Two of Australasia’s brightest young motor racing stars made big impressions during recent tests with Rodin Motorsport in the UK.
New Zealand teenager Marco Manson and younger Australian driver Sebastian Eskandari-Marandi travelled to Surrey as part of Rodin’s ‘Formula Ford to Formula 1 Pathway’ programme to be evaluated by the team’s British Formula 4 operation.
Manson, 15, and Eskandari-Marandi, 13, spent two days at Rodin Motorsport facilities, including time at their new state-of-the-art Driver Performance Centre, before heading to the Pembrey circuit in Wales, previously used by Formula 1 teams for testing with the likes of the late Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.
Working with the team’s engineers and human performance coach, both drivers made an impressive initial mark with their attitude and preparation before taking the cars out on track for a one-day evaluation test.
The drivers had a baseline fitness test on arrival at the Driver Performance Centre, an eye-opening experience for Eskanadri-Marandi, who described it as a “very well set-up facility; everything is spaced out really well. I’ve never been to anything like this before, so a very enjoyable first-time experience.”
Auckland-based Manson was equally impressed with his first visit to Rodin’s Driver Performance Centre.
“I’ve never been to something like that before in my life, and I thought it was really cool, and to experience some of the things and see everything. It opened my eyes a lot,” said Manson.
The Pembrey circuit was exclusively available to Rodin Motorsport. The day was split into five sessions: three performance-focused sessions, one session dedicated to practice starts, and a final simulated race run incorporating race start procedures.
The morning of the evaluation began in damp conditions, meaning both drivers needed to adapt to the changing circuit conditions throughout the day.
For Eskanadri-Marandi, this was just his second time behind the wheel of a Formula 4 car, a car identical to one based at Rodin Cars in New Zealand and used for the ‘Formula Ford to F1 Pathway’ test at Mt Lyford. He found the braking and high-speed stability the biggest challenges on a circuit which, he says, “is very old and bumpy like most others in the UK.
“Initially I was just learning the track and getting used to the car. Throughout the day we started doing different runs, quallie runs and the race simulation. It was a little bit difficult to get used to the car again, but after the first couple of sessions I was right.”
Manson said he also had never driven on a track like Pembrey before.
“A really grippy track. I really enjoyed it, definitely an old-school track with some cool characteristics,” he said.
“Apart from racing in Australia on the Hankook and Europe racing on the Pirelli, the car is very similar. They’re the same exact car, with the only difference being how the teams run them.”
At Pembrey, the youngsters were under the watchful eye of Rodin Motorsport’s Sporting Director, Benn Huntingford.”Both drivers who joined us for the evaluation were a pleasure to work with. They were professional and engaged throughout the evaluation, demonstrating strong potential for future opportunities,” said Huntingford.
“They improved throughout the day and demonstrated a strong ability to implement the techniques and adjustments discussed during the debriefs with their engineers,” he added.
Both utilised previous on-board footage to help determine brake markers and racing lines. This also helped them better understand the car, rather than relying primarily on driver feel.
An important part of the evaluation was understanding tyre preparation and the build-up process, including the energy required to bring the tyres into their optimal operating window. Developing this understanding allowed the drivers to deliver consistent lap times throughout the race simulation.
Manson, who has F4 experience from racing in Australia this year, adapted more quickly to the demands of a British F4 car.
Eskanadri-Marandi, who, at 13 years old, is still too young to race in his native Australia, showed his lack of racing experience was no handicap. He finished second to Manson in the last New Zealand Formula Ford championship, electing to race in New Zealand, which has the lower age entry barrier of 12 years old.
The ‘Formula Ford to F1 Pathway’ programme gave both drivers an insightful experience of the level of professionalism and preparation required when competing within a British F4 programme.
With only a New Zealand Formula Ford experience over last season to compare, Eskanadri-Marandi was impressed with Rodin Motorsport’s UK operation.
“I’ve not been part of a team that is so well structured and with the knowledge they bring to the table. You could tell them what the car was doing, and they automatically knew two things to change on the car, and a few things to change in your driving. A really cool experience to see how they function as a team, and how I can improve.”
Eskanadri-Marandi will still be too young to compete in the upcoming British F4 championship and will return to New Zealand for a second season in Formula Ford. Manson, meanwhile, will finish his Australian AU4 programme next month, where he is currently leading, before committing to his 2027 programme.
This is the second time Rodin Cars has provided a test with their British Formula 4 team for New Zealand’s Formula Ford champion, adding a wild-card entry this year for the runner-up.
“It’s a credit to the Formula Ford programme that both Marco and Sebastian proved worthy of testing with us in New Zealand and then demonstrated they were both good enough to be invited to the UK, where they did very well,” said Emma Duncan, Managing Director of Rodin Cars and Rodin Motorsport.
“We’re also pleased to offer the same test opportunity at Rodin Cars for the Class 2 winner for the upcoming season as we strengthen our ‘Formula Ford to F1 Pathway’ programme.”
Rodin’s initiative is also a partnership with MotorSport New Zealand.
“The opportunity that Marco and Sebastian have in front of them right now thanks to the Formula Ford to Formula 1 by Rodin cars pathway is enormous,” said MotorSport New Zealand President Deborah Day.
“New Zealand has such a proud history of producing world-class drivers, and this programme and investment from Rodin ensures that continues into the next generation, and for that we are incredibly appreciative of David, Emma and Rodin Cars.”
Header Image: Supplied
