The surreal objective imposed by Red Bull on Iwasa to access F1

Anyone who thinks about racing thinks about riding fast and finishing ahead of the others. To achieve this, drivers constantly work on themselves, discuss everything with their engineers and builders and analyze data to create the best possible car together.

But in today's world, entertainment is just as important. The more attention the driver receives, the more valuable it will be. This is something that has grown in importance in recent years, just think of series like Drive to survivewhere teams and drivers became their own brand.

In Japan, they were a bit late in this regard. However, this situation is gradually changing. Pilots from the land of the rising sun are increasingly aware of their profile. The best known example is Ayumu Iwasa. The Japanese driver was still racing in the last year, but as there was no place on the grid for him, he was sent to Japanese Super Formula.

Even though he hasn't yet managed to win in this category, his fourth place in the standings is very impressive for his first year there. And in his homeland, he continues to build his own brand, showing off both on and off the track.

The tasks Marko gave him to get to F1

“I organized two events this year and I'm more present on my social networks. When I was racing in F2, I could barely use social networks because I was abroad. And to be honest, I didn't “I had almost no time for that,” Iwasa said Motorsport.com.

“If you want to get into F1, it is increasingly important to have a fan base, to be recognized and to manage your social networks well.. I see this happening before my eyes and I can say that This is one of the goals that Red Bull set for me“, he added.

advise personally entrusted him with this task: “When I spoke with Red Bull and more specifically with Helmut, about the possibility of going to Super Formula, he told me verbatim: 'Now that you are racing in Japan, take advantage of this time to increase your popularity and skills. If you can, try Formula 1,” Iwasa said.

Own events

Iwasa He also came up with something for those who are less fond of motorsport. The 23-year-old Osaka pilot organized events in several cities to attract and engage more fans.

“I realized that social networks and these types of events have a lot of impact. After the Nagashima event, there was a walk in and some people yelled at me, “I was at your event!” I also have the feeling that the comments on my posts have changed [positivamente]”.

“Until now, fan events have been more in the form of gatherings and autographs, but I am targeting new fans and trying to increase my reach. I wanted to attract the attention of non-sports fans and to get excited about motorsport, that was the aim of my event organized in Kadoma for example,” he said.

In the Japanese city, event participants not only had the opportunity to take a ride in a simulator, but they were also able to test their own reflexes and were able to make the decision. jumpin which they could demonstrate how quickly they could jump out of the car.

“The goal was to show people what motorsport is, what it takes to be a driver, and to arouse their interest. Even people who were just shopping came to see it,” Iwasa says.

Surprisingly, Iwasa had almost no help organizing the events: “Of course, I could have come up with the idea myself and let someone do the rest. I think it would have worked, but it wouldn't have fit my vision. Then it wouldn't make sense In my opinion.”

However, Iwasa doesn't want this to affect his sports career: “I make sure that [la organización de estos eventos] Don't hinder my career. I don't think it's worth going from 100% focus to 90% focus to run events with the other 10%. “I am 100% focused on the races, but I devote 10 or 20% more to these events,” he concluded.

Ayumu Iwasa organized an event in Osaka with HRC.

Photo by: HRC

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