Americans in British F3 2019:
Kaylen Frederick
Kaylen tells us about living the life as an American Racing Driver in Britain
Find Kaylen online via Instagram and kaylenfrederick.com
Published on April 18, 2019

★ Thanks for your time Kaylen! Where in the States (or the world) are you from?

I am from Potomac, Maryland, just outside of Washington DC.

★ How did you first become interested in motor racing?

At a young age my parents used to take my sister and I dirt biking. One day when we had planned to take our bikes out it began to rain, and we decided to go karting instead. My sister and I got really into it and eventually my dad bought me my first kart. We started out doing club races at a track near us. My sister later decided to stop karting to focus on other things, but over time I got more and more into it, competing in national series in the US.

★ How did you become part of the British Formula 3 Championship, and how is it feeling to be part of the series for 2019?

After the 2017 BRDC F3 season I did a couple of test days with Double R and Carlin as I was interested in running in the series the following year. We always wanted to come over to Europe as European series have proven to streamline driver development. I was too young to compete in the 2018 season, so we decided to run another year in the MRTI series in USF2000 before coming over to England. I've already done quite a lot of testing with Carlin Motorsports coming into this season, so I'm feeling confident in the car and with the team. The competition this year is looking to be very promising, so it's going to be a challenge, but I'm looking forward to it.

★ Will you be living in the UK during the season, and if so, are you looking forward to life in Britain?

I will be living in the UK for the most part, but will also be going back to the US in-between some events. I've enjoyed staying in the UK a lot so far, but I'm still looking for a place to stay though as it's hard to rent an apartment as a 16 year old.

★ The UK has some legendary courses, and the British Formula 3 season also features the iconic Spa in Belgium. Are you looking forward to any track in particular?

I have tested on almost all the tracks that this year's calendar has to offer, and I am honestly very excited about racing on all of them! If I had to pick a favorite track so far it would either be Oulton Park, Donington Park, or of course Spa.

★ What are your hopes and goals for the 2019 season?

This will be my first season competing in a European championship, so my goals are to get a good feel for the challenges that I will be facing in an English series, and to keep improving all season long. If I can do this then the results will come.

★ How do you think experiences of driving in Europe will compare with driving in the States?

The transition from the US to Europe hasn't been easy as I've had to get used to many new things and unlearn old habits. Every test I am improving, and getting more familiar with the new methods and ways of doing things. I will keep improving throughout the season but I'm already feeling comfortable with myself in the car going into the season.

★ Whilst you've here in the UK, is there anything you miss / don't miss about the States?

Obviously I will be missing my friends and family while I'm over in the UK, but I'm happy with how my relationship with my team is developing so I'm sure I'll be just fine.

★ What is your ultimate career goal?

I love formula car racing so a career in Indycar or Formula 1 would be my career goal. It will be difficult to make it into one of these series, but I am ready to put in the work.

★ Finally, what's the best thing about being an American racing driver?

A good thing about being an American racing driver is that there aren't many of them in Europe, which will allow me to stand out from the rest.