INTERVIEW WITH JULIA ANGELARD

#PROFIL
Name: Julia Angelard
Birthday: 12.02.2012
Place of residence: Piaseczno
Nationality: polish
Hobbies: Acrobatics

We already presented Minardi Management and two of its female drivers in this year‘s April issue of our magazine. The motorsport agency Minardi Management focuses on promoting young talent. Giovanni Minardi and Dorothea Schulz are very keen to make motorsport accessible to all drivers.

In this issue, we introduce you to Julia Angelard and Nefeli Kosmopoulos in an interview. First we spoke to Julia Angelard.

How did you get into motorsport?
I have an older brother, Maks, who started karting before me. I spent a lot of time watching him test and race. When I was about 4 years old, I wanted to try it myself. I really enjoyed it, so I wanted to get my own kart.

How long have you been active in motorsport?
I‘ve been active in karting for 7 years. But in the early years, it was just an occasional race when my older brother raced. Initially, I raced in the Rotax series Micromax and Minimax. In 2023, when I was 11 years old, I switched to the junior category of the ROK series. I changed series because I decided that it was what I loved and that I wanted to take it seriously. The ROK series is more similar to the main karting championships, which I want to compete in from 2025. But at the age of 11, I could only race in Poland in the Junior class due to age restrictions.

How satisfied are you with your 2024 season so far?
I drove on tracks in Italy for almost the entire 2024 season. I like the kart tracks in Lonato and Franciacorta. Those are the tracks where I feel most comfortable. I‘m happy with some races, not so much with others. I generally have a good pace in the races and on the test days. However, I still need to work a little on my qualifying pace. Because when you start in the middle of the field, there are often incidents. I‘m one of the youngest drivers and compete against other drivers who have a lot more experience. My goals for the 2024 season were therefore from the outset to focus mainly on racing and gaining experience and not just on results.

What are your best moments in motorsport so far?
One of the most exciting things that happened to me this year was being invited to the IRON DAMES Young Talent Selection Program, which I took part in at the end of July. I was one of 20 girls from all over the world and had the chance to meet a lot of great female drivers and make some new friends. It was a great experience working with the Prema team and Kart Republic, meeting IRON DAMES drivers and getting to know the general concept of the program.I also finished 4th out of 50 drivers in the 3rd round of the ROK CUP Italia in May, which was my best result so far.

Are there already plans for the 2025 season?
We are still working on that. Originally, we had planned to switch to the OK Junior Series and take part in the Champions of the Future and the FIA European Series. But as I‘m only 12 years old, I still have time. I enjoyed the ROK CUP Italia this year and had my own little personal successes. That‘s why I might stay in the ROK CUP Italia next year. The Champions of the Future Academy also seems to be a very interesting option. In general, we plan to do as many races as possible, as far as our budget allows. I will definitely take part in some WSK races as well. Nevertheless, I will continue to focus on my development in motorsport and on gaining as much experience as possible in karting. I also train my physical strength 3 times a week in the gym. Concentration and precision on the racing simulator are also part of my daily training.

What are your wishes for your future in motorsport?
My biggest wish in motorsport is to get into Formula 1. But that is a dream that is almost impossible. There aren‘t many in Formula 1 and there are currently no women in Formula 1, so the more realistic dream is to get into the F1 academy for women. Who knows what my performance would be like then. Otherwise, I would probably try to switch to racing cars like GT3 and hypercars – like the IRON DAMES do.

What else would you like to tell the readers of our magazine about yourself or motorsport?
It‘s really hard to take part in a sport that is dominated by boys and there aren‘t many girls in karting. But I want to show that a girl can do well on the track. Like many other sports, motorsport requires a lot of humility, but it also teaches precision and endurance. Driving at more than 130 km/h just two centimeters above the track gives you a lot of thrills. We have to be focused and concentrated to be safe.

#MOTORSPORTCAREER
2021
Rotax MicroMax Poland 11th Place overall
2022
Rotax MicroMax Poland 28th Place overall
2023
ROK CUP Poland 17th Place overall ROK Superfinal
2024
ROK CUP Italy 21th Place overall (best Result race 3 place 4) ROK Superfinal

Interview: Petra Röhrig
Photo: Elena Bars Instagram: Elenabarsphotographer