By Adam Hollingworth
Aucklander Mitch Evans faces a race against time to get the funding he needs to race in the GP2 series.
There are plenty of teams courting Evans, but the 18-year-old GP3 champion needs $3 million before March to make it happen.
Lately he has been learning there's more to racing than driving cars fast.
“Yeah it's all about funding,” Evans says. “The goal, or the ultimate goal is to do GP2 next year, whether that goal is achievable is another kind of story.”
As GP3 winner he's not allowed to stay in the series, but he needs to raise the $3 million to move to the second tier
“Most of it's actually that funding to get on the grid, and the driving is a small part of it.”
The good news is his main backer Colin Giltrap has secured two-thirds of the funding and the top GP2 teams are courting him.
“[With] a little bit of luck and the wind blowing the right way, I think we'll get there,” Mr Giltrap says. “There's no doubt. It's just they know that he can get the pick of the drives because he's just so good.
“Basically it comes down to who's got the best package and who can deliver the best price.”
Another bonus is that in Mark Webber, Evans has a mentor, friend, training partner and manager rolled into one.
“To train with him and just being with him and just learning off him is so big for me,” Evans says.
GP2 is a step up with the cars twice as powerful, but because he's young Evans could stay longer than the usual two years before joining F1.
“Time's on my side fortunately,” he says. “I'm still quite young in the motorsport world so if you can deliver, and still be young, I think you're looking pretty good.”
Evans has five months to secure the funding he needs.
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