Dubai, UAE: Last month Scuderia Ferrari Formula One driver Charles Leclerc launched his own kart brand in association with Birel ART, and local Dubai Kartdrome racer Jamie Day, who has already tested and raced on the chassis, has been officially selected to be a factory driver running under the established Lennox Racing Team based in Italy.
2019 Junior Dubai O Plate champion Jamie Day is set to step up to senior karts in the 2020 European competitions and World Championship in OK Category, which is the highest level in the World.
Day, who has been karting since he was the age of four, began his racing career at Dubai Kartdrome with the Dubai Bambino Cup at five years old and then the Sodi World Series (SWS) Junior Cup when he turned seven.
Over the last five years, Day has been winning karting titles and starring on the global karting stage with accolades including the UAE RMC Micro Max title (2014/15), Micro Max Dubai O Plate title (2014), Vice-Champion at The Euro Finale (2014), UAE Mini Max Champion (2016/17), British plus has come third in the British OKJ Championship and has been Vice World Champion at the Rotax Grand Finals.
In 2019 Day has been racing at the highest level in Junior karting in the WSK and CIK championships, scoring numerous podiums and wins at Lonato, Angerville and Kristianstad. Along with taking the French Championship, he is ranked third in the world across all competitions this year, placing sixth in the CIK Europeans and sixth also in the Worlds.
On this year’s achievements, Day said, “We have had a great season, which to be honest could have been better without some issues, but to be placed where I am out of the best in the world means a lot.”
The now 14-year-old is excited about the opportunities for 2020 and says the chance to be closely aligned with the Ferrari driver - who will personally be hands-on with advice and support during the upcoming season - is something he’s making the most of.
“It’s all very exciting, Charles is very humble with what he does and he’s very supportive about the weekend we had racing his new kart in America recently; he asked how his kart is and how it needs to improve, which shows he’s very supportive of the team,” said Day.
“It was very cool to meet him at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and spend the day at Ferrari, and just seeing how his life in Ferrari is really. Charles plans to give support to the Lennox Racing Team and he will be attending a few of the races, it will be exciting having a big name in racing watching over us. It won’t be the easiest of seasons, the highest level of karting never is, so we will be giving it 100% as we move into Seniors.”
Day said the long-term plan is to spend the next twelve months racing the Ferrari ace’s kart, in preparation for a step up into since-seaters this time next year.
“This year we’re purely focussing on karting and doing our best for the team and Charles Leclerc karting department because it’s going to be a very competitive season. But then the plan is to have my first race in Formula 4 this time next year at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix if the chance arises again for F4UAE to support F1. That would just be ideal to go through a year on Charles’ kart and then race in front of him, hopefully winning a race like the team did this year,” concluded Day.
Jamie Day is the son of Kevin Day, owner of Xcel Motorsport which claimed the drivers, teams and rookie championship titles in the 2018/2019 F4UAE Championship, based in the United Arab Emirates. Xcel Motorsport also won Race 2 at the recent F4UAE Trophy Round which supported the 2019 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.