Young racer preparing now for 2026 Rodin Cars ‘Formula Ford to Formula 1’ prize

ven before the inaugural recipient of Rodin Cars annual ‘Formula Ford to Formula 1’ pathway is announced this weekend, the next generation of Kiwi motor racing youngsters are already preparing for the challenge, twelve months out.

Each season the winner of the Napa Auto Parts New Zealand Formula Ford championship will be invited to a private test at Rodin Cars facility in North Canterbury. Highly rated Auckland teenager Marco Manson, who made a one-off appearance at the penultimate round, is already focused on next season’s prize.

The just turned 14-year-old made an impressive debut in two recent Formula Ford rounds, scoring a clean-sweep of podiums on debut.

“Everything was 3. I qualified third and finished third in all three races,” said Marco.

In Marco’s very first national championship race, also at Hampton Downs, he qualified second fastest, managed to get into the lead of the first race but took the chequered flag in P2. He fell back in the other two races but turned in some impressive comebacks.

Manson’s one-off appearance in the national series was to gauge his development and to see how he measured up against the stiffest of opposition.

“The wheel-to-wheel racing was so much closer, everybody was so much more aggressive, but clean. It was a lot harder to make a move,” he said. “Every race was a new learning curve for me. I was there to learn and do my best.”

Tutoring and preparing his Spectrum race car is Tom and James Penrose who have been instrumental in getting the young Manson up to speed. Tom is well known for his mechanical and car set-up skills while son James is a former Formula Ford champion and an experienced race car driver who’s been assisting Marco with the driving side.

But the diminutive teenager has only ever had one ambition and the MotorSport New Zealand joint venture ‘Formula Ford to Formula 1 pathway, powered by Rodin Cars’ could help that happen.

“My goal ever since I started karting at five was Formula One, that’s really all I’ve wanted to do and I’m going to stick by my word and not give up,” said Marco.

“Watching Liam [Lawson] and Louis [Sharp], both supported by Rodin Cars has given Kiwis and me a lot more hope of progressing towards Formula One.”

For Marco’s father Luke, who also supports older brother Sebastian – a succeeding single-seater driver who’s previously raced in Formula Ford, Toyota’s CTFROC and now competes in America – the Rodin Cars pathway is a great opportunity.

“From a parents point of view it’s an amazing opportunity. It doesn’t matter on the financial backing you have, to navigate the motorsport world is pretty tricky and Rodin has the teams and the contacts that can open those doors for you,” said Luke, who more recently joined his sons in the sport as a competitor in GT Endurance racing.

Aside from the Manson’s, several other families are also eyeing up the move to Formula Ford, spurred on by the Rodin Cars offer.

“We operate teams at the highest level of world junior single-seater racing and it’s great to see the extra interest created by our incentive,” said Emma Duncan, Managing Director of Rodin Cars and Rodin Motorsport.

“We’ve taken Louis Sharp through our junior categories in the UK and now he’s in FIA Formula 3 this year with us, two tiers below Formula One.

“We look forward to supporting another young Kiwi driver through the testing phases to see if they too can make that step up to European racing.”

Rodin Motorsport has teams in the British F4 and F3 championships, plus the two official undercards to Formula 1, FIA F3 and F2.

This Sunday the winner of the Napa Auto Parts New Zealand Formula Ford Championship will be given an invitation to a testing programme at Rodin Cars manufacturing and test track facility at Mt Lyford between 15th-17th April, weather permitting.

Duncan said a second driver could be invited at their discretion to join the three-day test.