Powell extends PREMA Racing contract, goes full-time into F4
Published:Wednesday | December 6, 2023 | 12:11 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
AFTER ANNOUNCING that he will be making the full switch to Formula 4 racing next year, Jamaican karting sensation Alex Powell is looking forward to continuing his progression.
Powell made the jump up from the OK category in karting to single-seater racing at the end of the 2023 FIA season, and had very encouraging performances in the final two Italian F4 rounds with PREMA Racing.
On a combined PREMA Racing and Alex Powell Racing Instagram page, the young driver said he was pleased to continue with PREMA Racing and looks forward to continuing his development in Formula 4 racing.
“I’m happy to continue my journey with PREMA Racing, since I started with them earlier this year in karting. We finished off a great karting career and I look forward to continuing developing as a single-seater driver with this incredible team,” he said.
In 2024, Powell will become a full-time F4 driving, competing in the Italian F4 and Euro 4 Championships, among other events.
“I’m grateful for this opportunity, and I will continue to do my best with the amazing support of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team Junior Programme,” he added.
The young star made his karting debut in 2015 and stepped up to the European scene in 2018, claiming various titles and wins over the following seasons. He joined the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team Junior Programme in 2019.
For the 2020 season he stepped up to OK Junior and Junior ROK categories.
In 2021, he finished P2 in the WSK Euro Series and P3 in both the WSK Super Master Series and WSK Final Cup.
Last year he moved up to OK full time, finishing runner-up in the FIA Karting European Championship.
He enjoyed plenty of success in the OK category this year as well, winning the ‘Champions of the Future’ series, finishing P2 in the FIA KZ2 World Cup and P3 FIA Karting European Championship.
PREMA Racing said it is delighted that Powell will step up to F4 full time with their team next year, and team principal Angelo Rosin noted that Powell is the first PREMA driver to transition from karting to Formula 4, and that he is intrigued about what the future holds for the talented driver.
“Alex is a really promising driver. We followed him during his early years, and we were delighted to welcome him to our new karting team for 2023.
“When he made the step up to cars, he was impressive despite the steep learning curve, and made solid improvements every time he went on track.
“He will be the first PREMA karting driver to transition to single-seaters, and we are looking forward to seeing what’s ahead for us,” said Rosin.