On 27 September I followed the Champions of the Future Racing Academy by Motorsport Performance Academy, the programme led by Augusto Farfus that guides young drivers towards Formula 4, at Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet for the seventh round of the season.
A full day from sunrise to sunset: Formula 4 single-seaters lined up in the garages, track sessions across the circuit's famous blue and red stripes, briefings built around data and racing lines, Goodyear tyres prepared for every run.
Telling the story of an academy
Photographing young drivers means telling the story of the work rather than the faces: a car leaving the pit lane, a locked wheel and a puff of smoke under braking, the MPA livery reflected on the garage floor, the mechanics' attention to every detail. That is why the cars and the track are the protagonists of this gallery.
The light of Paul Ricard
With the mountains behind it and the Provençal sky above, the circuit changes completely from one hour to the next. At sunset, at the end of the day, the track emptied and the moon rose behind the hills: the perfect way to close the story.
Thanks to MPA and the whole staff for their trust and for letting me experience the day from the inside.