Picking the Drivers for the F4 Shootout
· 15 min read · By Rob Smedley
A NOTE FROM ROB SMEDLEY:
When I started FAT Karting League, the goal was simple: build a grassroots motorsport ecosystem that finds the next world-class drivers using rigorous, data driven methods. The same methods that are used in F1 to analyse both car and driver performance. Democratising motorsport, not romanticising it. If you can drive, we want a system that can prove it and then open a real pathway.
This year we hit a new milestone: our first FKL World Finals, held at Willow Springs (12–14 December), bringing together the best talent from our three active championships: UK, Midwest US and California. Importantly, it forced us to answer the hardest question in our whole project:
How do you choose who deserves the next step, with so much quality within the field?
It's important as the next step is not a trophy; it's graduation to the FAT Racing programme. Specifically, the F4 FAT Racing Shootout, where one driver will earn a fully funded seat in British Formula 4 in 2026. That's a genuine career opportunity, and it means selection can't be vibes, reputation, or "I liked what I saw". It has to be objective, data driven and not based on mine or anyone else's opinion.
Two seats were chosen for us. Two were not
The FKL World Finals regulations give automatic shootout entry to the top two in Junior Light and Junior Heavy categories. That meant two drivers qualified on merit, no debate:
- Ellis McKenzie — Junior Light
- Shea Aldrich — Junior Heavy
Then we had the hard part: selecting the remaining two wildcards in a way that was objective, consistent, and aligned with what we're trying to build.
The approach: build the data analysis methodology first, then look at the names. Here's the rule I care about: you set the method before you see the outcome. Otherwise, you're not analysing, you're just justifying.
We built an algorithm around 10 data driven metrics, grouped into five performance areas, each with a weighting aligned to overall driver talent and performance.
The model: what we measured
We looked at five areas that translate to driver performance:
Area 1 — Championship Performance
Average points per race, with correctors for number of races completed, grid size, and championship type (Regional vs Pro weighted differently).
Area 2 — World Finals Points
Points scored at Willow Springs, normalised for external factors such as equipment reliability.
Area 3 — Single Lap Speed
Best lap of the entire World Finals weekend, normalised for vehicle weight between categories using in-house laptime simulation and for time-of-day track conditions.
Area 4 — Race Pace
A mix of average gap to the leader, average gap to the best pace, and average gap to the mean pace. First lap removed to avoid distortion from grid position and first-lap incidents.
Area 5 — Racecraft
Average finishing position, positions gained with grid-position weighting, wins and podiums at the World Finals. The algorithm prevents over-rewarding easy gains from qualifying out of position.
Converting mixed data into one fair score
We normalised each metric using percentile scoring with most performant receiving a score of 100% and the remainder scaled accordingly. Only after that do the weights come into play.
Stress tests: we tried to break our own result
We ran different scenarios of penalties, incidents, etc. None materially changed the outcome — a rigorous and stable scoring system.
Final validation: the judges score
We sanity-checked the output with our coaches and staff. From the objective data Monde-Jnr Konini was a clear choice. Jackson Wolny scored highly in WF performance, Championship performance, and Race pace.
The Wildcards
The two wildcards for the F4 FAT Racing Shootout go to:
- Jackson Wolny
- Monde-Jnr Konini
They join Ellis McKenzie and Shea Aldrich, who qualified automatically.
Well done — because this was earned
Congratulations to every driver who made it to Willow Springs. The level was high, and that's why this process mattered. Ellis and Shea earned their spots outright. Jackson and Monde earned theirs through a method designed to be fair, robust, and brutally honest.
The truly heartening point was that there were many talented drivers to choose from. On this occasion a few missed out on fine margins. I'd love to see them come back and compete for the coveted F4 drive in 2026.
Now the shootout starts. Let's all get behind our four young drivers as they battle it out for this game changing prize.
Rob Smedley
CEO & Founder
FAT Karting League & FAT Racing
Want to learn more? Visit our About Us page, or head to the Race Calendar to find events near you.
← Back to Blog