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Luciano Martinez is 20 years old, and he has been competing since March in Formula 4 US. He’s excited “I want to have a colapinto track”.
While he was at 33 years old Augustine Canabino shines like rookies In the IndyCaranother Argentine who is also having his first motorsport experience in the United States, despite his desire to get to Formula 1. its name Luciano Martinez, he is 20 years old and works in Formula 4 US. However, he doesn’t just ride the car. “How did I end up as a mechanic? It was my suggestion”Expect Clarion In a preview of the second date of the season.
“We secured (running) until the third date of the year and part of that was achieved with the help of the team before the races. In the US you can’t work, but I got to the first date two months before the race and I was cooperating with the team. I played the mechanic on my car, They save on paying the extra mechanic and I save that straight from the budgetHe justifies.
He acquired his knowledge of mechanics in 2019, when “procedures began to bring Formula 4 to Argentina.” The engines and chassis came separately and a large part of the work was to assemble the cars. Therefore, I will assist as a mechanic and test them. I learned out of passion and a desire to see the category progress,” he says. Although F4 in the country did not thrive, it gave him the tools he uses now.
It was also at this time that he began to study the possibility of going to the United States for sporting and economic reasons. In the first place, the highest category of monopostos in Argentina is Metropolitan Formula 3where he has been Canning’s pilot since 2019. “There’s no more to climb and The only way to realize this dream of getting into Formula 1 is at the international level“, Confirms.
On the monetary side, meanwhile, “USA is the cheapest” And at Scuderia Buell had “some acquaintances and very good relations”. This is what opened the possibility of offering his services as a mechanic. “I knew that what could make me less expensive was to take advantage of what I already knew about the mechanical part so that my help would be useful in discounting the budget,” he asserts.
Language was not a barrier either because Argentinian team owner and engineerHe even speaks Spanish inside.
Likewise, he made a decision seven or eight years ago to see everything he searches for on the Internet or on social networks in English. “Although I had a rule, what ended up emphasizing me and making me comfortable to pronounce was Everything is consumed in English. Today, I have no difficulty managing English there. Even though I have an Argentinian accent when I speak English, I make myself understood and understand everything they can tell me,” he notes.
When talent alone is not enough
But being mechanical part time Raising money is not enough to get a seat in F4 US. “We sold some of the things we had accumulated over the years in Argentina in order to raise the first part of the budget,” he says.
“Now we are looking for the budget for the second half and developing what we have planned for the following years. Therefore, the most important thing is to show ourselves strong; to prove that we deserve it, that we have potential,” adds the one who returned to the country after the debut in New Orleans. For the two months that have elapsed until this weekend in Wisconsin, he trained on the simulator and at the Roberto Autodrome Mouras de La Plata with a car with similar characteristics.
From 18th to 21st on the Road America circuit, Lucho Martínez will face the fourth, fifth and sixth races of the class, which will resume in June-July. After that, there will be a pause until October and November, although the Argentine will have to collect the budget that will allow him to continue competing.
At 20 years old and with a future full of expectations, he says he does not rule out continuing his career in IMSA (International Motor Sports Federation) but his dream is to target Europe and another Argentine road. “Franco Colapinto’s track is what I wantHe’s the one we want to follow,” he said, referring to the 19-year-old Formula 3 driver who is a member of the Williams Academy.
“The dream and the goal is Formula 1 and as fast as possible. If it can be tomorrow, it will be tomorrow – the multiples -. If we’re not given F1, because we haven’t put the budget together or we’re not allowed, the goal is to live on cars. There is always the possibility of going on the motorsports salary track. It will be a second giant’s dream.”
