Joao Castro Interview

In Conversation with João Castro

João Castro is an up-and-coming racing driver who is building a strong foundation for his motorsport career in karting.

Supported this year by Team Brazil, we spoke about this partnership recently, what it means to him to have them on his side, his racing so far, his ambitions for the future and much more.

I hope you enjoy our conversation.

What first got you interested in motorsport?

Watching my Dad watch F1 on the TV when I was younger made me have an interest for cars from an early age.

I started asking him if I could do karting and from there, I started going more and more and each time the competition kept getting stronger.

You’re deep into the karting part of your career, how much are you enjoying it?

I am enjoying it a lot! This new chapter in Senior X30 has been a real challenge for me as the grids are one of the strongest in the world, but I enjoy it a lot and each race is just about learning how to both be the best and beat the best.

You won the Total Karting National Championship in 2022, tell me about this and your highlights from that year.

2022 was the first year where I competed in outdoor karting. I started in late ‘21, early 2022 at Brentwood karting and I was competing in their “Race League” championship. I discovered the Total Karting championship in early spring and unfortunately missed the first round.

My first round at Total Karting didn’t exactly go to plan with a few incidents in the races hindered my final result. However in only my second round of the championship, I won at Mansell Raceway by 0.008 of a second and again, I won on track in my third round. My fourth round of the Total Karting championship was the one-off race at Rye House and took place in the wet.

This was only my second time driving their karts in the wet but our pace was good the entire weekend and I managed to drive away from the pack in the final.

How did 2024 go for you?

2024 was an amazing year for me! I started the year doing the Club 100 junior championship and was testing in Junior Rotax on free weekends. I had good pace in Club 100 securing 2nd in qualifying at GYG and almost converted it into a podium however I got spun off the track by another driver. June was the highlight of the year for me as I competed in my first ever Junior Rotax event at PFI in the TVKC championship. This was the first time I could see if my pace was good in Rotax and I believe it went very well finishing 18th out of 50 drivers.

My highlight in club 100 was the podium at Ellough Park in August as that was the first weekend in that championship where I was able to convert my pace into a good result.

You’re competing in both the British Karting Championship and the SKR Championship this year. What are your aims for what you want to achieve in both?

My aim in the British Karting Championships is to finish 15th or higher in the overall standings. The grids are very strong in the BKC. Finishing 18th at Warden Law after never driving a senior x30 kart or Warden Law before, I think showed me the potential we have for this year. My goals in SRK are to achieve a podium in every round as unfortunately I won’t be able to complete every round due to the BKC.

Tell me about how you came to join Team Brazil and what their support means to you.

Team Brazil sent me a DM on Instagram with an opportunity to drive in the SRK championship for free which I am really grateful for. Their support has let me get out on track more often and improve my racing abilities and compete with some really talented drivers in tracks all over the UK which take real skill to overtake round.

SKR is going very well for you so far with two podiums already, including a win. How does it feel to get such a strong start to the season like that?

It’s always a good sign to start a season with a win and a podium. It always gives me a real confidence boost going into the season and motivates me to give it my all in every round I compete in.

What are your dreams and ambitions for the future?

My dream in karting is to be able to compete in the FIA World Karting Championships in Kristianstad this year. However I currently do not have the budget to be able to compete in the highest level in World Karting at the moment. Hopefully with the right support this year, I will be able to compete in a round of the Iame Euro Series at Wackersdorf and prove what I’m capable off.

Do you have any racing idols and if so, who?

My racing idol is Aryton Senna. His unique driving style and dedication to the sport allowed him to become one of the best drivers to ever drive in F1. Senna’s dedication to helping less fortunate people in Brazil is also an inspiration to me and he was and still is a great role model.

Thank you to João for taking the time to chat and best of luck for the rest of 2025.

Author: Thiemo Albers-Daly