first races. I will just get out and drive and then we will see where we end up. » Father Tom Coronel adds: « A field of almost 20 cars is expected for this weekend. Some of the drivers are newcomers, but there are also quite some competitors who already have a season under their belt and therefore have a lot of experience with the car and the category already. A top five result would be really nice for Rocco. »
Rocco Coronel’s choice of the Ginetta Junior category was also met with approval at Red Bull. Tom Coronel reports: « During our conversation with Dr Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport consultant, he said that Rocco’s age, still 13 at the time, would be a problem, but we pointed out that the Ginetta class, with the possibility to start racing at 14 already, would be an opportunity. I think that this class is a great way to learn: you race at the classic circuits in Great Britain, really ‘old school’, the cars are shod with road tyres, they have a differential, so you lean to exit a corner in a nice straight line. It is a kind of Formula Ford with a roof on it. In the meantime, Red Bull has also advised another driver of the Red Bull Junior Team, Scott Lindblom from Sweden, to opt for this category. He will now be Rocco’s teammate at R Racing. »
R Racing director Nathan Read is looking forward to working with the two Red Bull junior drivers: « We are thrilled to be part of such a prestigious programme such as Red Bull. It is not only huge for R Racing, but for Ginetta also. For Red Bull to recognise Ginetta Juniors as a serious stepping stone transferring from karts to cars confirms that Gientta is the premier Junior category in Europe. The cars look great and we can’t wait to get started. »
In the build-up to his inaugural car racing event, Rocco Coronel has already racked up some testing mileage with the Ginetta. « It is a fun car to drive. Grip is limited because of the road tyres and the power of 100 hp may not sound very spectacular, but the car is very light as well, so it pulls nicely. You have to drive nice and clean, clear lines. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel! » The races on Saturday get underway at 11.28 and 14.48 GMT (12.28 and 15.48 CET), the race on Sunday starts at 10.48 GMT (11.48 CET). All races will be streamed live on the BRSCC YouTube channel as part of the Walter Hayes Trophy coverage.