Rodrigo Seabra

Rodrigo Seabra, 12 years old, born in Maia. A name to remember. This year the young driver will debut at the wheel of a single-seater, as part of a development project of the Swedish Automobile Federation. The Formula Aquila 1000, in which he will compete, only admits drivers that are over 14 years old, but Rodrigo is an exception. Why? Methodical and committed, he is well focused on his goals. Ladies and gentlemen, what out for this one. There’s a good chance that we have before us the first Portuguese to make it to Formula 1, in a few years’ time. His winning smile is a bonus.

How did your passion for this sport begin?
I developed a taste for speed early on. First of all I tried motocross, when I was 4 years old, and it is still one of my favourite sports. When I was five, my father took me to the Cabo do Mundo Karting Track to try karting, and when I was seven, I was already doing my first race on Portimão’s International Karting Track. I have always liked speed and competition.

When did you realise (at such a young age) that you would like to become a professional in this field?
I realised when I met a driver I really like and who is now my friend, João Barbosa. He has won the 24 Hours of Daytonafour times already. He is a professional driver; he told me his story and encouraged me to take up this profession. I remember going to the Daytona track museum and seeing all the achievements and the stories of the drivers behind the cars that were there. I think that’s when I realised I wanted to be a professional.

 "Fortunately, my parents believe in me and are giving me the opportunity to be able to go further”

Can you describe your journey so far? What are your main victories?
Since I started in competitions, I have always tried to do my best. It is not enough to compete; we have to get top 10 or top 5 results. In 2020, at the age of nine, I was national champion in the Rotax Max Challenge championship, for Portugal and Spain, and I also did some races in the Benelux and Italian championships. The following year, when I was ten years old, I experienced a totally international season. At the time of the pandemic, I was living in England for about two months with Oliver Rowland, a Formula E driver and team manager of the team I was racing for, Oliver Rowland Motorsport. In the British Championship, I did a lot of training and very hard races, with a lot of cold and rain. That year I also competed in the Iame Euro Series European Championship, which consisted of five races, in Spain, Belgium, Italy and France, where I finished on 6th place overall, among 74 competitors. I finished that year with a race in the USA, the "race of the year” - the SuperNationals - in Las Vegas. It was very tough. It was very hot and I had a nine-hour jet lag. Although I finished the final race in 8th place, I won a heat race and came 2nd and 3rd in the following heats, among more than 60 drivers. This was a season of hard work where I learned a lot and gained a lot of experience. Last year I took a big step, while still just 11. I wanted to start competing with older drivers, so I changed to an adult chassis, with a more powerful engine. I started the season in the Junior Category, in the Super Karting USA Winter Series championship, with four races in Miami, where I managed to stay in the top 10, among more than 50 opponents. Also in 2021, I did two championships in OK Junior, in Germany: the DKM Deutsche Kart Masters, where I got the Rookie Champion title and came 5th overall; and the ADAC Kart Masters championship, where I was also the best rookie and came 4th overall. I also got my first pole position.

You are the first Portuguese to participate in a Formula Championship (single seater), aged just 12 when the minimum age is 14. How did this happen? How do you feel about this ‘record’?
I have always enjoyed advancing in level, to be with the older and more experienced drivers. At this moment, at my age, I could still be competing in the mini kart category. But, last year, I already wanted to move to the Junior chassis and, now that I have turned 12 years old, I received this invitation that makes me the youngest ever to participate in a single seater championship. Is it a ‘record’? I didn’t even think about it, but I immediately said that it was a great idea. My father, when contacted by the Formula Aquila 1000 team and the Swedish Automobile Federation, told me that I would have to do practical and theoretical tests, telemetry, mechanics and track maturity. I passed everything. I was very happy and now I will try to grab this opportunity, be a ‘record’ and learn enough to move on to other formula competitions.

What is your big dream?
I think we should all do what we like most in life, and fortunately my parents believe in me and are giving me the opportunity to be able to go further. Being a Formula 1 driver is my big dream and I like to think that it might be possible, even being Portuguese. But there are many other championships in which I can compete, win and become a professional driver. Everything in its own time, but I will work for it!

"Apart from competitions, my focus is on school. I think it is very important to learn languages, I am bilingual in English and I am learning French and Italian”

What are the main difficulties of this sport for someone as young as you? Is it difficult to reconcile it with school? Is it difficult to have fame that early? Do your friends know what you have achieved? How do they react?
It is not easy at all. Only people who are in motorsport really know how hard it is. No one in my family is in it and it always had to be my dad trying to figure out the right path and the best way to get here. It’s also a very expensive sport, we had to get support early on. And my age is also another difficulty, because it is not easy for people to believe that it might be possible to go further. But I am doing a good job, I am very proud of what I have achieved so far. 
Apart from competitions, my focus is on school. I think it is very important to learn languages, I am bilingual in English and I am learning French and Italian. As I miss a lot of school, I have to organise myself more than my classmates do. I also don’t have a lot of free time as I like to do a lot of other sports, such as surfing, motocross and wakeboarding, therefore I try to make the most out of everything. As for my friends, I don’t usually talk much about my races, in fact I don’t like to talk. They also don’t realise how difficult this is for me. So, when I’m at school I try not to talk about the competition; if my friends don’t ask me anything, I’m discreet and don’t even talk about it.

This year you will compete in the Formula Aquila 1000 championship in Sweden. You even had to get a special license. You have been working hard. Do you think it has been worth it? Why?
Yes, it is always very much worth it. I’m on a consistent path and my whole family is very supportive. It’s a project for all of us, it takes a lot of time and energy, but we are all involved; even my youngest brother, who is 10 years old, gives me a lot of strength and always encourages me. He says he’s my biggest fan! This season will mean a lot of learning and I’m very happy with this challenge and for having passed the tests. I hope to exceed my goal, even though driving is totally different from karting, for it being a car for a start. The aerodynamics, the way of driving, the gearbox and gears, the weight and mass of the car when cornering and braking... it’s all different. But I’m super excited! What doesn’t change at all is my approach to racing, as I’m focused on giving my best!