“Especially now during wartime it’s very important to contribute to the country,” Israeli Formula 4 race car driver Ariel Elkin, 17, told JNS on Sunday.
Elkin made the headlines earlier this year by winning a place on the podium at the USF Juniors Championship Formula 4 race in New Orleans and raising his helmet, which was decorated with pictures of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, instead of the trophy.
“I have a personal connection to one of the hostages, Liri Albag, an IDF field observer who was kidnapped from the Nahal Oz army base. She is the sister of a young driver friend and I also know Liri,” Elkin said.
“I decided that I should do something to raise awareness and try and help somehow in any way I can. This led me to the gesture of sticking pictures of all the hostages on my helmet, competing with it, and raising it when I was lucky enough to finish on the podium,” he continued.
“In my opinion, the issue of the hostages is the main priority for Jewish communities worldwide and the Israeli nation and it’s my way of helping,” Elkin added.
Following his gesture, Elkin said he received words of support but also harsh comments and backlash both on the racetrack and on social media.
FIA Formula 4 is an open-wheel racing car category intended for junior drivers, bridging the gap between karting and Formula 3.
Originally from Haifa, Elkin has been racing since he could sit behind a steering wheel. He inherited his passion for racing from his father who owns a car garage.
“When I was eight, I first won the Israeli Karting Championship and moved to racing overseas,” he said.
Since then, Elkin has piled up European and world achievements. In 2022, he won the Karting bronze medal representing Israel at the FIA World Motorsports Games and won the Italian IAME (karting) championship. In 2023, he moved to Formula 4 and won the opening round at F4 series at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
This weekend, he will be racing in Portland, Ore., in the last round of the USF Juniors Championship.
“We are currently second out of 33 drivers; we have a good chance at winning. We will do our best to paint the championship in the blue and white colors of the Israeli flag,” he said.
Despite his success, Elkin does not shirk his responsibility to his country.
“Serving in the IDF is a must. I will be doing so while I continue my sporting activities. There is a special program for outstanding athletes in the army. I am going to take part in it,” he said.
In October, Elkin will represent Israel at the FIA Motorsport Games Formula 4 Cup for the second time, in Valencia, Spain.
“My dream is to go to Formula 1 and represent Israel at the highest level of motorsport,” he said. “The transition to F1 doesn’t only depend on my abilities as a driver, but also on significant financial resources.”
Elkin trains every day at the gym and on his racing simulator. “It looks like a game but it is so realistic, it feels like I am driving a race car and it is the best tool we could use. Racing is very physical, and I must stay fit to be fast and competitive on the track,” he said.
The reaction time of the driver is of supreme importance. “In my last race, I had less than a second to hit the brakes—otherwise, I would have hit a wall. But I reacted fast enough to get out of danger,” Elkin continued.
“When I first started driving Formula 4, I got a tattoo that says ‘Never stop dreaming,’ because it was a dream come true for me. My family didn’t have the means to allow me to drive in Formula 4, but somehow I managed to accomplish it through lots of effort.
“That’s my message to the younger generation. Never stop dreaming, you never know what will come your way,” Elkin said.