Gaby Chavez,15, is not old enough to borrow his dad’s car and drive down the street to the supermarket.
But he is old enough to drive race cars at 140 mph around some of the most famous speedways in the United States.
Already known in racing circles, he gained fame when Peter Windsor, owner of the new U.S. Formula 1 team, mentioned him as one of the possible drivers to be recruited.
“Formula 1 is where I want to get to, where I can get to. That is my dream,” said Chavez, who has known what he wanted to do from the first time he drove a go-kart in his native country at age 11.
Chavez, the world’s youngest driver with a Class C license from the International Automotive Federation, currently leads the BMW Americas Formula championships, a category that has formed some of the current crop of Formula 1 drivers, such as Sebastian Vettel, Timo Glock and Nico Rosberg.
“When I’m on the track I forget about the planet. I connect completely with my car and with myself. It is something that happens naturally,” explained Chavez.
Last year marked a milestone for Chavez. For a few weeks, he was able to come face to face with his future as he raced three Formula 1 tracks in Singapore, China and Malaysia.
For now he continues training, gaining experience on tracks here in the U.S., while also spending nine hours each week testing all the F1 tracks with a modern simulator he has at home.
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