Meet our Drivers - Kobi Williams
In his debut season as a full-time National Formula Ford Series driver, Kobi Williams has high expectations for himself, and has set his sights on a series top 3. After a season in the Victorian Formula Ford Championship where he finished 4th last year, Kobi says he has learnt enough to take the next step at national level.
“Last year was definitely an up and down season with a few mechanical failures and some mistakes on my end not helping the cause. But we also had some great results with my first pole position and a race win towards the end of the season. Having the one year at State level was always the plan. Having that year at State level has given us a good read on the car and has prepared us for a solid season at the National level.”
Formula Ford can very much be a family affair and for Kobi working with his Dad on the car is something he very much enjoys. “ Dad’s the mechanic and our relationship has definitely got stronger, but we do have our disagreements at times. At the end of the day we both really enjoy and when the car is at home we both work on it and I try to learn as much as I can from him.”
The first weekend of the season is now well and truly under his belt and it’s a weekend Kobi believes will benefit him in the long run. “ We qualified 5th at Morgan Park and finished the 1st race in 6th place. Then Sunday was a little tougher for us, I made a mistake in race 2 which dropped us down the field before making contact with another driver in race 3. The damaged caused from the contact took us off the pace and that was the weekend done.
Driving on new tracks will also add to the excitement of his first National season. Kobi was a part of the Formula Ford E-series run during Covid lockdowns and says the On Line Gaming simulation really helps him learn the new circuits. “ It’s definitely a good way to learn and get your head around a track before you head there to test or race for the first time. What it doesn’t prepare you for though is a big Supercar weekend like we will have in Tasmania. There will be great coverage of the weekend for us and of course that brings an added pressure which I try to keep away from.
For Kobi though this year is all part of the grand plan of hoping to one day be on the Supercar grid, “ I would definitely like to head down the Supercars path one day. I know I just need to keep working hard and doing the best that I can, and then hopefully those opportunities will come.”
You can catch Kobi and the Australian Formula Ford Grid for round 2 of the championship at Sydney Motorsport Park on April the 15th and 16th.
