From Kenya to Indian F4 Champion: Shane Chandaria on His Road to Formula One

[Chungraon = Executive Director Changmin Ahn, Associate Editor-in-Chief Dongseop David Yeo] Shane Chandaria, 16, is a Kenyan racing driver. He won the Cadet class of the Kenya National Karting Championship in 2022 and represented Kenya at the FIA Karting Academy Trophy in 2023. At the age of 15, Chandaria won the 2025 F4 Indian Championship. 

He became the youngest champion in the series and the first Kenyan to win an FIA-certified single-seater title. He is racing in the French F4 Championship this season. 

For this article, Chungraon interviewed Chandaria about his racing career and his plans for the future. He also shared a message for young people in Korea.

Q. First, could you briefly introduce yourself to our readers in Korea?
A. Hi everyone! I am Shane Chandaria. I am a 16-year-old racing driver from Nairobi, Kenya. I started racing when I was 8 years old in go-karts and quickly went up the ranks in Kenyan karting. I became the national karting champion in 2022. I moved to England in 2023, when I was 13, to pursue my racing career. I got the chance to represent Kenya in the FIA Karting Academy Trophy in 2023. In 2025, I went to India to take part in the Indian F4 Championship, which I was able to win, becoming the youngest-ever winner and champion and the first Kenyan F4 champion! This year, I am taking part in the French F4 Championship, and I am racing and learning from some of the best!

Q. How did you first become interested in motorsport, and when did you start thinking seriously about becoming a racing driver?
A. I first became interested in motorsport when I was 4 years old. My dad and uncle watched F1 on weekends, and I fell in love with it. When I was 6, I went to a go-kart track for the first time and instantly got addicted to the buzz! In my heart, I have wanted to be an F1 driver since day one, and even through the highs and lows, I have never let go of the dream! I would say that moving to the UK to race was when I started to devote all my time to racing.

Q. You started racing in Kenya and later competed in countries such as the UK, India and France. What was the most difficult part of taking your career abroad at such a young age?
A. Initially, the most difficult part of it was finding a way to do school and maintain a normal life as a teenager. I was lucky enough that there were good options for online schools that allowed me to take time off for racing. In my first year of racing abroad, my parents traveled with me, and I was lucky to have a family that I could stay with in the UK. Also, because of the internet, I was able to keep in touch with my friends and keep up with them. Now, I travel alone. And as much as I love seeing new places and making unique memories, it can get a bit lonely during the week when I am alone waiting for the race. I have grown to like traveling solo, and seeing the whole world is one of the perks of being a racing driver! I have had to learn skills like cooking, cleaning, traveling across countries, and keeping my things organized.

Q. What was it like to move from karting to Formula 4? Was there anything about driving an F4 car that surprised you at first?
A. The jump was an insane feeling. It felt like I was driving a spaceship, and it was one of the best feelings I have ever had! Because of the simulators that we racing drivers use to train, I was able to practice and mentally prepare for the F4 car. I was surprised at how tiny differences in the braking shape and steering inputs made up so much time! It felt insane. If I wasn’t perfectly precise, I would be very slow. It also felt like a different animal from karts. I felt more connected to and almost part of the F4 car. It was also insane rolling out of the pits for the first time with the halo, the steering wheel with all the dashes, and even shifting through the gears!

Q. You won the 2025 Indian F4 Championship at just 15 years old. What did that championship victory mean to you and your family?
A. The championship was my biggest achievement in racing. It proved to me and my family that everything we had to sacrifice was worth it! It also taught me that I should never give up. In karts, there were many times when it felt like the whole world was against me, but when it all clicked for me, I proved what I could do. It also motivated me to keep going and push forward!

Q. Was there a particular race or moment during the 2025 season when you began to believe that you could actually win the championship?
A. When I got my first win in Race 3 of Round 2 in Chennai, I felt like this was my championship to win. I had already shown strong pace, and I had been at the front of the field. I had a dominant win from pole position, and I felt like I could do it! After that day, I pushed harder than I ever had, and that belief was what pushed me to work harder. The win felt like it had been a long time coming, and it felt almost like a weight off my shoulders.

Q. As the first Kenyan driver to win an FIA-certified single-seater championship, what does it mean to you to represent your country on the international stage?
A. Being able to represent my country in motorsport and to win for my country is an amazing feeling. There are very, very few people from Kenya in circuit racing, and for me to be able to go and win just proves that anyone can do it! I have also gotten a lot of support from my fellow Kenyans! I hope that I am able to continue to fly my country’s flag high!

Q. You are now competing in the French F4 Championship. What are the biggest differences between Indian F4 and French F4, and what are you hoping to learn this season?
A. French F4 is one of the main F4 series in the whole world. There are 30 drivers, and everyone is super quick. It is particularly hard to find the peak of the Pirelli tyres and set a quick qualifying lap on them. The racing is also very aggressive but fair. French F4 is like Indian F4, just on a bigger scale! This year, I got to drive on actual F1 tracks, and it was crazy to see how technical they are! I am hoping to develop as a racing driver. I want to improve on the mental side so that I can become a smarter driver. I am also hoping to learn how to adapt to changes.

Q. What are your main goals for the next few years? Is reaching Formula One your ultimate dream, or are there other racing series you would also like to experience?
A. My ultimate goal is to become an F1 world champion. But of course, to get to F1, you need a lot of money, so I am also keeping my mind open to GT, endurance, and other single-seater racing. I want to become a professional racing driver. I would like to drive in F1, WEC, IMSA, Super GT 500, BTCC, IndyCar, and Super Formula.

Q. Finally, what would you like to say to young people in Korea who have big dreams but may feel that they do not have enough opportunities or support to achieve them?
A. It is important not to give up! Everyone has a different path in life. You just have to trust in yourself, and you will succeed. It might take 5 months or 10 years, but you have to keep going!

Chungraon sincerely supports Chandaria as he continues his career in French F4 and works toward his goal of becoming an F1 world champion. We hope his story encourages young people in Korea to trust themselves and keep going, whether success takes five months or ten years.

Follow Shane Chandaria on Instagram: @shanechandaria56

/Executive Director Changmin Ahn, Associate Editor-in-Chief Dongseop David Yeo