- Oliver Rowland and Nyck de Vries - © PHOTO CIK/HEIRMAN
Formula 1 may be viewed as the pinnacle of motorsport, but the level of competition and rivalry is no less intense in the junior ranks. That’s especially true of Super KF – karting’s blue-riband series and one of the most competitive and closely fought championships in the whole of motorsport.
With two of McLaren’s Young Driver protégés, Briton Oliver Rowland and Dutch driver Nyck de Vries, both competing in Super KF, the series has a particular resonance for everyone at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes.
So when Oliver dominated Sunday’s most recent fixture in Japan at the Suzuka grand prix circuit’s kart track, and his success was backed up by Nyck’s third place finish, the result was particularly pleasing.
The pair, who are entered by Italian veteran Dino Chiesa’s Chiesa Corse squad, sealed the front row, with Oliver motoring to a fine victory around the 1.2km kart track, almost 15 seconds ahead of Japanese racer Shota Kiyohara. Nyck almost made it a one-two for McLaren’s juniors, until a water-flooded airbox prompted an engine misfire in the last four laps. Nevertheless, his third position concluded the podium.
The result is not only a further validation of the McLaren Young Driver programme, which assists and guides the careers of several young racers around the world, but it also marks a moment of personal triumph for Oliver, whose victory on Sunday was of great significance.
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team principal Martin Whitmarsh said: “The Super KF championship is the Formula 1 of karting – it’s an incredibly tough series where only the strongest and fiercest drivers prosper. To see Oliver taking the top step of the podium in what was doubtless another closely fought round is particularly pleasing for all of us here at McLaren.
“Nyck’s podium position also marks him out as a potential star of the future. We’re extremely pleased with this result, and the progress of both drivers in the Super KF championship.”