Hamilton urges FIA to act on 'ridiculous' karting costs pricing out working-class talent

Lewis Hamilton has urged the FIA and Formula 1 to take direct action on the soaring cost of karting, warning that the sport is heading in the “wrong direction” and that talent from ordinary backgrounds now has little realistic chance of reaching the top.

Speaking publicly on the issue, the seven-time world champion and Ferrari driver said he knows of an eight-year-old whose family is spending over $1 million a year on karting — a figure he contrasted sharply with his own beginnings. “When I started, I remember my dad spent £20,000 in the first year, and that was like remortgaging the house, maxing out on the credit cards,” Hamilton said. “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. It shouldn’t be allowed.”

Hamilton placed responsibility squarely with the sport’s governing bodies. “There’s no accountability in terms of the people that run these organisations or run these sports,” he said. “Rather than who’s got the most talent comes through, it’s the families with the most money that create the options for the privileged kids. That’s down to the FIA and Formula 1. They actually need to make those changes.”

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who operates his own hybrid esports and real-life racing team aimed at nurturing young drivers, echoed the concern while pointing to simulation technology as a partial solution. “People are paying £10–12,000 for a round in minis. That’s just insane,” Verstappen said. “That is limiting some real talent that does not have the financial backing to even reach formula racing at the moment.”

Verstappen suggested that increasingly realistic simulators could offer an alternative pathway. “With how accurate simulators are, you can already be 10 steps ahead in terms of your preparation before you jump in a formula car,” he said.

Haas driver Esteban Ocon, whose working-class parents sold the family home to fund his junior career, also weighed in on the debate, underscoring that the financial burden on families is not a new problem — but one that has grown considerably more acute.