For a while, Ariel Elkin ironically had a license to speed but not a license to drive.
“The funny thing is that even though I could go 160 miles per hour in a race, I didn’t have a regular license to drive a car,” Elkin – the 17-year-old from Haifa who has competed in many races for Formula 4 all over the world – told The Jewish Press.
“I failed when I went for my first exam. To be honest, I think it was a misjudgment by the examiner. I won the Italian Championship. I won a world championship race, but I couldn’t pass my first driving test. So many people were messaging me laughing about it. It was funny for me too.”
But he passed on the second try, and he’s been passing many other drivers en route to winning several tournaments.
He is a student at Hebrew Reali School, but much of his time is devoted to racing, managing his career and raising funds to be able to race.
“People think we don’t do much, that we just sit in a car and drive,” he said. “But we are athletes. We lose a lot of weight in each race. We approach G-forces similar to what jet fighters experience. It is a very physically demanding sport. I train every day in the gym and on the simulator at home. I have to eat well and sleep well. I try to avoid junk food. I do miss out on hanging out with friends and my social life takes a hit, but the sacrifice is needed for my career and I want to keep getting better.”
The 6’1, 150-lbs racer, said it’s “a bit difficult to fit in the car, but I manage it.”
He doesn’t get paid for his wins but has sponsors like car manufacturer MG Israel, fashion house Lee Cooper, and is looking for more sponsorships and partnerships.
Knowing he is in a sport seen by many and interacts with people of countries around the world, Elkin said he felt it was important to show pictures of those who were taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, with images on his helmet, jacket or signs he has held.
“I have a friend still held in captivity in Gaza,” he said. “Her name is Liri Albag. I wanted to raise awareness for her and all the hostages. She’s a sister of another racecar driver. She was at the Nahal Oz base. It was her second day in the Army.”
He said he is very worried about all the hostages and especially his friend.
“We heard back in November that she was fine, but that was 50 days after she was kidnapped and now it’s more than 310 days. We pray for her each and every day.”
He said many fellow competitors have asked him about the hostages after seeing the photos on his helmet or jacket.
“It’s important to me to explain to them and raise awareness,” he said. “I want to influence every person I can.”
Elkin – who, in addition to Hebrew and English, can also speak Russian and Italian (and can understand French and Spanish) – has competed in Israel, Russia, France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, and across the United States.
Elkin said he’s gotten some antisemitic comments on social media.
“I don’t let it bother me,” Elkin said. “One time someone sent me a message. I can’t use their exact words, but it was basically that because I am a Jew, he wishes me and my family to die. I get messages like this, but my job is to focus on my sport and represent Israel.”
He said it is imperative to keep focus during each race.
“It’s a very dangerous sport,” he said. ‘Yes, you can die if you make a wrong move. So, I understand the risks but am able to quickly evaluate the situation on the track appropriately to not make any silly decision that I would have to pay for with my life.”
He said in one of the races he was in, one of his friends broke a few bones, and a driver he’d known since he was a kid died in a race in Belgium.
On regular streets, he drives a Dacia, not available in the U.S.
“To be successful at this sport, you need to mentally be in the zone all the time you’re driving,” he said. “I have been able to develop this skill over time.”
He said his team is looking for sponsorships and partnerships that will enable him to compete as a professional in Formula One. He performed well in Wisconsin this month. He is currently third in the USF junior championships and will be competing at Portland International Raceway.
In October, he is also slated to be a part of international competition in Madrid, Spain.
“It’s a lot of travel but it is an honor to represent Israel,” he said. ‘My goal is to make Formula One.”
