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 in Aragon was really good for my confidence. And then in Barcelona, a track where people say overtaking is impossible, to win (despite) starting from eighth, was also very encouraging, because it proves that I have the right characteristics to do well in a championship,” said Kabir.

Hearing the national anthem during the trophy presentation was also a “proud” moment that whetted his desire to follow in the footsteps of past overall Italian F4 winners like Oliver Bearman (2021) and Kimi Antonelli (2022), who have gone on to drive for the Haas and Mercedes F1 teams respectively this season. 

Kabir, a Singapore-born Indian national, who with his parents became Singapore citizens in 2020, said: “When I win a race, the national anthem that plays is probably one that 95 per cent of those people in the paddock have never heard, and it is at that moment that I really feel so good about flying the flag.”

The Italian F4 season kicks off on May 4 at the Misano World Circuit.

London-based Kabir will not be the only Singaporean in action in Europe, with Christian Ho, 18, beginning his F3 season with Dams Lucas Oil on March 16. They often text each other, with Kabir praising Ho’s achievements, and insisting there is “no rivalry”.

Kabir said his main aim in 2025 will be to show he has matured and translate this into results, after he was given a first-hand glimpse into the competitive world of motor racing.

Visits to Alpine’s state-of-the-art facilities in Enstone, Oxfordshire, during two F1 race weekends – last June’s Austrian Grand Prix and the Italian GP in September – turned out to be an eye-opener as Kabir gained insights into the skills, mindset and teamwork required from the top drivers and engineers.

He noted: “It’s a cut-throat sport (especially) when the results are not coming. Because everything can change in a moment.

“I was in the team when Esteban (Ocon) was there and he is such a good driver. And then things changed so quickly.”

Ocon, who won the Hungarian GP in 2021 during his five-year stint at Alpine, was replaced by Jack Doohan for the 2025 season. The Frenchman is now driving for Haas.