The youngest driver on the 7 Racing 310R grid, Sam May is already making a name for himself. New to car racing in 2023, having made the progression to Caterhams from karting, Sam enjoyed a solid start to his car racing career, and is consistently going from strength to strength.
Looking back to 2023, being a new driver on the grid can be rather daunting, especially when you’re also the youngest driver in the paddock, but this didn’t seem to phase Sam. The 7 Racing Championship prides itself on being a friendly, welcoming paddock to all drivers, regardless of their experience or tenure within motorsport. When Sam and his family arrived in 2023, this was certainly the case.
“It was very welcoming,” said Sam. “I felt comfortable straight away, I was able to ask any questions I may have or raise any concerns with the 7 Racing team or other drivers, and it was always received well, which made joining a new championship so much easier.
“As the season progressed, I felt happy asking the more established drivers for their feedback on my performance and my racing lines, for instance. Although I have been karting for a number of years, I’m still in the early days of my car racing career, and receiving feedback from those who are more experienced is a great help,” he added.
Although 2023 marked Sam’s inaugural season in Caterham racing, he did have some car racing experience when he joined the 7 Racing Championship. With a number of outings amongst the endurance racing ranks back in 2022 under his belt, this helped Sam when navigating new circuits.
Coming from a karting background meant Sam was well versed in many kart circuits, but the likes of Donington Park and Brands Hatch GP were brand new territory once he jumped in a car. Despite this, he adapted well to the combination of a new car and new circuits, and with the help of a few test days he was soon ready to take on his first season in what can be a ferocious environment.
Caterham racing is well known to be exciting and close – fully exhilarating. 7 Racing is well known for fast, close yet fair track action, meaning it is a great place for drivers of all experience levels and abilities. This was something which attracted Sam’s attention when he was looking to make that progressive step forward.
Although the action is close, the Caterham is a great car even for those still in the early stages of their racing career. With the race craft Sam had already developed from his kart racing days, transferring this skill to a Caterham was relatively straight forward.
For his first season with 7 Racing, Sam set himself a goal of continuously improving throughout the year. “I achieved my goal for my first year, which was to always improve and move forward with each race. I was able to stay focused and determined, along with being satisfied with my progress against the other very experienced drivers.”
Now moving onto a new season, his goal for 2024 has evolved once more. “My goal for this year is to achieve a podium finish, and to be fighting in the top five on a regular basis. This year I am pushing myself more.
“I was still slightly nervous at the beginning of the 2023 season, as it was something new. It was a huge learning curve for me, for instance on how to control the Caterham and drive fast, but I felt I soon got the hang of it. Now I am able to translate what I learnt last year into some strong results this season.”
So far, the dream for this year is close to being realised. Sam has been in the thick of the action, fighting for positions within the top five at both Snetterton and Brands Hatch. Brands Hatch saw the youngster narrowly miss out on his first podium finish, however, to claim his best result of fourth place was a huge step forward.
We’re confident in saying that the illustrious first podium finish is just around the corner for Sam, as he continues to progress further with each race weekend.