Road to Success: The Role of Team Canada Scholarship in Young Drivers’ Progression

For young drivers aspiring for a future in motorsport, especially Formula One, it is widely accepted that Europe (often specifically the UK) is the ideal place to be. Year after year, an influx of junior competitors venture to the UK with a dream of advancing their careers, competing against some of the most talented drivers in some of the most competitive fields in order to develop their skills. However, there are a number difficulties involved in this process that often go undiscussed.

These young drivers travel to compete in nations that they typically have no previous experience in, racing in championships against competitors who have often been racing in familiar conditions far longer, immediately presenting them a challenge to conquer that isn’t present for others. This lack of comparative experience, paired with potential language/ cultural barriers, home-sickness, and the young age at which these racers immigrate culminates in a very difficult journey to high-level racing, without even mentioning the potential lack of support system and financial difficulties often faced. It is for these reasons, and more, that programs providing support to young drivers are so vital. 

One such program is the Team Canada Scholarship (TCS)- established in 2011 with the intention to give Canada’s elite amateur drivers the opportunity to race against some top-level talent in international racing events. Over the past 12 years, it has developed from its conception, where in which the team would send one driver to compete in the Formula Ford Festival, to present day, where the team sends two drivers to race in both the Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy. This experience, as Brian Graham, the founder of the program, described is “a great opportunity for young racers to showcase their abilities in front of a large international crowd”, allowing the chosen drivers to not only develop their skills on track, but also demonstrate these skills to a range of spectators. He also discussed how for himself and the entire team, it is “very fulfilling to have involvement with these drivers at such a pivotal point in their careers and give them the exposure of racing outside their normal comfort zone”. Whilst attending the Walter Hayes Trophy event at Silverstone earlier this month, I was fortunate enough to talk with the Team Canada drivers, Alex Berg and Logan Pacza, discussing topics such as their experiences with the program, how they have found racing in the UK and their future ambitions moving forward from the scholarship.

Through a competitive process of typically a shootout, media evaluations and persuasive essays, Alex and Logan, both 17, were selected as this year’s TCS drivers. 
Alex began his racing career in 2015 aspiring to follow in his father, Allen Berg’s, footsteps, who made his career racing cars for over 25 years, with a stint in F1 in the 1986 season. He founded a racing school around the same time Alex was born, which served as his first introduction to the sport. Alex quickly became enamoured with racing, beginning his career racing regionally in Alberta, where he won a club and Provincial Championship, before moving up to National Kart racing in 2018. In 2020, Alex was selected to participate in the Mazda Spec MX-5 ‘Karts to Cars’ Shootout against some of the best drivers in North America, which he won at only 14 years old- earning him a seat in the championship, racing for the Mazda Factory Team. Following this, he was able to repeat the series in 2022, winning the regional championship and finishing 3rd overall, alongside his US Formula 4 campaign, where he finished 5th in the championship. This year, his focus has remained on F4, finishing the 2023 season with a win before coming over to the UK with Team Canada Scholarship. 
Logan began racing at the age of 9 at Erbsville Kart Summer Camp and immediately recognised that he wanted to pursue racing further. He spent time in various karting championships until the age of 15, winning the HRKC Club Championship, the Ron Fellows Karting Championship, finishing as the Vice Champion in ROK Junior and obtaining 3 podium finishes in Briggs Senior in the Ron Fellows Series. In 2023, Logan made the jump into cars, winning the Toyo F1600 Championship with the most poles and breaking the qualifying track record at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Whilst competing in this championship, he became aware of the Team Canada Scholarship and has finished the year as one of their drivers, competing in the UK.

The two drivers selected for the Team Canada Scholarship each year are given the unique opportunity to experience UK tracks, racing and conditions, massively catalysing their own development. Both Alex and Logan confirmed this, noting firstly, how high the calibre of drivers are, with the key difference coming down to driving style. It is clear that there is a unique “controlled aggression” involved in UK racing, where “everything is definitely calculated and drivers will do whatever is needed to benefit their race”, but there’s still undoubtable respect and camaraderie involved. This exposure to a new style of racing has “immensely benefitted” both drivers, leading to them enhancing their own racing styles, becoming braver on track, and improving their ability to quickly react to their competitors. On top of this, competing in the UK has exposed both drivers to weather conditions that “are quite unlike any other”, forcing them to adapt and learn how to deal with not only rainy, but rapidly changing track conditions. 

It is clear that the Team Canada Scholarship offers a great opportunity for the chosen drivers to learn and develop, however it is also vital that these drivers find a balance between learning from those around them, and maintaining a level of competitiveness- utilising the skills of their competitors to enhance their own, whilst simultaneously battling them on track. Logan discussed how due to the high calibre of racing and “often small margins between the front and back of the field”, just competing against drivers in the UK is a learning opportunity. Regardless of what position is being fought for, the racing is still so competitive, “even when you’re fighting for middle positions, you know that you’re fighting against people who could win”, making the entire experience so rewarding and satisfying. Alex provided a new perspective on this, discussing just how valuable it can be to interact with your teammate and have a productive relationship with them. He described that whilst “racing British drivers has been super helpful, it’s important not to overlook how useful it can be to learn from your teammate”. He highlighted the importance of having a “healthy rivalry”, where teammates are able to push one another to be faster and more competitive, whilst also supporting one another to ensure the best results. 

It isn’t purely on-track skills developed by the TCS program however, with one major additional aspect being media work. Whilst participating in the program, both drivers have undertaken interviews, their races have been live-streamed, and the drivers have been providing regular social media updates regarding their activities. “The media experience has been invaluable” for developing both their ability and comfortability regarding media and communication. Alex specifically discussed how “social media is becoming a very important part of the sport”, as a huge determining factor in securing partnerships is proving your ability to maintain a social media presence, interact well with media and represent sponsors positively. Logan echoed this, emphasising how beneficial the Team Canada Scholarship has been in giving them exposure to different forms of media, helping them to become more comfortable and familiar with it moving forward. It is evident that the focus placed by TCS on the social aspect of racing gives drivers the opportunity to network, grow their social influence and potentially even has financial benefits through gaining sponsorship, once again demonstrating how helpful programs such as this can be for a driver’s future.

Moving forward, both Alex and Logan have well-developed ambitions for the future. Logan detailed his current aspiration to progress into closed-wheel, potentially endurance, racing back in North America, whereas Alex expressed his interest in continuing in open-wheel racing, possibly returning to the UK in the future. Both drivers placed specific emphasis on the help that they have already received from Team Canada Scholarship in striving for their goals, being given “massively helpful advice” throughout their time in the UK, as well as being assisted in “expanding connections with people who could play a role in our careers in the future”. 

Finally, I asked both Alex and Logan for their main advice for drivers coming from outside of the UK or Europe, looking to travel and advance their careers, as two drivers who have already done just that. Alex provided some helpful insight into the off-track, commercial aspect of racing, stating that “racing takes a lot of money regardless of where you are in your career- work as hard as you can off the track, so that you can make all of the on-track work easier. As part of this, if you can, find a bit more money than than is strictly necessary so that your mind can be at rest, completely focused on the racing aspect, and you can secure the best possible equipment. Essentially, if you work super hard, find as many sponsors as you can and find people who support you, it is possible to succeed.” Logan subsequently provided some on-track advice, detailing “my biggest advice would be to not try to play God. What I mean by that is, don’t pretend like you can estimate the outcome of anything you do. Take all of the opportunities you can get, because you have no idea what that could lead to- you have no idea who could be involved, or who could show up and take an interest in you. Then along with that, don’t think that you should be able do things that are out of your control, just don’t worry about them. Within your career, there will be things that are totally out of your power, and that’s okay, don’t waste time and energy being concerned about them. So to sum that up, don’t play God- don’t assume that you know exactly what’s going to happen and don’t try to do or change things that are out of your control”.

Photos:
1: JEP (@jakobebrey)
2: Sophie Lewis (@sophielewisphotography) 
3: Charlie Thompson (@charliet_photog)