West Sussex-based racer Will Hunt has been selected for Motorsport UK’s newly launched Certificate in Coaching Motorsport course, having recently completed the governing body’s prestigious Academy programme.
Having originally been selected for Motorsport UK’s ‘Squad’ line-up, Hunt recently completed the 24-month ‘Team UK Futures’ course, during which highly experienced Academy coaches provided exclusive industry insight, specialist workshops, educational sessions and bespoke events designed to nurture well-rounded racing drivers.
The ‘Team UK Futures’ nomination put Hunt on the pathway to the pinnacle of the Motorsport UK Academy pyramid, Team UK, which is a national squad of elite drivers from a variety of disciplines, hand-picked to receive bespoke one-on-one performance management as they progress towards the sport’s top tiers.
As the 25-year-old has fully engaged with the Academy programme and qualified as an official Association of Racing Driver Schools (ARDS) Instructor, he has now been chosen for the specialist Coaching qualification.
In 2022, Hunt fully committed to his motorsport career, as he is now earning a living as a driver coach for young and aspiring racers in grass roots categories, including Radical SR1 Cup rookies Darren and George Knutton, and as a Race Instructor at Silverstone, where he teaches driving experience customers and corporate VIPs.
Motorsport UK’s Certificate in Coaching Motorsport sets the standard for motor racing instructors, the qualification providing personalised and collaborative experiences, including face-to-face learning, online videos and workshops, as well as practical observation and expert insights.
It will cover technical, tactical, physical and mental skills and more importantly, the underpinning coaching principles drawn from best practice within the sporting industry.
Katie Baldwin, Competitors Pathway Manager, Motorsport UK, said: “We know that good coaches can make a huge difference to a participants’ experiences in sport. Inspiring coaches not only support drivers to develop performance, progress and learn new skills, but they get to know what motivates individuals so they can support enjoyment. Will (Hunt) is the perfect candidate for Motorsport UK’s Certificate in Coaching Motorsport qualification given his own driving and competition experience, and his involvement in the Motorsport UK Academy. We’re looking forward to providing Will with further tools and skills to effectively transfer his knowledge and experience onto other competitors, helping them to unlock their full potential.”
Hunt said: “I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the Motorsport UK Academy Team UK Futures programme and I was genuinely sad and disappointed when it came to an end in November. The experiences we were afforded were excellent and I made some great friends along the way, but I also learnt a lot and have been able to apply those lessons to my racing, the business of the sport and my coaching roles. For all of these reasons, I’m delighted to continue my association with Motorsport UK under the Certificate in Coaching Motorsport. I’m working hard to make a career out of motor racing and I’m confident the course will make me a more complete racing driver and instructor.”
