Buoyed by strong start to 2025 Singaporean F4 driver Kabir Anurag aiming for banner campaign

SINGAPORE – Like many aspiring drivers in the “cut-throat” world of motor racing, Kabir Anurag struggled with self-doubt, especially when results did not go his way.

The 17-year-old, who became the first Singaporean to be recruited by the Alpine Formula One team’s driver development programme in 2024, could finish only 20th out of 52 drivers in his first full Italian F4 championship season.

Yet, the Singaporean teenager learnt to find trust, both in his own ability and his team, as he embarks on his dream to join the rarefied heights of F1 with renewed vigour, buoyed by a fruitful campaign in March.

Kabir said: “I used to doubt myself a lot, but I realised that the most important thing is just trusting the people around you, trusting myself and doing the best I can. I recognised that I needed to have confidence in my own ability.”

A successful outing during the recent Formula Winter Series has lifted his spirits.

Kabir, who represented Germany’s US Racing, became the first Asian driver to win a race in the series when he finished first at MotorLand Aragon in Alcaniz, Spain, on March 1, before notching another win in the final race in Barcelona on March 9.

He collected points in every race he completed, with four podium finishes, en route to finishing fourth among 43 in the drivers’ standings as US Racing won the team title.

It was a big improvement as Kabir failed to win a race in the 2024 series, with his highest finish being fifth.

The four-stop winter series, with three races per weekend, is seen as pre-season preparation for the F4 championship. F4 is the next step after karting on the path to F1, with drivers typically progressing through F4, Formula Regional, F3 and F2.

“To win one race