Young Māori racer Kaleb Ngātoa has a need for speed and is heading to Japan to continue his racing development.
The 21-year-old, of Te Ātihaunui a Pāpārangi, will race under the Suketina banner in the Formula Regional Japanese Championship beginning with round 2 next month.
He recently enjoyed success in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship during his two cameo appearances during the championship’s latest edition in February. Ngatoa won his first race of the season and went on to score a string of strong results, disrupting the established title contenders despite missing the opening three rounds.
The Formula Regional Japanese Championship, part of a series of regional driver development championships certified by motorsport’s world governing body, the FIA, uses similar equipment to that which Ngatoa has proved to be a race winner on in Aotearoa.
"The likes of [fellow Kiwi drivers] Nick Cassidy and Liam Lawson have made careers over there. So I've kind of made my footprint in New Zealand, and Australia, and I'm ready to hit overseas. Japan has a lot of opportunities for young upcoming drivers. They love us Kiwis."
Kaleb Ngatoa with his parents, Robbie Ngatoa (left) and Tracey Toulmin (right)
after winning in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship at Hampton Downs, NZ. photo/Tayler Burke
The Formula Regional series is a stepping stone for drivers looking to break into the Super Formula category in Japan, which has launched the careers of some of the best drivers in the world.
"Before IndyCar or Formula One a lot of teams send their drivers over there to compete in that. Alex Palou won in Super Formula and then went straight to IndyCar. Pierre Gasly and all those guys from Formula One actually did a season in the Super Formula before going to Formula One."
Lawson, a reserve driver for F1 World Champions Red Bull, won his first race in the Super Formula this year while Cassidy won the Super Formula championship in 2019. He is the most recent race winner on the Formula E circuit where another Māori driver, Mitch Evans, is also finding success.
"It's definitely a big stepping stone, Super Formula, it's similar to Formula One. So if I can get over there in Japan, get in the scene, get in their environment, and build up to that, you never know where it could end."
Flying the flag for Māori motorsport
Motorsport isn't a cheap sport to get into, let alone stay in. Ngatoa had to raise more than $100,000 three years ago just to compete in the NZ Grand Prix but he says that figure is small compared to what he's getting into now.
"I was pushed back a little bit on some opportunities that could have come up this year, because of funding. Sadly, I'm getting to that stage now. Before it was tens of thousands, and then hundreds of thousands. Now it's close enough to half a million dollars or a million dollars to continue to make that next step up."
He has backing from local businesses, particularly from his home town of Marton plus nationwide electrical supplier J A Russell, who he says is asking its 76 branches to look out for more sponsorship opportunities. He believes there is a great opportunity for Māori organisations and businesses to get behind him as he ventures into international circuits.
"I'm one of the only young Māori drivers in the world, I think there have only been a couple of others that have tried. And only one that's really succeeded.
"I'm very grateful for who I am and where I've come from, and my family. You know, I just want to make everybody proud, I want to make that next step. And I'm very grateful and very proud to have my last name, Ngatoa presented around the world. To have that support and to have that name is awesome. The more support I can get, the further we can go."
Ngatoa’s campaign in Japan will be overseen by M2 Competition Management, a recently formed management company headed by successful team owner and engineer Mark Pilcher and former Indycar team owner Steve Horne. The partnership will build on the already successful relationship Ngatoa has with Pilcher and his M2 Competition team who ran Ngatoa when he claimed pole position for the 65th New Zealand Grand Prix.
His first race with Suketina in the Formula Regional Japanese Championship will be at the famous Suzuka Circuit from May 12th. The top nine finishing drivers in the championship receive FIA Super License points.
