Meritus Driver Management
Meritus management is a specialist division of Meritus set up to assist and guide young Asian drivers and their families to make the correct career decisions.
Our Client Care Managers travel with the drivers to each event and insure that any special requirements are met. They work with the driver and assist him in all race preparation including registration and documentation, visas, etc.
During the season we plan trips to F1 events in order to expose the driver to the highest echelons of the sport and create photo opportunities with F1 drivers, which can be used to exploit exposure in the driver's home country. We ensure that media reports are generated throughout the season and we assist in arranging specialist media coverage. The following are some of the points that Meritus Management takes care of:
- Development of race seminars and fitness training course
- PR service
- Client Care management (for all special team/driver requirements)
- Arrangement of insurance
- Racecraft tuition
- Take care of event requirement/protests on behalf of the drivers
- Prepare race wear package, helmet etc
- Work with drivers sponsors (we do not specifically arrange sponsors)
- Assistance with arranging race license, medical and race visa
Driver Career Path
| Junior Karting | age 08-15 years |
|---|---|
| Senior Kart Championship | age 15-18 years |
| Formula Junior F-BMW | age 17-18 years |
| Asian Formula Renault age | age 17-20 years |
| European Formula Renault Series | age 18-22 years |
| Formula 3 | age 19-22 years |
| Formula 3000 / Indy Lights | age 21-26 years |
| Formula 1 / Indy Car | age 23 + years |
- Kart racing: is the traditional path into higher classes, eventually leading to Formula One. Senna, Schumacher and Prost were are all leading Kart exponents in their day, and Mika Hakkinen started racing when he was only six years old.
- Traditionally: the driver's career advances to small one-make single-seater event. Formula BMW Asia events provide affordable competition within a professional team structure and is a valuable career step to Europe. Formula BMW also provides this stepping stone in Europe and North America.
- Entry to a European Event: is recommended in order to learn the big circuits, at around 18 years old, after completing two years in Formula BMW Asia and/or Asian Formula Renault. Drivers should consider entering British Formula Renault or British F3 Class B.
- The next step: for serious drivers is Formula 3. There are many national championships but the British and European F3 championships are regarded world-wide as the cradle of Formula One. Narain Karthikeyan, Takuma Sato, Marchy Lee and Ho Pin Tung have all successfully competed in European F3 championships. Takuma Sato and Narain Karthikeyan have both won races at the prestigious Macau GP.
- Formula 3000 / GP2 / Renault World Series: the qualifying formula for Formula 1 drivers who usually complete at least one year to gain the vital experience of handling 450-500 bhp.
- Indy Lights / Formula Atlantic: is the respected training ground for drivers in the USA intending to graduate to IRL (Indy Racing League) or Champ Cars and the top Champ Car drivers have in the past graduated to Formula One.
- Champ / Indy Cars: formerly known as Indy Cars, are the highest level single-seaters running in the USA. In recent years there has been a healthy interchange of drivers between Champ Cars and Formula 1, with their champions Villeneuve and Zanardi transferring to F1, and Nigel Mansell doing the opposite.
- Formula 1: is the pinnacle of the sport. The teams are all European and include names like Ferrari and McLaren who invest figures rumoured to exceed US$300million annually. Drivers are normally paid vast sums of money to race a Ferrari, McLaren, Williams, BAR-Honda or a Renault, however drivers racing for Jordan and Minardi usually have to pay race fees exceeding US$15 million annually.
Drive with Meritus
We are seeking young drivers 16 years old and upwards interested in a career in professional motorsport, with a reasonable budget, to compete in the 12 rounds of the 2004 Formula BMW Asia Championship. The team offers a full test and training programme as well as professional race services that has helped Meritus drivers win 13 titles since 1996, and taken 3 drivers into the world of Formula 1.
Interested racers please submit your racing history by completing the driver information form which can be found in the 'contact us' section of this site ( Driver Registration ), or write to info@meritusracing.com to receive our 2005 Meritus Driver Guide.
