Ferrari signs 11-year-old Canadian karting champ for Ferrari Driver Academy

Lance Stroll: A talented young Canadian for the Ferrari Driver Academy

Maranello, 9 June - The Ferrari Driver Academy has taken on a new talent, this time coming from Canada. At just eleven years of age, Lance Stroll, born on 29 October 1998 in Montreal (Quebec), is the youngest driver to enter the Maranello program.

Although very young, Lance's karting curriculum is already impressive enough to have attracted the attention of the Ferrari Driving Academy: already on his record are two wins in the Canadian national championship in the Rotax Mini Max category as well as Coupe de Montreal and Coupe du Quebec Micro Max Championship in 2008 and both Mini Max Championships in 2009. Last year, Lance finished sixth in the World Finals at Lonato in the Mini Roc category and second in the Rotax Micro Max Florida Winter Tour, a series he won this year in Mini Max along with the championships for the Tag/Cadet Florida Winter Tour. It is no surprise therefore that Lance was nominated by the Fedération Sport Automobile du Quebec as Rookie of the Year in 2008 and Driver of the Year the following year.

"We are pleased to welcome Lance to our group," commented Luca Baldisserri, who runs the Ferrari Driving Academy. "He is very young, but he has already shown in karting that he is exceptionally talented. We will follow him step by step in his forthcoming events in North America and he will soon also take part in our courses at Maranello."

Ferrari's long and illustrious history in Formula One would never have happened if it didn't have a slew of excellent drivers racing their cars: the Scuderia has, without question, fielded some of the sports' best drivers. Now, the Italian supercar makers are taking their scouting and talent development to a new level as it formally launched the Ferrari Driver Academy.