Fifteen-year-old Irina Sidorkova and seventeen-year-old Mikhael Belov have both been announced to the Junior section of SMP Racing and will both compete in Formula 4 machinery in 2019.
Sidorkova is a highly-rated female racer who has won the Ice Circuit Racing Cup and the Russian Circuit Racing Series in her short career to date, with the teenager joining up with the DriveX Team in the Spanish Formula 4 category in 2019.
Peter Aleshin, the director of the SMP Racing Junior program, is pleased to welcome the duo for the 2019 season and it is their duty to prepare both drivers for their future within motorsport.
“We are pleased to welcome young talented drivers Irina Sidorkova and Mikhael Belov in the SMP Racing Junior program,” said Aleshin. “It seems promising for SMP Racing that the FIA has given a lot more importance to issues in women’s motor sport and is creating a women’s world series.
“It seems worthwhile to have the participant from our country. Therefore, we have decided to prepare a driver who can perform well in these competitions. In our opinion, today, in terms of age and a number of physical parameters, Irina Sidorkova is the most promising candidate. Our task is to prepare her as much as possible for the formula race.
“Already last year we began to make progress: Irina took part in two races of the SMP F4 Championship. Formula 4 is a completely new series for her, requiring a completely different preparation. Therefore, we are now fully preparing Irina for this competition and will work with her throughout the season. In the Spanish Formula 4 Championship, Irina will compete with the young men. Of course, it will not be easy, but we will support and assist her.”
Belov won the 2018 Formula Academy Finland Championship and was vice-champion in the SMP Formula 4 Championship, and will now race in the Italian Formula 4 Championship with BhaiTech Racing in 2019.
“Mikhael Belov, in our opinion, more than proved himself last year in the SMP F4 Championship,” said Aleshin. “He had a great season, becoming a vice-champion, and with great pleasure we want to give him the opportunity to compete in international competitions at a higher level.
“Mikhael will spend the season in the Italian Formula 4 Championship. He has very ambitious targets: we expect that he will be in the top six at the end of the season. We believe that Mikhael has everything it takes to achieve the goal.”
