Jersey driver hopes to move up a gear in America

Tuesday 06 June 2017

After four years in Formula Ford racing, Michael Gibaut has set his sights on a new challenge that will take him all the way to America: the Mazda MX-5 Cup championship, a support series for the Indycar, which he hopes to join next year.

The 21-year-old driver has already found a team to race with and is currently working on securing sponsorships.

Michael, caught the racing bug from his dad, Andrew Gibaut, who used to take him to watch local motorsport. At the age of 11, Michael jumped in a kart at the Jersey Kart and Motor Club and passed his ARKS (Association of Racing Karts School) licence in his first year behind the wheel. He raced in different classes for over fives years, winning several awards including the “Richard Dix” Club Trophy for the most consistent and competitive driving during that season.

In June 2012, he passed another test, the ARDS (Association of Racing Drivers School) at Thruxton race circuit in the UK, which allowed him to move to single seater racing. While he was studying for a degree in Motorsport Management & Logistics at the University of Central Lancashire, he joined the British Formula Ford Championship, a category which has seen the likes of Ayrton Senna and Jenson Button win their first titles.

After three successful years with EMax Motorsport and Souley Motorsport, the former De La Salle pupil has now set himself a new challenge across the world: join the Mazda MX-5 Cup championship. Michael told Express: "I have enjoyed the Formula Ford but now, I want to make a change to car racing and gt racing. It is a bit different as it is not single-seater anymore. It will be a challenge to change my driving style for this type of cars and to adapt the set up but it will be interesting to do."

Pictured: Michael Gibaut in his Ford.

While he has already found a team to race with, Chicago-based Fall-Line Motorsports -thanks to the help of another Jersey-born driver, James Walker, who raced for them in Daytona- Michael still needs to secure funding to be able to compete next year. He has therefore set racing aside this year to focus on securing sponsors. He explains: "We are working on the budget and the marketing and trying to get more sponsors. We are already in touch with CMB automotive Marketing and Fall-Line. We have a few contacts but we are working to get more especially with UK companies who have some influence in the US.

"This year is a break from racing, it's a planning process for the next season. But I am itching to get back into it, I will try and do some racing in the UK later this year. We'll see how it goes!"

After visiting Fall Line's headquarters last October, Michael is planning to do more testing on their track to prepare for his full entry at the MX-5 Championship next year. All this is in the hope of joining the Indycar series one day. Michael says: "It's the Formula One of America. I have always enjoyed it and prefer it to Formula One actually. They do street circuits and have faster cars. It's kind of the category I have always wanted to do. The MX-5 is sort of a feeder series for the Indycar so that would be a good step to enter it."

To reach his dream category, Michael can count on the help and support of his dad who is very much involved in his son's racing career. Michael says: "He does my emails and helps with everything. He is interested in racing as well so he is happy to do it, it's a family business. He always told me 'you can’t do bikes, it has to be cars' because he had a bad bike accident when he was younger. My mom is scared to watch me race, she has only seen me twice!"

If his previous involvement in motorsport was more of a hobby, the MX-5 Championship will require a full time engagement. Michael will then have to leave his job in logistics for a forwarding company and make a big move. He says: "I live in Preston right now, my girlfriend finishes uni this year so we are there for another year. After that, we will see where the racing takes us. If I was to do the America thing, it would have to be full time, a big change but it would be nice to do!"