The New Zealand Grand Prix is a car race held in New Zealand. It's special because it's recognized as a Grand Prix even though it isn't part of the Formula 1 series, which is the most famous racing series in the world.
Formula 1 is a top-level car racing series where the fastest cars compete in races called Grands Prix. It's known for its exciting races and advanced car technology.
The BMW M2 Competition is a sporty car designed for performance. It has a powerful engine and is built for driving enthusiasts who enjoy speed and handling.
Formula One is a top-level racing series where specially designed cars compete in races called Grands Prix. It's known for its speed, technology, and global fanbase.
Alan McNish is a former racing driver from Scotland who raced in Formula One and other competitions. He now works in motorsport as a commentator and team manager.
Formula 3 is a type of car racing that helps young drivers learn and improve their skills before moving on to faster and more powerful racing series like Formula 1. The cars are designed to be simpler and less expensive than F1 cars.
LIVE
For this episode of the Motorsport Brief we are at one of the great
playgrounds of Motorsport Highlands Motorsport Park with some really
exciting news for today's special guest. Everybody rusty with you for this
edition of the Motorsport Brief shortly to Freddie Slater and a little bit of his
story and the journey so far he's got some great things to come to. Don't forget
of course we recorded in recent weeks what we've been on the tour Will Davison
a two-part feature episode his time in single-seaters in England supercars the
great and rich history that his family has in motorsport and he knows that
intimately so check that out when you when you get a moment. Let's go to Freddie
Slater of the back of last weekend's round of this championship you joined the
winners list mate that must have been superb how do you feel? Yeah I think it
was a big bounce back from the first two weekends as we know it's not been the
easiest of seasons of four weeks so far so it's a bounce back like we did and
have two wins raised him a little bit disappointed about but it's something to
learn from for sure but yeah to get two wins under the bell and be back in the
fight is a dream come true. Can we share a little bit of your journey I think the
first time you you know got a go-kart was when you're about five years of age
but your dad's got a bit of racing maybe around Porsches and stuff and how much
have it impacted that have on you as a young fella? Yeah being the first born as
well just kind of I've always went to go watch my dad and my godfather is a
driver as well so it's kind of I've always been around it and I loved anything
with an engine a motorbike quad bikes whatever it was so it just started when
I was a young age and then I couldn't think of anything better to do to be
honest so it's been a very cool journey since I was five really so it feels just
like yesterday that I was driving a go-kart around my dad's factory area
and where the trucks park and stuff so it's a pretty cool moment to be here.
I asked that he's on the tour here with us as well we'll talk a bit more about that in a
moment. Am I right in saying too that the family business has supported a
couple of other British races too? Billy Munger for example I think have you not?
Yeah Billy Munger is actually I think it's the nephew or cousin of my godfather so
we have a bit of a relationship yeah so yeah so I'll see before his terrible
crash he we were sponsored by him engineer juniors and stuff and then
obviously after we try to help as much as possible after his his crash so as
you know Billy's doing great things at the moment with all his triathlon stuff
which is pretty cool to see but yeah it's all runs in the family.
He's excellent in the media too a great inspirational person I think can we come
to your your career when you got that that go-kart and when you look at the
CV Freddie I mean so impressive you know I think it's like nine titles there are
European championships junior world titles there and so on did the speed
come immediately to you is that a learned thing what was that like? It's so
hard to say if it if it was natural talent I don't know that's kind of for
other people to judge and my family and coaches and stuff that I've been around
for a while but for me it was always been thrown in situations where I wasn't
comfortable I always did a lot of categories where I was always the
youngest I was always racing people a lot older a lot more mature so I was
having to adapt my driving and be more grown up than I was you know so for me
it's more just the situations Craig as you know is with me here this weekend my
dad my family they've all put me in these more difficult situations where I
had to raise raise my game which I guess maybe more mature earlier than I
should have been and yeah and then traveling around the world hanging
around with teams and stuff it's always gonna make you more mature so I think
it's just a combination of things and getting thrown into the deep end. Whether
that was planned or not the irony I guess in that is that it's it's prepped you
will hasn't it yeah for sure because I've always said to people go do what you
can at the highest level like I was just I wasn't even old enough to go into
junior X 30 I went to America they gave me dispensation and I was racing much
older kids at the time and I was only nine years old so yeah that's the thing
you just got to be thrown in and adapt and learn you know I'm here to learn and
like you saw this championship we've learned the most in the first two
weekends and the whole way through for my my main season in Formula 3 so I'm
just continue continuously learning and that's the main thing. In the learning
process are you like I sense in you you have a certain level of confidence one
that is you're meant to be here I don't mean that in a cocky way right that
that's an important thing I think but then in addition to that I feel like
there's a lot of application going on behind the scenes are you that kind of
really driven disciplined athlete and where did that come from if that's a
summary of you I think people a little bit shocked with me I I'd say I work
really hard I work on my nutrition my my fitness my sleep I I try not to leave
anything unturned you know so I want to win and I don't want to just win by one
second I don't win by 10 so when I do have bad races and we've seen this
championship it it does set me back a bit and I'm like okay I need to pick the
good bits from that and learn from it and go forward and that's what makes it
I guess easier to perform when it becomes a little bit easier sometimes or the
results start coming because I try and find perfection in everything so it's
kind of one of the things I think if I chase the perfection it makes the other
times easier let's say so yeah I just I do try hard so that's the end of it I
admire that I wish I kind of had a bit of that at the same age just in the
transition from karting to single-seaters Freddie when you look at your CV that's
still relatively recent right but again you immediately achieved some success and
I immediately think of 2024 as well you know beginning the the campaign in the
in the UAE and then what you did in in in Italy was remarkable around Italian
F4 I think you know the record had been 13 wins you got 15 there was a swag of
pole positions there and and the record used to be held by Kimmy Antonelli
didn't it so yeah and the karting was a great just good learning you know you
learn so much about racecraft developing as a person as well because it's long
weekends with lots of different people so you learn loads there and then the
transitions cars I did genetics and then obviously had a really good year there
but then it doesn't always mean it's going to translate into a formula for and
we put so much work in behind the scenes in the winter and then when I when I
turned up for Italian F4 it all clicked and I just felt really comfortable
driving with my feet and just felt at such a flow you know I can't explain it
but everything just felt nice and I knew I was in control so it's that feeling
I'm trying to chase now as they work up the ladder and yeah with with less
track time as you see when we go to Formula 3 etc it's a lot harder to do
that so yeah I think the foundation of F4 that I've learned is really crucial
for the rest of my career will you stick with us we're just gonna grab a
really quick break here on Rusty's garage more with Freddie Slater right
after this you're watching listening to the motorsport brief and we're
delighted to be joined by a young man who is climbing the ladder and the growth
curves been pretty impressive so far to Freddie Slater is with us we're recording
this at Highlands Motorsport Park on the weekend of the New Zealand Grand Prix
and we're pretty proud of that race in this part of the world I think you know
we'd love it to be recognized globally like a like a Macau for example one of
only two GPs in the world that isn't Formula 1 but is allowed to carry that
status what would that mean for you to try and chase that this weekend and
you're also in the hunt for the the CTFrop title here aren't you yeah it's
two goals this weekend to win the championship hopefully and then win
the main race you know I've just driven the track for the first time and it's
crazy out there it's such an awesome track to drive it's I miss miss these
type of traction you know like to have a Grand Prix here it is like going to
Macau there's jumps there's walls it's the same level and it definitely deserves
the hype you know and it definitely needs to be representative to Macau as well
it's still on the same level so I can't wait for Sunday and it should be good
fun. M2 competition have a rich heritage in this in this game and you've talked
about the seesaw I guess of the first part of this championship a little bit
of tough stuff on on both sides but then the success at Aterotonga last
weekend report card of the of the New Zealand tour for you so far yeah it's
not been the easiest with lots of issues in in round one and round two
internally and then we managed to reset for round three and you saw what
happened so I've definitely made mistakes and it's something I'm gonna learn
from and it's gonna make me better going into Formula 3 about being a lot more
under the limit because I try and push the boundaries too much and it goes
wrong sometimes as you see sometimes on the starts I go forward sometimes I
don't and I've definitely learned a lot about myself coming out here but yeah
we're still in the hunt even with those two bad first rounds so now I look
forward to the race in this weekend. What attracted you to coming and playing here
I mean you did some incredible things in Freca this is a nice leading I would
imagine to the 2026 season for you obviously you know Arvid Lindblad's
come out of this last year Liam Lawson's had success in it too what what drew you
to coming to play in New Zealand? I think it was to actually have an experience of
driving different tracks more old-school tracks that I really enjoy my
management team ADD as you know they work with Lando and they did it not long
ago so they said it was the coolest thing they probably ever did and honestly
just we've had so much fun off track as well and also the tracks are incredible
to drive you know there's so much passion as well the media the fans
everywhere out here they love it so it's been really enjoyable to come here and
race against some of the best drivers as well you know we've got super car drivers
rally drivers it's not a normal championship let's say so it's been
very cool to compete with all them. The reaction some of the YouTube numbers
and stuff have been crazy off the charts really really good can we come to some
big news for you this week firstly congratulations tell us I guess about
what you you know what you can about this development program with Audi I have a
colleague in Australia a supercar racer who's come through karting Aaron Cameron
and he messaged me in recent days and he said I'd love you to ask Freddie at this
point you know why why he wasn't part of a development program with a major you
know he should be he should be there and then boom this news comes out so well
done that's mega thank you very much yeah it's kind of been one of things that I
I don't think you really need I think if you a young age if you're put on a
Formula One team driver development program it it kind of doesn't mean a
lot especially in the early years and now I'm starting to get closer to Formula
One let's say my goal it becomes a little bit more important now to start
developing myself into an up-and-coming Formula One driver I guess so now was the
right time two three years goes definitely wasn't because I was still
developing myself as a racing car driver not a car driver so now was the right
time I've got the right team behind me for sure and it's been amazing to kind
of see them working really hard or see to join Formula One especially and yeah
it's been a very cool announcement and a very cool journey that I'm looking
forward to and the support around it is terrific I mean to see someone like Alan
McNish endorsing that naturally he's a part of the Audi framework and family
there they've done some unreal things Freddie and everything that they apply
themselves to world rally super touring sports cars especially I mean you're
joining I feel at a really good time yeah and the thing with with Audi is the
the long term of it they're not going into the sport just for a couple of years
you know I can see the long-term project and hopefully that means me in a
couple of years kind of hopefully taking them to championships and wins so
that's the goal is to try and make myself to the best possible grade I can be
and then hopefully they keep developing their car and getting even better but
yeah Alan McNish is a proper racer and I've really enjoyed spending time with
him as a person not just in terms of working with him but also just hearing
stories and the way he went about things and a very cool role model to have
by my side couple to finish here I sense you enjoy a little bit of golf away
from me I think your dad does too he was telling me before have you played a
couple of courses here in New Zealand what's that been like and is that a good
decompress for you away from all of this yeah golf is the way I play golf is
where I drive and sometimes too aggressive I've learned I've actually
learned a lot about myself playing golf basically relaxing more not trying as
hard and that she better results come so sometimes I try too hard on the track
and on the golf course and I've definitely learned a lot about myself
from from that I wouldn't say my golf game is that good so it needs some work
and need some lessons but and that is good fun lastly I'm gonna see you at
Melbourne I work at Albert Park every year big year coming up in Formula 3
with try and just just tell us about that program and do you get at the
rounds where F3 is on the the program with with Formula 1 do you get to go on
spend a bit of time without you or is it more just focusing on F3 when you're
at places like Melbourne part my main focus is is mine at three year you know
it's I've got to do my job I've got a win to prove myself I guess as well so I
think in in time we will start developing myself into the team maybe if it
becomes right but the moment it's full focus on my season Melbourne's gonna be
very cool especially for the Audi thing of the first race on track but for me
it's the first round of the championship and it needs to start well so
well done it's been awesome to spend some with you and to get a sense of the
the real drive and determination that you that you have highly rated by
autosporters you know in in recent times with them drawing parallels with
some of those like a like a Lando Norris and a Lewis Hamilton who are already
there could this young racer be the next one in line that is it for today with
Freddy Slater keep an eye out for notifications on future episodes to
might have won with a world rally champion in the days ahead bye for now
About this episode
Freddie Slater, a promising 17-year-old driver in Audi's F1 Driver Development Programme, shares his journey from karting to single-seaters. After a challenging start to the season, he recently celebrated two wins, showcasing his determination and growth. Slater discusses the influence of his family's racing background, his rigorous training regimen, and the importance of learning from setbacks. With aspirations for a successful career in Formula 1, he reflects on the significance of his new partnership with Audi and the excitement of racing in New Zealand's unique motorsport environment.
The highly rated Brit chats with Rusty on the eve of the 70th New Zealand Grand Prix at Highlands. He’s been racing in NZ over summer and broke through for a win at the old school Teretonga Park last weekend.
Freddie CV’s is seriously impressive with a swag of karting championship wins including a Junior World Title and an FIA European Championship.
Making the transition to single seaters in recent years and his recording breaking season in Italian F4 that the netted more wins than Kimi Antonelli, who held the previous record.
You’ll get a sense of Slater’s immense inner drive in this conversation, why the timing is right for him to be part of a Development Program with a major manufacturer and the laser focused approach he’s taking to Formula 3 this year.
But first he wants to win a prestigious open wheel crown in the ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’ and he’s right in the hunt!
With a good team around him Freddie seems to be taking all the right steps on the path to Formula One. Respectful of those who’ve come before him but very much his own man.
This engaging chat will leave you in no doubt that Slater is the right fit for Audi as the German manufacturer gets ready to grid up in Formula 1.
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