15-year-old Seb Priaulx is about to embark on his second season racing in the BTCC-supporting Ginetta Junior championship with JHR Racing, with the first race of the year later today. Like his dad (Andy Priaulx) he’s highly motivated, eager to learn and carve out a career in motorsport.
And he’s quick too. After winning multiple titles in karting, Priaulx managed to score two poles and a win in last season’s Junior championship, finishing seventh in the standings and impressing along the way. He understands that climbing the ladder is not going to be easy, but with the advice of his dad, his raw ability and opportunity to shine on a national stage, he has a good chance to be around for a long time.
DSC caught up with him to learn more about his motivation, hopes and dreams ahead of the 2017 season:
Seb, you’re about about to start your second season in Juniors, what’s made you come back for more?
“It’s great racing and it’s super close. Something like Formula 4 is a lot more budget, and Ginetta gives you a great package and good racing. It’s so hard and it makes you a better driver, when I did a Formula 4 test, the car was a lot more stable, unlike the G40 which is sliding around, but racing in the G40 you have to adapt to it, and because it’s so tricky when you’re on the limit, it makes everything else feel easier. It’s good to grind it out in this series and try to win it.
“It’s a hard car to drive. As a passenger it feels faster, when you’re behind the wheel you feel like you’re on the limit, but when you look at it from the stands they don’t seem that fast. It’s all about the single tenths or thousandths. And when you’re in a race you can’t pull away from the front, it’s pack racing.
“It reminds me of cadet karting, you get the tow and pass.”
Do you feel like a better driver having completed a full season in the championship?
“Definitely, I feel like I’m a lot better, I’m definitely going to be faster this year, but you have got to keep pushing because there’s someone on your toes all the time.”
You’re clearly embedded in racing now, when did you first want to go motor racing, what gave you that motivation?
“I was with my dad at Magny Cours while he was testing when I was tiny and there was a go-kart track there. I gave it a go and kept going every day, I loved it. Then I stepped into a proper kart at eight years old and wanted to pursue it since.
My dad has been racing at a lot of awesome circuits in Europe, and travelling with him I’ve learnt how to speak to people properly, how he deals with his team
“My dad has been racing at a lot of awesome circuits in Europe, and travelling with him I’ve learnt how to speak to people properly, how he deals with his team. I keep learning, and I feel like I can get there.”
It must be a benefit to have someone as successful as your dad to support you along the way? How much has he taught you behind the scenes?
“He’s laid back a little bit, he understands that he can help and also give me space to carve out my own career, which is perfect.
“He gives me a lot of information but he knows that the key is to let me and my engineer Stefan Hodgetts work together all the time. We work together well, but dad will help me out when he watches the races, and little bits here and there. Stefan is more present though, because my dad is still off racing with his Ford programme a lot.
“He helps me a lot, I want to mimic him, because he’s been here before and he knows what it takes to win and climb the ladder.”
What made you choose Ginettas in the first place? There’s so many different ladders to the top now.
“I think everyone sees Formula One as their goal, but you have to be realistic. I’m aiming for that though because that’s the pinnacle, and I want to give the ladder to it a go. But Ginetta Juniors is good value for money and it has good exposure.
I think everyone sees Formula One as their goal, but you have to be realistic
“Going forward I think F4 next year would be good if we can find the budget, and maybe GP3 in the future after that, but it’s hard.
“When I jumped in a single-seater at Donington for a test last year it felt easy, the car was more supportive and really enjoyable, so I want to go down that path and explore it more.”
Is there the allure of Ginetta getting you all the way through to G55s, GT3 and Le Mans though?
“There is that there, but if you win in Formula 4, you get recognised quite well and you can always move to be a pro GT driver later. Single-seaters is the way if you want to get recognised by the BRDC and organisations like that. I have taken note of the amount of drivers that Ginetta have brought up through the ranks though.”
What’s it like being you age and coming through the ranks?
“It feels really good. On weekends where there’s no racing it feels weird, because my only focus is to win. I get support from people at school and stuff, but they don’t really understand why I do it, they don’t know what it’s like to race because they’re not at the track.
“When you see it on tv sometimes the appeal doesn’t come across, like when you’re at Paddock Hill bend you you see how steep it is, and how hard it is to drive.
“It’s made me a better person though, which helps me at school. The mental focus and strength you get from racing has changed me and my personality.”
You must be aiming for a title this season?
“There’s a lot of fast guys, but I’m definitely going to go for the title. It’s going to be a tough year, but I’m going to keep fighting.
“The paddock in the Juniors is a great atmosphere, I feel comfortable. All us drivers know that we are in it to scrap with each other. Because of that, I think it’s harder than a series like the BTCC which isn’t as close. You’ve got to have a good set up but you definitely need to put a lot of hard work into this.
“At our age it’s hard to know what we want from the car, you learn so much and adapting is the key to winning races, if you don’t you’ll finish at the back.”
A full pre-season interview with Seb Priaulx’s father Andy is set to go live on DSC next Monday.
Photos courtesy of Jakob Ebrey Photography
