Electroheads: The low-cost kart series with Rob Smedley as a mentor

The road to grand prix racing usually begins in karts, but what if the experience of Formula 1 began at the very first step?

That is now a reality with the formation of Electroheads, a karting series presided over by ex-F1 engineers, including former Ferrari race engineer and Williams head of vehicle performance, Rob Smedley.

Young hopefuls starting out can receive feedback, advice and mentoring from those who have been at the pinnacle of motor sport and worked with the likes of Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa. That experience will now help promising talents on their way up the junior ladder.

The first full season of competition is planned to take place this year — Covid permitting.

In his spare time from his role as F1 technical consultant, Smedley embarked on the new project hoping to rebuild the entry level of motor racing to make it cheaper, more accessible and competitive.

The racing is done in fully-electric karts presided over by ex-F1 personnel for kids to jump into and race without having to fork over the huge amounts of money typically needed to break into racing. It checks many of the boxes the FIA, Formula 1 and Motorsport UK is aiming to and following trial events last year, the early signs are positive.

Speaking to Motor Sport, Smedley said the events had been a positive starting point for the project and that it had proved popular with those that attended the initial events.

“It was really good. It was about trying to see the market and understand what the market wants.

“The whole point of why I’m doing this is to try and bring about a more affordable grassroots form of motor sport that more families can get involved in.

“We’re a young company and we’re still learning and getting feedback. Those initial events were really really successful. Obviously there were niggles and there were always going to be but I’d say people were really keen on what we were trying to do. Trying to decouple budget and performance is a really big step in most people’s minds.”

Smedley has said that some grassroots championships for schoolchildren cost £100,000 for a single season, and hopes that the equivalent price of an Electroheads series will be up to 95 per cent cheaper, with the cost reducing further as the concept grows.

The e-karts provided mean that no competitor has an equipment disadvantage, lessening the financial strain that is often a huge barrier for those looking to get into racing for a career.

Each Cadet kart is fitted with a 5kW power unit, a 48v lithium-ion battery and a Control Area Network (CAN) system for plug-in speed control and performance maps, ensuring equal performance across each of the karts.

It means that one of the core aspects of performance in karting has been levelled out to emphasise competitiveness and industry-relevant equipment which, according to Smedley, has been a crucial factor in the formation of the series.

“These are real karts, they’re not corporate karts. I’ve got quite a few ex-Formula 1 guys who are coming with me on this journey and our main thing is these have got to be really quick racing karts.

“If you want to try or at least see if you want to have a career in motor sport, then you’ve got to be racing proper racing karts. Corporate karts are fun but they’re not lightning-bolt quick like a racing kart – like a racing car.

“Equally, if you just want to have some fun and have some family time together, they can do that. You’ll get all of the thrill and adrenaline you require as a young driver.”

It isn’t just driving that is the sole factor behind the project. Events staged in July and August last year certainly attracted interested families but Smedley believes it also offers crucial development and interest beyond the driving and racing aspect.

With the technology in use, as well as the Formula 1 brainpower helping with the karts and young drivers, the series is also an important introductory tool to engineering and team interaction.