15-year-old William Marshall heads to Spain for Formula 4 academy selection
15-year-old South African karting driver William Marshall has travelled to Spain to take part in the Richard Mille Young Talent Academy Formula 4 Shootout at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The Johannesburg-born racer, who now lives in Cape Town, is one of six young drivers selected for the programme, TimesLIVE reports.
Formula 4 selection
During the selection, Marshall will drive a Formula 4 car. Not only his performance on the track will be assessed, but also his physical fitness, psychological resilience, racing skills, data interpretation and ability to communicate with engineers.
Worr Motorsport head Wesley Orr, who will accompany Marshall in Spain, called his talent exceptional. According to Orr, the participant also needs to be able to work with the media and be attractive to a brand.
The programme was founded by Nicolas Todt, the son of former Ferrari head Jean Todt and the manager of Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. Jean Todt led Ferrari from 1994 to 2007, a period when the team dominated with Michael Schumacher.
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Karting and preparation in Europe
Marshall won the South African Junior Max national championship in 2024 and holds a number of karting titles. With Orr's support, he joined Ward Racing in Europe, where he has been living and training for some time on a demanding schedule.
The racer said that he drives a lot every weekend, runs in the mornings and trains in the gym in the afternoons. His favourite Formula 1 driver is four-time world champion Max Verstappen, with Marshall noting his mentality and aggressive driving style.
Marshall is also inspired by the achievements of Jody Scheckter, the only South African to have won the Formula 1 world championship title. The young racer aims to become a professional and show the world what a child from South Africa is capable of.
