Rocco Coronel, son of racing driver and Formula 1 analyst Tom Coronel, is set to make his motorsport debut at the Silverstone circuit this coming weekend. The 14-year-old talent, who has had a successful career in karting, will be venturing into real race car driving for the first time in the Ginetta Junior Winter Series. The youngest member of the Coronel family was recently included in Red Bull’s junior programme. “I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.
“My first races in a car, that’s obviously something special,” Rocco Coronel stated in an official press release. “Since I’ve never raced in a car before, I don’t have any real expectations; I mainly want to learn as much as possible and gain experience. Of course, I always aim for first place, but that’s not realistic for my first races. Just enjoy driving and then we’ll see what happens.Just over a week ago, Rocco Coronel celebrated his fourteenth birthday, but he’s already getting a taste of motorsport in the Ginetta series. This racing class features the Ginetta G40, equipped with a tubular frame, an FIA-approved roll cage, and a fiberglass body. The power comes from a 1.8-liter Ford Zetec engine with 100 horsepower. “This racing class is a great learning experience,” said father Tom Coronel. “You race on classic English circuits, truly ‘old school’; the cars are on street tires and have a differential, so you learn to come out of the corner nicely straight. It’s like a Formula Ford with a roof on it.”
R Racing
The young Dutchman joins Swedish Scott Lindblom at R Racing, another talent from the Red Bull nursery. “We are very pleased to be part of a prestigious program like Red Bull’s,” declared R Racing team boss Nathan Read. “The fact that these drivers use this as a stepping stone from karting proves that Ginetta is the leading junior class in Europe. The cars look fantastic and we can’t wait to get started.” The G40s of R Racing are adorned with the familiar Red Bull colors for the upcoming season.
“It’s a very fun car to drive,” added Rocco Coronel. “You have little grip due to the street tires and the power of 100 horsepower may not sound so exciting, but the car is also very light, so it moves quite well. You have to drive nicely clean, tight lines. I can’t wait to get in.” Three races are already scheduled at Silverstone. Racing will take place on Saturday at 11:28 UTC and 14:48 UTC, and on Sunday at 10:48 UTC. The action can be followed live on the BRSCC YouTube channel.
