Rising Moroccan talent Michael Benyahia has joined the Carlin motorsport program ahead of his debut in Formula 3 in 2020.
A highly successful team in junior categories, Carlin has an incredible history of helping guide young drivers on to future success.
Their roll call includes names like Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg, both Formula 1 world champions, and other top drivers including Daniel Ricciardo, Robert Kubica, Jean-Eric Vergne and most recently Lando Norris.
Now Benyahia has the opportunity to follow in their footsteps with Carlin and will take part in an extensive program to ensure his absolute readiness for the biggest challenge of his career next year.
“Michael has a great track record already and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do in a Formula 3 car,” team owner Trevor Carlin commented.
We’re very much about driver development at Carlin and allowing drivers to reach their potential. Michael is assessing his options for the future and with the trust and backing of his sponsor OCP he has the potential to go all the way.
“We look forward to working with him on this programme.”
The 18-year-old has already made his mark in junior categories winning the 2017 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC championship and finish second the year prior in the French Formula 4 series.
More recently, Michael enjoyed a stint as the development driver at Formula E team Venturi and this year has taken the opportunity to expand into sportscars, driving for McLaren in the GT4 European series.
Pursuing the dream of Formula 1 has remained his passion, however, and joining Carlin’s development program represents a major step in that direction.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank OCP for their support and believing in not only my potential but all the young athletes who proudly represent Morocco around the world,” he said.
“I’m really looking forward to working with the team throughout the year.”
Benyahia will begin his testing program with Carlin in the UK at the end of July.