The drivers who will write the future of motorsport

Giovanni Minardi and Dorothea Schulz often repeat it when they talk about their work: talent is not created, it is found, protected and guided. For over twenty years, DAG Management has been working on this principle with the same consistency with which something solid is built — without shortcuts, without excessive promises, with the patience of those who know that real results take time. The 2026 season opens with twenty drivers, eleven different nationalities, three macro-categories of competition. From karting to single-seaters, passing through Gran Turismo and prototypes, this is their story.

GT AND PROTOTYPES
Covered wheels, long races, pit stops to coordinate and a crewmate with whom to share everything — including nervousness. Welcome to GT and prototypes, where pure speed is just one of the variables at play. The GT3 and GT Cup cars are powerful cars with a strong technological component — sophisticated aerodynamics, tires at the limit of physics, thermal management to be calibrated race by race — but the real challenge is human: adapt your style to the tactical situation, maintain concentration and pace in races that last from 50 minutes to 3 hours, and find the right understanding with those sitting in the other half of the garage. The Italian GT championships — Sprint and Endurance — are among the most competitive in Europe, with a calendar built on historic circuits such as Imola, Mugello, Vallelunga and Monza. The prototypes, with the Wolf GB08 Raiden of the Italian Sport Prototypes Championship, add the dimension of the open and light car, closer in sensation to a single seater, with a learning curve that requires rapid adaptation.

Matteo Bergonzini — Spilamberto, province of Modena. For those who don’t know it, that strip of Emilian land at the foot of the Apennines is known all over the world for two reasons: traditional balsamic vinegar and the visceral passion for engines. Bergonzini built his identity as a driver there, with the slow and tenacious pace of someone who knows that important things are built brick by brick. Trained in covered wheels since 2007 with the Proteam Motorsport team in the Clio RS Cup by Peroni Race (where he finished third in the Under 25 championship in his first year), Matteo has gone through years of ups and downs, sporadic weekends and never enough budgets. But he never stopped. In 2025, for the first time, he had the opportunity to compete in a complete championship: the Italian GT Endurance Championship with SP Racing in a Porsche 992 GT3 Cup. The result — fourth in the overall standings, with a podium won in the last race of the season at the Mugello Circuit — says little about the numbers and a lot about the character. In a season in which a technical problem forced him to retire at Imola when he was leading a minute and a half from the chequered flag, Bergonzini took the blow and went to Mugello with a straight head. As he himself said: “Spilamberto is a point of reference for those who visit the automotive companies in the area, creating a special link between engines, flavors and culture. Running with this bond behind me gives me extra energy and motivation.” 2026 is the time to stop settling for fourth place.

Mattia Bucci — Pescara, born in 2007. Seven consecutive years with the same agency, a bond renewed for another five: in the world of motorsport, it is not the norm. Mattia Bucci found his home and had no reason to leave. Versatility is his identity card: in 2024 he raced in the Italian GT Championship with a Ferrari 296 in the GT Cup, living the dream of driving at the Temple of Speed with an iconic car. His words after Monza tell it all: “It’s a dream to race in the ‘Temple of Speed’ with an iconic car like Ferrari, something I always wanted as a child watching races on television or playing video games.” In 2026 the car and livery change: Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2 with DL Racing, engaged on two fronts in both the Sprint and Endurance series. But Bucci does not stop at real motorsport: he also competes in the DrivingItalia GT3 Sprint and in ACI Esport, where the agency has built a real simracing academy. Precocious maturity, adaptability and an eye already turned to the future: it is the signature of a driver who knows where he wants to go.

Miguel Maria Garcia — Asunción, Paraguay, March 9, 2000. When it is said that motorsport is a universal language, the case of Miguel Maria Garcia illustrates it better than any theory. The first Paraguayan driver in the history of the TC2000 and Super TC2000 — the flagship championships of South American motoring — Garcia has gone up and down between South America and Europe with the ease of someone who knows that on the track it is speed that counts, not the time zone. In the 2022 season, on his debut in those series, he took one pole position and five podiums. In 2023 he landed in Europe with the Italian GT Championship under the banner of Imperiale Racing on a Lamborghini GT3: two podiums on his debut in the category, plus three top-10 finishes in the French Formula Regional. That’s not all: in 2021 he had won the Paraguayan National Rally Championship overall. A driver capable of racing on any surface and with any type of car. In 2025 he seemed destined for the Indy NXT with Juncos Hollinger Racing, one of the reference teams of the North American single seat, but the project fell through. Garcia cashed in and didn’t stop. In February 2026 he has already completed two days of testing at Misano; by the end of the month two more will follow in Vallelunga, and in April a day in Imola will close the phase leading up to the season. The machine heats up. Garcia is already in race mode.

Federico Sbardellati — Rome, 9 December 2010. Fifteen years. Federico’s story begins in an unusual way: not with a karting race seen from the side of the track, not with a father who takes him on the first wheel. Start with a movie. “Rush”, the story of the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Federico watches that film and something clicks: it’s not just about speed, but about the story of those who build something from nothing and win against all odds. For him, 2026 opens with ambitious and top-level plans, a path built with care and foresight by those who follow him and believe in him. Those who know him say that he is an unusual guy: his hobbies include flight simulator and water polo, and his favorite circuit — Wackersdorf, Bavaria — is not exactly what you expect from a 15-year-old Roman. What is most striking is his approach to preparation: Sbardellati actively uses simracing to refine his speed and intensify training, treating the simulator as a natural extension of the track. The car has already found the right driver.

Manuel Quondamcarlo — Avezzano, 6 February 2007. Marsica, in the Abruzzo hinterland, is not one of the traditional cradles of motorsport. There are no kart tracks at every intersection, there are no historic motorsport families at dinner. Manuel Quondamcarlo comes from there, and this makes him, in a way, different from the others. Those who have crossed paths with him in the paddock always say the same thing: “He has the real stuff”. An article in La Notizia Sportiva had called him a “suburban boy who lives on passion” — a no-nonsense description that Manuel himself would probably not refuse. After two years of sporadic races due to lack of budget, in 2025 he finally got a complete program: the X-GT4 Italy championship with LR Dynamics Motorsport on Ligier JS2 R. The most significant result came in April at Imola: second place in the race, the podium that is worth a season. His idol is Max Verstappen. His favorite hobbies are boxing and athletics. The circuit of the heart is Imola, the same track where he signed the most beautiful result. 2026 aims to consolidate in the Italian championship with the Ligier JS2 R: the speed is there, the experience is built race after race.

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SINGLE-SEATERS
Formula 4 is the first formal step of the pyramid of professional single-seaters: the category where karting meets motorsport on four wheels. Regulated by the FIA, F4 is designed to be the testing ground for future Formula 3, Formula 2 and — for those with talent, resources and luck — Formula 1. The cars have about 160 horsepower, a monocoque chassis and a regulated set-up that reduces the technical variables to put the driver at the center. Winter series such as the Formula Winter Series and summer series such as the F4 Central European Series build a dense international calendar that puts young drivers in front of ever-changing circuits, unpredictable weather conditions and increasingly fierce opponents. Three of DAG Management’s most anticipated promises make their debut here in 2026.

Mio Olert — Söråker, Sweden, seventeen years old. Mio Olert, in an interview, said something that makes any other presentation superfluous: “You live once, so why waste time on things not worth it?” He knows what that phrase means. At the age of six, he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Two and a half years of therapy, a year and a half spent in hospital. The recovery came. Karting found him almost by chance at the age of nine — later than the standards of the European nursery — and the progression was rapid until he became the first poleman in the history of the FIA Karting Academy Trophy in the Senior category. His brother Max, fourteen, also races. And here the story takes a turn that is worth telling: during the darkest days of the disease, it was Kimi Räikkönen who sent little Mio his own racing suit with a handwritten message — “Get well soon, Mio” — which still hangs on the wall in his room in Söråker today. At the beginning of 2026, after months of intensive testing including those at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Mio Olert made his debut in Formula 4 CEZ with SG Motors. Every race is a privilege that he has learned not to take for granted.

→ Read the full interview on Pit Talk

Markas Silkunas — Lithuania, seventeen years old. Precise, analytical, with his head already on the higher categories: this is how those who work with Markas Silkunas describe him. And the results prove this assessment right. The victory at the FIA Motorsport Games and the triumph at the COTFAP in Macau at the beginning of 2026 — both in the Senior category — were not strokes of luck: they were tactical constructions of a driver who studies each race before running it. In Macau, Markas and his sister Vanesa dominated the weekend, finishing in the top two places. In an interview with Pit Talk, he explained his approach to overtaking with disarming lucidity for his age: “I always look for the right moment when I can make the move without wasting too much time, but in racing, if you don’t overtake, someone else will.” From 2026, with Jenzer Motorsport in the Formula Winter Series between Portugal and Spain, the single-seater chapter begins. The declared goal, without rhetoric or shyness, is Formula 1. Seventeen-year-old, Lithuanian, already in F4: the road is long, but he seems to already have every corner in mind.

→ Read the full interview on Pit Talk

Milla Sjöstrand — Södertälje, Sweden, May 3, 2008. Milla Sjöstrand has a record that probably no other driver has ever achieved: she is the only one in the history of the FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars programme to have been selected for three consecutive editions — in 2020, 2021 and 2023. In 2021 it had already finished in the last four, with a week of testing in Maranello under the eyes of the Ferrari Driver Academy technicians. He started driving a kart at the age of four. First seven-man race. His declared idols are Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel — “but I want to surpass them,” he said, without sounding arrogant. In the interview with Pit Talk, she recounted how the 2023 selection took place on a new circuit and in Formula 4, a leap in level that she faced like any other challenge: with preparation and determination. In 2025, he made his Formula 4 debut at Padborg Park with STEP Motorsport, scoring points in two out of three races. In 2026, the path in the F4 Central European Series continues, with Monaco as the circuit of dreams and a bigger goal: to bring the Swedish flag back to Formula 1. Her motto is “Relentless by nature” — and after an hour of conversation with her, you don’t even doubt it.

→ Read the full interview on Pit Talk

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KARTING
Karting is not a preparatory category. It is a complete discipline, with its own technique, its own physics and its own culture. At an international level — in the WSK, Champions of the Future, FIA Karting series — young kart drivers from all over the world compete on tracks such as South Garda Karting, La Conca and the Iberian circuits with the same intensity and professionalism found in the senior categories. The main categories are sorted by age and volume: Mini and Micro for the youngest, OKJ (OK Junior) for under 14-15, OK for drivers up to 18 years old. The transition between categories is one of the most delicate transitions in a kart driver’s career: each step brings new power, new tires and increasingly experienced opponents. DAG Management in 2026 will field fourteen drivers in this discipline — the largest patrol in the agency, and the one where the future of the roster in the coming years is at stake.

Julia Angelard — Poland, born in 2012, fourteen years old. At first glance, it might seem like one profile among many in the international karting scene. But Julia Angelard is many things together: member of the ORLEN Motorsport Academy, official Birel ART driver for 2026 with the support of the Richard Mille Young Talent Academy — one of the most exclusive and coveted awards in world karting — one of the nine drivers globally selected by the F1 Academy Discover Your Drive, and part of the More Than Equal project — the initiative co-founded by former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard and entrepreneur Karel Komárek to develop the first Formula 1 women’s world champion — with a training camp in Manchester already completed in January. In 2024, she was the only Polish woman among the twenty finalists in the Iron Dames Young Talents shootout. He has been competing since the age of four. In 2026, its program is among the densest of the entire roster: seven competition series, with the most important reference point being the FIA Karting European Championship and the FIA Karting World Championship, both tackled under the banner of the Richard Mille Young Talent Academy. To these are added the WSK, the Champions of the Future Academy and the Polish Championship. It is no coincidence that insiders are already talking about it today.

Rivaan Dev Preetham — Chennai, India, April 18, 2013. Twelve years. When the agency announced his entry into the roster in February 2026, that news had a very specific weight: Rivaan is the first Indian driver in the history of DAG Management. In a country of 1.4 billion people where motorsport is growing rapidly, it is something that goes beyond the individual. But the numbers speak for themselves: three consecutive MECO FMSCI Indian National Championships won between 2023 and 2025 in the Micro Max category. And then Valencia, 27 October 2024: Rivaan becomes the first Indian driver to win a race at the FIA Motorsport Games. In 2025, in his first international season in the Champions of the Future Academy Program — six rounds between Portugal, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Qatar and the Emirates — in Valencia he recovered from twentieth position in qualifying to finish fifth in Heat 2 and eleventh in the final among 37 drivers from over thirty nations. The 2026 calendar covers three continents: six rounds of the Champions of the Future Academy Program (Valencia, Thessaloniki, Viterbo, Muscat, Al Ain, Al Forsan), five rounds of the MECO-FMSCI Indian National Championship and three rounds of the MECO-Meritus Cup in India. His idol is Fernando Alonso. That is the route.

Benjamin Westwood — Malta, twelve years old. Small island, big ambitions. Benjamin Westwood brings the colors of Malta to the European circuits with the Pantano Racing Team in the OKJ category. Those who follow him on the track say that in the dry he is already at a level that goes beyond his age, and that the work in progress mainly concerns wet management — the variable that more than any other separates the fast from the complete. In Viterbo, in the first round of the WSK 2026, he signed his first victory in a heat by finishing second in the qualifying group. His favourite circuit is South Garda Karting, one of the reference tracks for European karting: a choice that says a lot about the type of technical driver he is becoming. The 2026 calendar is among the most complete of the roster: WSK Super Master Series, Champions of the Future, FIA European Championship, WSK Euro Series, WSK Final Cup and the FIA World Championship in Bahrain. An all-round international program.

Nilas Malik — Denmark, thirteen years old. Giovanni Minardi has a skill: he can see talent even when the results hide it. Nilas Malik is one of those cases. At the IAME Warrior Finals in Zuera in 2024, the Dane finished twenty-fourth, but his lap times were better than those of the leaders. Minardi observes him, understands what he is seeing, and takes him. At the IAME Winter Cup Valencia 2026, Nilas shows why that rating was well-founded: fourth in qualifying, second in one of the heats, tenth overall — and the finals are canceled due to the weather before he can show his best. The raw talent is visible. The work to turn it into results has already begun.

Jason Kosmopoulos — Thessaloniki, Greece, February 14, 2013. Jason is CRG Factory Driver — an award that already speaks for itself in the world of international karting. In 2022 he won the Rotax Max Challenge Greece in the Micro Max category. Outside karting, his life is a catalog of transversal adrenaline: sim racing, alpine skiing, climbing, football, fishing. A curious, mobile, hard-to-stop character — exactly the kind of mind that works under pressure in the final corners of a final. His favorite circuit is South Garda Karting. The 2026 program is identical in ambition to that of the best kart drivers of its generation: WSK Super Master Series, Champions of the Future, FIA European Championship, WSK Euro Series, WSK Final Cup and the FIA World Championship in Bahrain, all in the OKJ category. The goal is to translate talent into points on every circuit in Europe.

Nefeli Kosmopoulou — Greece, thirteen years old. Jason’s sister. Two brothers in the same stable, the same agency, the same passion — but different characters, different styles, different trajectories. Nefeli is CRG Factory Driver in the OK category, supported by Alumil and Circuit 27. At the WSK in Viterbo in 2026, in a single heat, he recovered eighteen positions. Eighteen. In a single race. The agency commented with three words: “heart, fight & beauty in motion”. Translation from paddock jargon: Nefeli is never satisfied with where he starts. The 2026 program sees her engaged on all fronts that matter: WSK Super Master Series, Champions of the Future, FIA European Championship, WSK Euro Series, WSK Final Cup and the FIA World Championship in Bahrain. A season to show that the talent seen in Viterbo was not an isolated episode.

Maxime Noeppel — France. He started driving a baby kart at the age of three. First real race at seven years old in the Swiss Vega Trofeo X30 Mini, where he finished in the top three. Then a break of a year and a half — not by choice, but for family logistics — which could have extinguished the flame. The flame remained lit. In 2025 he raced in the FFSA Academy Junior championship with RLS Competition, the French training championship that feeds the international categories every year. The most significant result: eighth place in Varennes-sur-Allier after a comeback of nine positions. Those who know him define him as intellectually precocious — a young man who thinks about driving with a lucidity unusual for his age. In 2026, the focus is on the national title: Maxime is aiming for the FFSA Academy Junior championship with the declared goal of winning it and arriving in Formula 4 as soon as possible. He also joins the French path some rounds of the Champions of the Future at international level. The trajectory is traced: champion in France, then the single-seater.

Brodi Cooper Dowling — South Africa, twelve years old. South Africa’s Rotax Mini Max National Champion in 2025 — the most important title in South African karting in its category. Not only that: in 2024 he had already won the Rotax Mini Max Regional Championship with the title of Rookie of the Year, and in 2023 he had done the same in the Micro Max. A constant progression, year after year. 2026 is the year of the big leap: Brodi Cooper Dowling arrives in WSK international karting as a preparation for an even more structured program in 2027. The calendar combines the South African base — Rotax Max Challenge South Africa and regional circuits of the Western Province — with the European front: ACI Karting Italian Championship in Viterbo, FIA Karting World Cup in Viterbo and WSK Final Cup between Lonato and Franciacorta. A year of international construction, with 2027 already on the horizon.

Tariq Soofi — Bahrain. There is one thing that unites all the championships where Tariq Soofi has put a wheel on the ground so far: he has won. Wherever he went, he won. He is the only Bahraini driver who races permanently in Europe, a fact that alone tells how exceptional his position is in the international karting scene. Bahrain isn’t the first country that comes to mind when thinking about the European karting nursery — but Tariq Soofi is changing that perception on his own. He made his karting debut in 2023 at Bahrain Racing Motor Club with immediate victories. In 2024, he qualified for the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Final. In 2025 it qualified again, and in the same year it made its debut at the Italy ROK Cup Mini U10: the first direct confrontation with the European nursery, with results that already speak a clear language. In 2026 the program becomes structured and continuous: Kalì Kart — brand of the CRG group — in the WSK Euro Series, Mini GR3 category. Every race in Europe is a test that few Gulf riders have ever been able to face. Tariq collects them all, with the determination of someone who knows that his place is here.

Vanesa Silkunaite — Lithuania, OK category. Markas’ sister, daughter of the same school. But Vanesa is not someone’s sister: she is a driver with her own racing identity who took her place in 2026 at the COTFAP in Macau. Race 1: second place. Race 2: victory. Second overall in the final result. The same weekend that her brother Markas won the general classification, Vanesa climbed to the top step of the podium in a race. 2026 is the year of FIA commitments for her: the calendar includes the Champions of the Future Academy Program with six international rounds (Valencia, Thessaloniki, Viterbo, Muscat, Al Ain, Al Forsan), the FIA Academy Trophy Senior with three rounds (Valencia, Mülsen, Kristianstad), the FIA World Cup in Viterbo and the FIA Motorsport Games 2026. In the WSK series, where he races in the OK category, the qualifying time counts, but the ability to fight and overtake more experienced opponents counts more. The agency describes her as someone who “fights like a lioness.” Macau’s results — and the 2026 calendar — speak for themselves.

Vladimir Ivannikov — Moscow, Russia, June 19, 2010 (residing in Italy), OK category. In the WSK paddocks he is one of the names that the most attentive already know well — and those who have seen him ride in person immediately understand why. His driving is impressive, almost moving in his precision and controlled aggressiveness – he is the kind of driver you don’t easily forget. He races with Birel Art Racing Team and brings an already significant palmares to the track: Italian ACI Karting Sarno 2023 champion in the OKJ category, winner of the WSK Euro Series in Lonato 2022 in Mini Gr3, and runner-up at Round III of the FIA European Championship in Viterbo 2025 in OK. Off track, his hobbies are those of those who think in an unconventional way: juggling, table tennis, chess, padel. His favorite circuit is South Garda Karting. In 2026, the program is international and non-stop: WSK Super Master Series, WSK Euro Series, Champions of the Future, FIA European Championship, FIA World Championship and WSK Final Cup — all in the OK category with Birel Art. A season as a protagonist for one of the agency’s top drivers.

Zack Zhu — China, OKJ category. Zack Zhu is one of those products that Chinese karting manages to generate when the conditions are right: pure talent, supported with strength and determination by Chinese private individuals who believe in the project. The numbers of the WSK Super Master Series in Sarno say only one thing: eight overtaking moves in a Pre-Final. Eight overtakes are not a matter of style: they tell the story of a driver who does not stop, who always looks for the trajectory to overtake, who uses every meter of track available. In Viterbo, he set the best time in free practice, then recovered eight positions in the Pre-Final and another six in the final. Zhu’s is not the speed of someone who manages an advantage: it is the speed of someone who starts behind and knows how to get back to the front. The 2026 calendar sees him involved in the WSK Super Master Series, the Champions of the Future, the FIA European Championship, the WSK Euro Series, the WSK Final Cup and the FIA World Championship in Bahrain. A continuous test to see how far that mentality can go.

Matteo Gallo — France, born in 2011. Fourteen years. Matteo Gallo arrives at DAG Management with just over two years of experience in international karting — a background that, in a landscape where many colleagues were already competing when they knew how to walk, might seem small. But those who saw him drive were faced with something immediate and difficult to explain: an impressive natural speed and an exceptional level of commitment to his own development. What is most striking is his determination to improve every session, the strong work ethic and the passion he brings to the track — qualities that are fundamental for any driver who aims to build a solid path in motorsport. The 2026 program is immediately at a high level: WSK Super Master Series, Champions of the Future, FIA European Championship and FIA World Championship, all in the OK category, with direct confrontation with the best senior kart drivers on the world scene. For DAG Management, the role will be to support him in structuring his progression, helping him to gain the necessary experience and to continue to develop the raw speed and potential already demonstrated. A profile to be built with patience and method — which is exactly the kind of job that DAG Management does best.

Twenty-one drivers. Eleven nationalities. A method.
Almost all the profiles on this list have one thing in common: none have had the road paved. There are those who have faced a serious illness, those who come from a country with no tradition in European motorsport, those who have waited years to have a complete championship, those who have found their passion in a film rather than on track. Giovanni Minardi and Dorothea Schulz, who have seen enough motorsport to be able to distinguish talent from luck, have chosen these twenty stories — and that is already a guarantee. The 2026 season has just begun. Keep an eye on them.

Author: Francesco Svelto

16-årige Timrågrabben Mio Olert har ställt in siktet på en karriär inom racingsporten. Tillsammans med en italiensk manager och ett internationellt motorteam ska han i år dra igång satsningen i Formel 4. – Allt känns nytt och spännande. En av utmaningarna blir att finansiera det hela, vi har en budget på 3,5 miljoner kronor i år, säger Mio som när han var barn blev omskriven för sin kamp mot leukemi.

Mio Olerts familj håller just nu på att rusta upp Merlo slott med tan- ke på att under året flytta in per- manent i den ståtliga byggnaden.

På slottsområdet finns också en stor byggnad med loge, där nystartade bilfirman Drive On håller till och säljer begagnade bilar. I bilfirman arbetar den 16-årige Mio Olert, men han läser också första året på försäljnings- och service- programmet på Timrå gymnasium – samt har en ovanlig dröm för att vara en ung norrlänning.

Han vill bli racerförare och tävla på de inter- nationella banorna, längst upp finns drömmen att köra Formel 1, den mest prestigefyllda och adrenalinstinna av alla motorsporter. Om detta fick Mio berätta för inbjudna gäster en kväll i bilhallen intill slottet. På plats var också hans italienske manager Giovanni Minardi, en man med lång erfarenhet från racingvärlden.

– Den här träffen handlar om att presentera vår satsning för potentiella sponsorer. Det känns viktigt att vi har Giovanni med oss, han kommer från en familj som drivit Formel 1-stall, han har alla kontakter i branschen och har även lotsat fle- ra förare fram till Formel 1, säger Mio.

NÄR KVÄLLENS PRESENTATION kommer igång är det ändå Mio själv som står i rampljuset och som på ett för åldern moget sätt berättar om sin uppväxt, sin bakgrund som gokartförare och om planerna för Formel 4.

Att han hade en tuff tid som barn tar han ock- så upp. Då han var sex år gammal fick han lym- fatisk leukemi, en form av cancer som barn kan drabbas av. När det var som värst bestod 80 pro- cent av hans blod av leukemiceller, men hans lilla kropp svarade bra på tuffast tänkbara behandling med cellgifter. Det tog 2,5 år med täta besök på

universitetssjukhuset i Umeå och på sjukhuset i Sundsvall innan cancern var besegrad. Familjen satte livet på paus, medan de kämpade sig ige- nom den svåra tiden.

– Det här är en tid jag inte har så många min- nen av, men när jag blev frisk hade jag i alla fall bestämt mig för att göra saker som jag verkligen vill och inte gå och vänta. Livet kan man inte ta för givet, säger Mio.

En av de sakerna var att börja köra gokart. Drömmen om att bli racerförare blev inte mindre av att Kimi Räikkönen, världsmästare i Formel 1 2007, skickade sin tävlingsoverall som present till Mio.

HAN KÖRDE SIN FÖRSTA TÄVLING på gokart-banan när han var tio år, och framgångarna har varit många sedan dess. 2024 vann han den rikstäckande tävlingsserien RMC och 2025 blev

han som ende svensk uttagen att köra internationella tävlingsserien Senior Academy Trophy, där tog han en sensationell Pole Position i första deltävlingen i Portu- gal. Han slutade sexa totalt i de tre deltävlingarna och fick mycket beröm av den svenske förbundskaptenen inom bilsport Pier Steffansson.

Inför 2026 har Mio nu alltså tagit steget att börja köra Formel 4, och kan se fram emot sex tävlingshelger varav två i Österrike, två i Ungern och två i Tjeckien. Tävlingarna går på stora banor där bla Formel 1 körs, den första tävlingshelgen går av stapeln på erkända RedBull Ring i Österrike. En satsning som han för- bereder sig för genom att bland annat öva i en simu- lator, träna på gym och träna mental styrka hos ett institut specialiserat på racerförare.

– Skillnaden mellan gokart och Formel 4 är väldigt stor. Jag kommer att sitta i en bil med 180 hästkrafter och ha broms på alla fyra hjul vilket är något helt annat än i en gokart.

STOR SKILLNAD ÄR DET OCKSÅ I KOSTNADER för att

vara med på denna nivå. Budgeten för 2026 ligger på 3,5 miljoner kronor, och då inkluderas tester och resor till sex tävlingshelger med tre race per helg. Bara att åka iväg och träningsköra en dag kostar cirka 100 000 kronor, och hittills har Mio varit i Italien och Spanien vid två tillfällen och rattat en Formel 4-bil. Till det be- hövs sponsorer, och därför var företagare inbjudna till eventet i bilhallen. – Vi erbjuder olika paket för att vara med på sats- ningen, och de innehåller lite olika saker, till exempel logga på min overall eller medverkan på event som är kopplade till tävlingarna. Vi för diskussioner med flera möjliga sponsorer, säger Mio.

“De som tävlar i Formel 1 kan tjäna stora pengar, men innan man är framme där är sporten nog mest förenad med utgifter.”

Namn: Mio Olert
Ålder: 16 (fyller 17 i mars)
Familj: flappa Jonas, mamma Jennie och lillebror Max (även han framgångsrik gokartförare)
Bor: Villa i Söråker, men snart Merlo slott
Gör: Läser första året på försälj- nings- och serviceprogrammet på Timrå gymnasium, påbörjar karriär som racerförare och driver bilfirman Drive On med kollegan Carl Andersson.
Favoritmat: Tacos
Bästa film/tv-serie: Drive to survive
Förebild: Kimi Räikkönen

• De som tävlar i Formel 1 kan tjäna stora pengar, men innan man är framme där är sport- en nog mest förenad med utgifter, tillägger han med ett leende.

I EN PAUS PÅ SPONSOREVENTET får vi en prat- stund med managern Giovanni Minardi. Han

är tydlig med att Mio enligt honom har väldigt goda förutsättningar för att ge sig in i racing- cirkusen.

• Att han kan köra fort har jag redan sett, men det är det många som kan. Det som sticker ut med Mio är hans mognad och lugn, som jag är

övertygad om kommer från hans erfarenheter med sjukdomen i barndomen. Han har visat prov på klokt tänkande som han kommer att ha nytta av i den här branschen, säger Giovanni.

När italienaren visar upp en bild för publiken på eventet är det tydligt att han har planen klar och att siktet för Mio ska vara inställt på att via flera trappsteg nå Formel 1.

• Det är lång väg dit, men man måste börja någonstans. Skulle det lyckas så är det en dröm som går i uppfyllelse, räcker det inte ända fram så kommer jag inte att känna någon besvikelse

för det. Allt känns bara roligt och spännande att få vara med om, säger Mio och tillägger:

• Det är ett litet nålsöga att ta sig igenom för att nå Formel 1, men det finns trots allt fler vägar än den som jag påbörjar nu så jag låser inte fast mig på något sätt. Racing handlar mycket om tillfälligheter och ta chanserna när de kommer.

I USA finns många grenar som till exempel IndyCar och även i Asien börjar bilsport bli stort med många serier och mästerskap.

📄Source

• The first round of the Champions of the Future Academy, held in Valencia, ended last weekend.
• Despite her excellent form in training, Julia Angelard faced problems with her engine during Saturday’s qualifying and races.
• The 14-year-old Pole, who is currently in 19th place in the general classification, is heading to Italy, where she will take part in the fourth round of the WSK Super Master Series at the Lonato track this coming weekend.

After three rounds in Italy, last weekend Julia Angelard – representing the ORLEN Motorsport Academy – travelled to Spain to face a completely different competition. There, at the Kartodromo Internacional Lucas Guerrero track, the first round, inaugurating the 2026 Champions of the Future Academy season, took place from February 27 to March 1, 2026. It is in this series that the teenage Polish driver is representing the F1 Academy Discover Your Drive program, as one of only nine competitors in the entire field, including three in her category.

Engine problems
The COTFA series has a unique feature: each day, competitors are randomly assigned a new engine, which, in principle, should even the playing field. Unfortunately, in practice, the situation isn’t always so rosy. The engine drawn on Friday allowed for excellent pace, allowing Julia Angelard to place in the top five in practice sessions. Unfortunately, Saturday’s competition was marked by a battle with completely different engines, which proved faulty and even required replacements with working units by the organizers.

As a result, Julia Angelard first tried to minimize the losses resulting from the problematic engine, and then fought in the middle of the pack, trying to find a good pace. The teenage Polish driver finished Saturday’s final in 14th place, while in Sunday’s race, she placed around the second ten. As a result, the F1 Academy Discover Your Drive, More Than Equal program, and ORLEN Motorsport Academy protégé finished the first weekend of Champions of The Future Academy in 19th place overall.

The Polish teenager’s result is solid considering the competitive COTFA field, but she was hungry for more, aiming to finish higher in the overall standings. Now Julia has another chance for a good result – the fourteen-year-old is heading back to Italy to compete in the fourth round of the WSK Super Master Series at her favorite track, South Garda Karting in Lonato.

Julia Angelard: I like competing in Lonato
“The thing about choosing engines every day is that you never know which one you’ll end up with. The one I used in the practice sessions allowed me to achieve results at the very top. Unfortunately, Saturday and Sunday’s engines proved problematic, forcing me to fight in the middle of the pack and struggling to find a good pace. However, I’m happy with the experience I gained this weekend on a completely new track for me, and I hope that the next rounds of the Champions of the Future Academy – the series in which I compete with the support of F1 Academy Discover Your Drive – will be much better. Now I’m off to Italy for another week of racing! I like competing in Lonato – the South Garda Karting track is one of my favorites, and I have many fond memories there. I hope that the upcoming weekend will bring better results,” admits the driver of Minardi Management powered by Dag Ltd.

Julia Angelard’s race schedule in Lonato
Friday, 06.03.2026
08:50 – Free Practice, series 1
09:00 – Free Practice, series 2
09:10 – Free Practice, series 3
11:10 – Qualifying Practice, series 1
11:20 – Qualifying Practice, series 2
11:30 – Qualifying Practice, series 3
14:40 – Eliminatory Heat C-E
15:00 – Eliminatory Heat B-D
17:40 – Eliminatory Heat A-E
18:00 – Eliminatory Heat C-D

Saturday, 07.03.2026
08:32 – Warm up, odd numbers
08:40 – Warm up, evens numbers
11:00 – Eliminatory Heat A-B
11:20 – Eliminatory Heat D-E
14:40 – Eliminatory Heat A-C
15:00 – Eliminatory Heat B-E
17:40 – Eliminatory Heat A-D
18:00 – Eliminatory Heat B-C

Sunday, 08.03.2026
08:32 – Warm up, odd numbers
08:40 – Warm up, even numbers
11:00 – Prefinal A
11:20 – Prefinal B
14:35 – Final

Every female driver needs to be visible in such a men’s world. One of them, aiming to race in 2026 in Formula 4 is 17 years old Milla Sjöstrand. Please, sit in a comfort way and dive into our interview, where we try to flow naturally, starting from her karting roots, F4 transition, gender dynamics in racing, competitive mindset, and long-term ambitions—all informed by her known career highlights like multiple FIA Rising Stars awards, her Padborg Park F4 debut, and Minardi Management powered by Dag Ltd. backing.

Early Career and Karting Start

Przemysław Garczyński: What was the first impulse that led you to karting, and at what age did you take your very first steps on the track?

Milla Sjöstrand: When I was 4 years old my family and I were on a vacation and I got to try karting. I loved it and instantly knew that it was something I wanted to do. 

PG: Describe your debut season in OK Junior—how did finishing P10 in the Swedish Championships shape your early mindset?

MS: I stepped up to OK junior during corona when there were no races. Then the first race of the year was the Swedish Championships. It was all very new but I did my best and performed well. I’ve learnt to adapt fast and it is very beneficial in my career. 

PG: What was a standout moment from the 2021 MKR Series where you grabbed pole and P1—did that race change how you approached racing?

MS: It was a great race where I was fastest the whole day and won everything. It really showed what I was capable of and who I am. 

PG: How did competing in events like the Winter Cup in Lonato test your skills against international fields?

MS: It was a new and exciting challenge at the time. I did my best, learnt a lot and showed that I was able to perform well even on an international level. 

Przemysław Garczyński: Who were your biggest influences or role models when you started karting?

Milla Sjöstrand: My role model growing up in racing has been Sebastian Vettel. 

PG: How has your training routine evolved from those junior karting days to now?

MS: In karting I spent most days on track driving. You can get a lot of experience, and time behind the wheel there. It is a place where I learned everything I know in racing. In Formula 4, there’s a lot more happening outside of the track. I have always thought training in the gym ect is important and it’s been a big part of my life. But now it’s more than ever. I spend a lot of my time training outside of the track, so when I go on track I’ll be in good shape to perform well. 

Path to Formula 4

Przemysław Garczyński: Being selected three times for FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars is rare — how did that open doors to F4 testing with teams like Prema?

Milla Sjöstrand: It was a great opportunity for me to get time behind the wheel and learn as much as possible about the racing world and Formula 4 car. I showed that I am a fast and determined driver that wants to make it in motorsport. 

PG: What was the Ferrari evaluation in Maranello like, and how did it prepare you for real F4 cars?

MS: It was a great experience. I got to go a lot of tests and show who I am. Being in Maranello feels different because you’re surrounded by all that Ferrari history, which really pushes you to perform. It prepared me for F4 by showing me how to be much more precise. In a kart, you can be a bit more aggressive, but in an F4 car, you have to think about things like downforce and how you communicate with your team to fix the car’s setup.

PG: Tell us (if you can) about your tests with AS Motorsport, STEP Motorsport, and the Formula Global Shootout—what surprised you most about single-seaters versus karts?

MS: Testing with AS Motorsport was a real “deep end” moment — two full days in the rain! It was the perfect way to learn how sensitive an F4 car is in tough conditions compared to a kart. The Formula Global Shootout was the opposite challenge. With limited track time and 37°C heat, I had to find the limit instantly. Racing with Step Motorsport was a great opportunity. My first races with them were at Padborg Park during the night race. In my debut I performed well and I really learned a lot. I finished in the points and showed my pace compared against drivers who all had much more experience in F4 than me. 

PG: Your F4 Nordic debut at Padborg Park in September 2025 netted P10 points finishes — how tough was adapting from karting on the fly?

MS: Adapting from karting on the fly was a huge challenge, but sim racing really saved me. Since I didn’t have as much actual seat time as the other drivers, I spent hours on the simulator to get my muscle memory and braking points down before I even arrived at the track. It allowed me to adapt much faster than if I had started from scratch. Scoring points on my debut weekend against drivers with way more experience was such a massive boost and proved that the digital prep really translates to the real world.

Przemysław Garczyński: What’s one technical skill from karting that directly translated to F4 success?

Milla Sjöstrand: The biggest thing that translates from karting is definitely consistency. In a kart, you learn how to hit the same centimeter of track and the exact same braking point lap after lap, even when you’re tired or under pressure.

In F4, that discipline is what saves you. Because the car is heavier and has downforce, any small mistake is magnified. If you’re not consistent with your inputs, you lose the rhythm and the tires go off much faster. 

PG: How did e-sports like the Danish F4 championship factor into your single-seater prep?

MS: The Danish F4 e-sports championship has been great for keeping my race pace sharp after Padborg. It’s the best way to stay in the “racing mindset” during the breaks. Even if it’s digital, it forces you to stay consistent and precise.

Challenges as a Female Driver

Przemysław Garczyński: As one of few women in karting and F4, what daily challenges do you face in a male-dominated sport?

Milla Sjöstrand: To be honest, once the visor goes down, we’re all just drivers. The biggest daily challenge is probably just proving that I belong in that top group every single time I go out. I don’t focus on being a “female driver,” I just focus on being a fast one.

PG: Sweden named you its fastest female kartexpert — how does that title feel amid funding struggles many young drivers share?

MS: Being named Sweden’s fastest is a huge honor, but funding is the toughest “race” we all run. It’s a bit of a paradox—you have this great title, but you still have to work twice as hard to find the budget to stay on the grid.

PG: Have you encountered skepticism about women in racing, and how do you shut it down on track?

MS: Of course, there’s always a bit of skepticism, but I don’t use words to shut it down. I do it with late braking and clean overtakes. The lap times don’t have a gender, and once you start beating people, the talk usually stops.

PG: How does being a female driver affect sponsorship hunts—are there any strategies that worked for you?

MS: My strategy has always been showing that I’m a professional athlete with a long-term vision, not just a girl who drives cars.

Przemysław Garczyński: What’s the best advice you’ve gotten on handling gender bias in motorsport?

Milla Sjöstrand: Don’t give up. 

PG: Do you feel extra pressure to outperform as a woman, or is it all about the results?

MS: There’s definitely an extra set of eyes on you, and it feels like people notice your mistakes more. But at the end of the day, it is all about the results.

PG: How has the FIA Girls on Track program impacted your journey beyond the awards?

MS: The FIA Girls on Track program was so good for me. It really helped my career early on by giving me that massive opportunity in Maranello and showing me that there’s a clear path to the top. It gave me a lot of confidence and a great community to be part of as I was starting out.

Competing Against All Drivers

Przemysław Garczyński: In wheel-to-wheel battles, what’s your go-to strategy for outpacing top male drivers?

Milla Sjöstrand: Just drive, it doesn’t matter if it’s a woman or a man, I just want to win. 

PG: How do you stay focused on pure speed when gender talk creeps into media or paddock chatter?

MS: I don’t really listen to it. The “gender talk” is something for the media and the paddock, but for me, the only thing that matters is the result. It doesn’t have a gender. I shut out the noise by focusing on my data and working with my engineers. Results are the only language that everyone in racing understands.

Przemysław Garczyński: Does racing mixed fields motivate you more, or is it just about the podium regardless?

Milla Sjöstrand: For me, it’s always about the podium. Racing in mixed fields is just my reality—it’s how it’s been since I started at seven. I don’t get extra motivated because I’m racing guys; I get motivated because I want to be the fastest driver on that track, period.

PG: What’s your edge in qualifying—pole positions seem to be a strength early on?

MS: My edge is all about preparation and belief. I love the pressure of a qualifying lap where it’s just you and the car. I use my sim training to find those extra tenths and then I trust my instincts.

PG: How do you handle on-track aggression from rivals who might underestimate you?

MS: If a rival underestimates me and gets aggressive, I just hold my ground. I’ve been racing wheel-to-wheel for half my life, so I’m not easily intimidated. I stay smart, keep my racing clean, and let my pace do the talking. Usually, once they see you aren’t backing down, that “underestimation” disappears pretty quickly.

Future Goals: F1 Academy and Formula One

Przemysław Garczyński: With Minardi Management powered by Dag Ltd. on board since 2024, what’s your step-by-step plan to land in F1 Academy?

Milla Sjöstrand: Working with Minardi Management and DAG Ltd is all about building the right foundation. For 2026, my focus is the F4 Central European Series to get more international experience. The step-by-step plan is to prove my pace there, aim for consistent podiums, and then use that momentum to a potential seat in the F1 Academy for 2027.

PG: Let’s imagine yourself in F1 Academy—any specific teams or co-drivers you’re targeting?

MS I don’t have one specific team or co-drivers in mind yet.

PG: As for a lot of other drivers. Formula One is the endgame; who are your F1 idols, and how do you aim to surpass them?

MS: I’ve always looked up to Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel for their work ethic and how they built a team around them. Surpassing them isn’t just about trophies; it’s about taking what they did and adding my own style to it.

PG: What milestones, like more F4 podiums, do you need before pushing for higher formulas?

MS: Podiums are definitely the next big milestone. After my top-10 finishes at Padborg Park, I know the speed is there. For 2026, I need to show I can fight for the front consistently in a full championship season. 

Przemysław Garczyński: How crucial is adapting to new tracks and cars quickly for your F1 path?

Milla Sjöstrand: It’s everything. In this sport, you don’t get weeks to learn a car; you get a few sessions. My experience jumping from karting to F4, and using the sim to fill the gaps, has taught me to trust my instincts. If you can’t find the limit in the first few laps, you’re already behind.

PG: Any dream F1 teams or circuits you’re eyeing – if anything could happen? Let’s dream 😉

MS: My dream circuit is definitely Monaco — the precision required there is insane. For teams, any team would be a dream. Putting a Swedish flag back on the F1 grid is the ultimate goal.

PG: Beyond racing, how do you plan to inspire the next generation of female drivers?

MS: I try to be visible. Whether it’s speaking to 6,000 people at events or just chatting with a girl at the kart track who saw me race, I want to show that it’s possible. My advice is always: “Don’t give up.” If they see me doing it, they’ll know they can too.

PG: If F1 doesn’t happen right away, what’s Plan B to stay in elite motorsport?

MS: I’ll find a way to be behind the wheel.

Personal Insights and Wrap-Up

Przemysław Garczyński: Let’s step a little back of strictly racing. What’s your pre-race ritual to get in the zone?

Milla Sjöstrand: Before a race, I focus on staying calm and trusting the work I’ve already done. Once the helmet is on, it’s all about total focus.

PG: Balancing racing with life off-track—school, family, or hobbies—how do you manage that?

MS: I’m a normal teenager — I go to school and try to get good grades — but I also spend a lot of time in the gym and on the simulator. When I’m not racing, I love horseback riding; it’s a great way to disconnect and recharge.

PG: What is your favorite track in the world and why?

MS: I’d really like to race in Monaco, because it’s very iconic. 

Przemysław Garczyński: What’s one goal for the 2026 season you’re most excited about?

Milla Sjöstrand: I’m really excited to go and just race and show who i am. 

PG: If you were not a racing driver, who would you like to be? What was your dream job, when you were a child?

MS: I’ve been racing since I was seven, so it’s hard to imagine anything else. My dream job has always been to race. 

PG: And, just to put a strong dot, what’s the message you would like to send to young girls dreaming of F4 or beyond?

MS: My message is simple: Don’t give up. Racing is tough and there are always hurdles, but if you work harder than everyone else and stay determined, you can make it happen. The lap times don’t care who you are, only how fast you go.

PG: Thank you for your time and answers, I’m wishing you all the best and well… fingers crossed for the upcoming season!

Thank you!