Molnár Martin stands on the threshold of a tremendous opportunity, as he is among the candidates for the prestigious Richard Mille Young Talent Academy talent development program. If he emerges as the winner, he could race for the team that ran last year’s F2 champion next year.
Molnár Martin is the only Hungarian to have made it among this year’s candidates for the Richard Mille Young Talent Academy. The 15-year-old driver will compete against seven other karting talents to be recognized as the most suitable racer. If he succeeds, he can kickstart his career in single-seater series with a significant advantage.
The program, organized by Nicolas Todt’s All Road Management, was established in 2018. Its aim is to find a talent each year within the appropriate age group (this year’s contestants are born between January 1, 2007, and April 1, 2009) who is not part of any major manufacturer’s youth development program. This year’s candidates have just been announced, and Martin, a MOTAM driver, is on the list.
“It’s a rare occasion in Hungarian motorsport history for a young talent to make it to such a prestigious selection. For Molnár Martin, his family, sponsors, the Hungarian Motorsport Academy, and MOTAM, it’s a great success that, thanks to the work of recent years, Martin can enter the Navarra circuit as one of only 8 drivers. Even the selection itself proves that Martin has a bright future ahead, and regardless of the outcome, he will gain unique experiences,” said Tamás Őry, the CEO of MOTAM.
The young pilots will first visit the Formula Medicine facility in Viareggio, Italy. On October 9th, they will spend a day in the complex, which provides mental, medical, and physical preparation for elite athletes. Just over a week later, on October 17th and 18th, they will have to get behind the wheel at the Navarra Circuit in Spain.
The decision-makers will select one of the pilots based on their performance at the circuit, and this lucky individual will receive a fantastic reward: a seat in the Spanish Formula 4 championship, with none other than the MP Motorsport team. The team competes in F2 and F3 as well, and they provided last year’s Formula 1 feeder series champion, Felipe Drugovich. But that’s not all, as the team will provide all the necessary support, including participation in six collective tests and supplying the racing gear, except for the helmet.
The program is named after its sponsor, Richard Mille, the founder of the renowned watch brand. The Swiss entrepreneur sponsors this initiative, but his involvement in motorsport goes beyond this as he operates his own team and supports figures like Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso, Alain Prost, and Sébastien Ogier. Moreover, he collaborates with athletes from other sports, such as tennis player Rafael Nadal, golfer Bubba Watson, and alpine skier Ester Ledecká.
As for Molnár Martin, the racer supported by the Hungarian Motorsport Academy had a stellar start to this year, winning the Winter Cup and finishing second in the OK category at the WSK Champions Cup. As a result, he spent weeks at the top of the FIA’s newly introduced karting world rankings, which encompass both factory-supported F1 team talents and adult racers. He will begin his formula car career next year, and the Richard Mille Young Talent Academy represents a massive opportunity for him and Hungarian motorsport.
