SCCA Pro Racing

Phil Picard Sr. has spent the past 30 years utilizing his extensive motorsports experience to help with the development and success of drivers. Now he looks to bring that success to the newly formed Formula 4 series.

Momentum Motorsports, led by Picard, plans to showcase two drivers during the inaugural season of the 2016 F4 United States Championship Powered by Honda. Picard will use his experience as a teaching tool for those F4 drivers.

“Motocross, karting and skiing, actually, gives and develops a sense of weight transfer, which is hugely important for F4,” said Picard, who got his start in motocross, quickly moved to F1600 and then won two championships in an F2000 car. “The understanding of weight transference by a driver and their communication back to the crew and engineering staff is critical.”

 Helping young karting drivers take the next step into the world of open-wheel racing, both on and off the track, is something Momentum Motorsports hopes to continue with F4.

Picard said some of the biggest challenges young drivers face are slowing their hands down, understanding turn-in on radial tires as opposed to karting turn-in and using their mirrors. Momentum Motorsports also focuses on the driver’s development, equipping them to feel, understand and communicate what’s happening inside the car.

Off the track, Picard stresses to his drivers that humility, positive personality and understanding the dynamics of the team greatly contributes to their success. These lessons perfectly align with F4’s commitment to go beyond track skills to mental training, personal brand development and race strategy.

Momentum Motorsports, based in Montgomery, New York, has already had success with the team’s youngest driver, 16-year-old Quinlan Lall. A race winner and track record holder in the F2000 Championship Series in 2015, Lall has tested successfully in F3.

“We are very excited about the program,” Picard said. “We are excited about the success we had moving Quinlan from zero seat time to a winning driver, testing in Europe and having him sign over there, and we are striving to be the conduit to do just that [in the US].”

The 2016 F4 U.S. Championship kicks off at Lime Rock Park on May 27.