F1 Academy To Be Launched by Hamilton

Anthony Hamilton, the father of 2008 F1 world champion Lewis, has a new business idea: the man decided to run a fleet of 2009-spec F1 cars and offer young drivers the chance to gain experience in current grand prix cars without the burden of testing restrictions, says autosport.com.

The program will be called GP Prep Drivers Academy and is meant to offer complete services, as Hamilton is determined to lease cars, equipment and personnel from F1 teams. It seems that things are already going into place, as he agreed with McLaren for the supply of two cars and has ongoing discussions with other teams.

Hamilton said that the GP Prep Drivers Academy is meant to give young drivers an opportunity which otherwise would be almost impossible to get: testing an F1 car.

"If you look at our sport. drivers are very lucky to make F1, because there's no career path structure for it," Hamilton told AUTOSPORT.

"There are guys who don't get a look in. The idea with GP Prep is to provide more of an opportunity for young drivers to be spotted."

Don’t go packing your overalls yet, as the GP Prep Drivers Academy is not a cheap thrill. Though costs are still in the works, it seems that a day’s testing will cost about the same as a weekend of high-level racing in an open-wheeler. Most of the program is expected to run in the UK and should be operational in March. Deals with circuits are still being finalized.