Crowned French Karting Champion at a very young age, Jimmy Hélias went on to become one of France’s top prospects at the highest
international level. Now aged 17, he has just made a remarkable debut in single-seaters in the highly regarded FIA-certified French Formula 4 Championship. This marks another significant milestone in his career, which began with a promising 1st-place finish at the Easter Cup at the Nogaro circuit.
The choice of the FFSA Academy
« The French Formula 4 Championship is proving to be an excellent opportunity to make the transition from karting to single-seaters. Everyone is on an equal footing; there are no teams – it is the mechanics trained by the French Automobile Sport Federation’s training centre who look after the cars. Admittedly, the decision to take part in this competition was made late, so I haven’t been able to do as much testing as I would have liked. However, the motivation is there; I know I have a good chance and I’m determined to do everything I can to aim for the podium, » commented Jimmy.
A sensational start!
Right from the first Free Practice sessions, Jimmy Hélias was able to demonstrate his top speed.
« The performance is there, but I still lack experience. I saw that in how I managed the Qualifying session. It’s an area where I intend to improve, » acknowledged the driver, who is licensed with ASK Rosny 93.
On the other hand, the fighting spirit he has always shown in karting is once again proving to be a major asset as he takes on this new challenge. In Race 1, within a field comprising an impressive field of 32 single-seaters, Jimmy staged a remarkable comeback from 15th to 7th place, setting some blistering lap times.
Jimmy Hélias in the top ten of the Championship
Although Races 2 and 3 did not allow Jimmy to boost his points tally as he had hoped, he is already 10th in the overall standings after this first round. It looks promising!
« My progress in single-seaters is only just beginning. With the support of Julien Abelli from Simumotion, further simulator sessions are planned ahead of the Dijon round, where I also intend to work closely with my engineer to gain a better understanding of my car by analysing data and footage from on-board cameras. My goal of a podium finish remains unchanged… »