14-Year-Old Athlete Could Be Malta’s Best Hope Of One Day Tearing It Up In Formula 1
Many of us have, at some point, dreamed of going head-to-head with some of Formula 1’s big names. But for one Malta-based youth, this dream could one day be made a reality.
On March 30th, AKM Motorsport driver Zachary David found himself hitting the Formula 4 preseason at the Red Bull Ring in Italy, capping a time of 1m31.944s, just +0.717s off from first placed Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
During the event, the 14-year-old placed eighth out of a total of 18 drivers who hailed from various countries across the globe. And with what team? None other than that of the Sauber Academy.
Lovin Malta sat down with the young driver, who was beside himself with his performance on the day:
“Driving there was a great experience, especially when compared to the tracks I’ve already driven on. It’s a world-famous track used by F1 and has a lot of history behind it.”
“The pace was decent compared to others. We were actually quite fast, considering the little time we had to prepare.”
“We learn more and improve more. We continue to hunt for new experiences. Every race is an opportunity for me to gain more confidence in the car so I can go faster and faster.”
The event was squeezed into an already active competitive calendar. It came straight off the WSK Super Master Series in Sarno, Italy, and meant that he and his father had to make a 536 km trip north to the Mugello Circuit to join a 2-day pre-season test for the Italian F4 Championship.
With a constant hunger for more, Zachary now finds himself walking out of another race in Portimao, Portugal held on 9th and 10th April.
There, he qualified in 9th position within his group among a total of 71 drivers in the race. He then took to the final round, starting from the 29th position, ending the race at 23rd after his car experienced engine problems.
The occasion spurred a few comments from Zachary’s father, Jeffrey:
“We hope to be able to join the Italian F4 championships next year. He won’t be able to compete this year because he is only 14 years old. However, after F4, we climb to F3, then F2, then hopefully… F1.”
Together they now depart for Spain, where Zachary will take part in his next race in Zuera.
Zachary began his racing career in the Philippines at age seven, and has since filled his trophy cabinet with a stunning collection of national and international trophies.
Titles such as Philippine champion (2015), overall champion in the Asian Karting Open, and constant placings on podiums across the Asian continent eventually led to David landing a place on the junior Sauber team towards the end of 2021.
He will continue to race go-karts in the OK Senior category under the Sauber Academy in all major international karting events for the remainder of the 2022 season.
Having such unparalleled commitment in the constant search to up his game, amid a bright future looming on the horizon of the young driver, could this be the beginning of a bright future for Zachary David?
Share to show your support for Zachary David