A Millfield pupil is bidding to follow in the tyre tracks of some famous alumni as he sets out on a career in professional motorsport.
Having cut his teeth in the Spanish F4 Championship, Benjamin Goethe is now halfway through his second season racing in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, driving a WRT Audi.
McLaren F1 star Lando Norris, and Formula E racer Sam Bird, both attended Millfield, a sports-specialising school where up to 60 international athletes are likely to be enrolled at any one time.
“I chose to come to Millfield because I wanted to finish my schooling in a school where sport is highly regarded and where I can successfully complete my studies,” said Goethe. “Out of the car I train in the gym every day and I test the car every few weeks, with a race once every month.
“Millfield is very supportive of my racing career,” he added. “They allow me flexibility with my studies whilst giving me the perfect platform to physically prepare myself.”
They allow me flexibility with my studies whilst giving me the perfect platform to physically prepare myself – Benjamin Goethe, Millfield pupil
Goethe’s performances in his first season of GT racing were strong enough to see him win the SRO Merit Award. The youngest driver to compete in the championship during 2019, he was just 16 when he made his debut at the season-opening meeting Monza.
To date, 2020 has been less successful, with Goethe finishing 32nd at Imola and non-classified at the Nürburgring. The young British driver will be hoping for improvement when the series visits Belgium for a 24-hour race at the fearsome Spa circuit, and the closing event at France’s Circuit Paul Ricard.
“My dream is just to compete and hopefully win races, with my ultimate goal being to drive for a manufacturer and one day win Le Mans,” said Goethe.
“Other than building a track on campus, the school is doing everything they can to support my racing career already – there is no better place for me in my career right now.”
