Hamilton demands action on karting costs

Lewis Hamilton says karting costs have become so "ridiculous" that it is now "highly unlikely, if not impossible" for children from normal backgrounds to reach Formula 1, and he has put the responsibility on the FIA and Formula 1 to make the sport accessible again.

Speaking about rising entry costs, Hamilton said he knows "someone that has a kid who is eight years old that is spending over a million dollars a year" on karting. He contrasted that with his own route into racing, saying his father spent £20,000 in the first year, which meant "remortgaging the house" and "maxing out on the credit cards."

Hamilton said the gap shows how sharply junior motorsport has moved away from ordinary families. "There's no accountability in terms of the people that run these organisations or run these sports," said Hamilton, the Ferrari Formula 1 driver. "I don't know how, but there needs to be some way to make it accessible, and it is ridiculous."

He said that when families are spending around $1 million a year, talent is no longer the only factor deciding who can progress. "I just think today it's highly unlikely, if not impossible, for someone from a normal background to be able to make it to a place to compete with those that are spending a million," Hamilton said. "It shouldn't be allowed."

The concern was echoed elsewhere on the grid. Max Verstappen said karting still matters, but the costs are "going through the roof," with "people paying 10 to 12,000 for a round in minis." He called those figures "insane" and warned that the expense is "limiting sometimes some real talent that does not have the financial backing to even reach it to formula racing at the moment."

Esteban Ocon was even more direct about what that means for drivers trying to break through. "If I had to restart my career in go-karts, I would not be here with the price that a race in mini costs now," Ocon said. He described the current level as "quite crazy how expensive it is" and said affordable access to real driving for young drivers is "extremely difficult nowadays."

Hamilton said the problem does not stop at karting, arguing that costs only rise further through the ladder. In his view, that leaves the sport rewarding financial strength over merit unless the governing bodies intervene. "That's down to the FIA and Formula 1," he said. "They actually need to make those changes."

The FIA has already made what has been described as a first step through a three-year Global Karting Plan aimed at lowering the cost of entry and opening alternative pathways. That has included an Arrive and Drive World Cup in Malaysia using standardized karts for talent across Asia, plus a Karting Excellence Centre designed to provide education and support for standout young drivers.