Williams Racing announces up-and-coming karting star Lucas Palacio as the newest and youngest addition to its Driver Academy.
The 10-year-old American has been quick to impress in his short career, first taking to the wheel aged just three and winning on his official karting debut in 2020 aged six. Since that first race, Lucas has continued outperforming his peers, entering the Mini Swift category in 2022 with an age waiver and achieving multiple wins and podiums across championships despite being considerably younger than his competitors. Continuing his impressive rise, he won all three Mini Swift National Championships (USPKS, SKUSA Pro Tour and Stars Championship) a year later.
This year he has graduated to international karting, competing in the WSK Super Master Series where he secured a second overall result, followed by the ACI Italian Championship 60 Mini Class where he finished the series fourth out of 69 drivers. As the latest talent to join the Williams Racing Driver Academy, Lucas will receive training and guidance to nurture his skills and support his progression in the junior categories of motorsport.
He joins a growing stable of stars of the future that Williams is investing in through the Williams Racing Driver Academy, building on a proud tradition of giving young talent a path into F1 which has most recently seen Academy product Franco Colapinto graduate to an F1 race seat. The Driver Academy supports drivers on every rung of the motorsport ladder, working with them on and off the track to develop the skills necessary to race at the top level.
It is part of Williams’ commitment to opening up access to motorsport, including the Komatsu-Williams Engineering Academy which was recently launched to discover and develop the brightest and best young engineering talent around the world. We also inspire the next generation through our free-of-charge schools programme, which will this year host 5,000 8 to 15-year-olds at our Grove HQ to introduce them to STEM careers through the lens of motorsport.
Lucas Palacio: “This is a dream come true to be part of the Williams Racing family. I’ve always loved racing since the first time I drove a kart so it’s amazing to be part of this team. Now I can’t wait to get started with James Vowles, Sven Smeets, and everyone at Grove!”
Sven Smeets, Sporting Director, Williams Racing: “We’re very pleased to announce that Lucas has joined the Williams Racing Driver Academy. He’s an exciting young talent who has shown promise in his first few years in karting and has progressed quickly for his age. We’re looking forward to supporting Lucas as he continues to develop throughout his karting career.”