W Series 2019 | Sabré Cook
Sabré Cook tells us about representing the US in the inaugural motor racing season of W Series
Find Sabré online via Twitter @sabre_cook, Instagram and Facebook
Published on April 10, 2019

Where in North America are you from?

Grand Junction, Colorado.

How did you first become interested in motor racing?

My father used to race motocross and supercross professionally, and he and my mom didn't want my brother and I racing motorcycles, so they got us into karting at a young age.

Congratulations on being selected to participate in the inaugural W Series. How did you become involved in the Series, and how did it feel to achieve your seat?

Thank you for the congratulations! I originally heard whispers about the series at the end of 2017 and was honestly a bit skeptical at first. But as I began to learn more about what the series truly was and what it aimed to achieve my doubts faded. I received lot of encouragement from a few key people in my life to give it a chance, so eventually I gave it some serious thought in the middle of 2018. Shortly after the W Series requested my application, and I went ahead and sent in my racing resume and was fortunately selected to move onto the evaluation stages. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and I’m so excited to now have made it to this point.

Sabré Cook (right) is on the ball

As the W Series takes place in Europe, where will you be living during the season?

I recently moved to the UK in January for my position in the Infiniti Engineering Academy. So I'll be based in the UK for the rest of the year primarily for the purpose of completing my work at the Infiniti Technical Center and Renault F1. Of course with the W Series races happening entirely in Europe, my placement here certainly worked out for the best.

The W Series takes in some iconic circuits - are you looking forward to racing on a particular track?

I’ve never driven any of the tracks on the series calendar so I’m pretty excited to get acquainted with them all. European circuits are usually quite different from the US circuits so I’m excited for the new experiences. If I had to pick one though, I’d say Brands Hatch because it has a lot of history and it’ll be the closest thing to a home race for me.

What are your hopes and goals for the 2019 season?

Winning is always the ultimate goal, but overall I’m focusing on my growth as a driver this season. I look forward to utilizing the key resources that the W Series is providing to make sure I develop exponentially as a driver this year.

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

I would imagine it's going to be similar to the transition I made from karting in the States to karting in Europe where I found a heighted aggression level and sense of strategy in the races. As for the general atmosphere of the events, I imagine the energy will be inspiring and electrifying because in Europe racing is much more a part of the culture than in the US.

What is your ultimate career goal?

To be an IndyCar driver and/or F1 race engineer.

How important do you feel the W Series will be for opening more opportunities for upcoming female drivers, creating more sponsorship to back female drivers, and for encouraging more women to take up the sport?

I think it's a vital step in getting more women consistently involved in motorsport because it gives them something to aim for long term. Most girls stop because of lack of funding, support, or simply because they don’t see it as a viable future for a woman. The W Series eliminates these issues and provides an opportunity for women to push their careers to the next level while giving them the developmental tools to succeed long term. Hopefully, the series opens the eyes of others as well to see the value of women in motorsports.

Finally, how does it feel representing your nation in the inaugural W Series?

I feel so blessed and proud to be representing the US in the W Series. It means so much to have the support of everyone back home, and I can’t thank the people that helped me get here enough. I hope to earn the red, white, and blue some well-deserved recognition on the motorsports front!

To find out more about the W Series, which starts on May 3rd at Germany's Hockenheim Ring, check out www.wseries.com. The Series reaches the UK in August, with the drivers competing at Brands Hatch in Kent over the weekend of 10/11 August. Keep an eye on the W Series via their Social Media Channels: Twitter @WSeriesRacing, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube

See our other interviews with the W Series 2019 North American contingent below.