In a manner, motorsports followers have watched Lia Block develop up earlier than their eyes. Because the daughter of famed wheelman Ken Block, she made her first on-camera look on the age of 13 (studying how one can do donuts, after all), in a YouTube clip that drew greater than three million views.
However since her father’s tragic passing in January of 2023, she’s established herself as a cross-series racing star in her personal proper. She received the two-wheel-drive class of final 12 months’s American Rally Affiliation championship, competed the world over in Excessive E and Nitrocross, and even received the Professional Inventory UTV class of the Baja 1000 alongside her mother, Lucy.
“Truthfully, it’s been such an journey—on daily basis is one thing totally different,” says the 17-year-old Block, nonetheless stuffed with power regardless of a busy journey schedule. This 12 months, she’s tackling a complete new kind of journey, having signed with Williams Racing as its F1 Academy entry. It is a massive change from the off-road racing she grew up on, and one which hasn’t been mild. She had solely a pair weeks to acclimate to open-wheel racing—by no means thoughts the Williams automobile particularly—earlier than F1 Academy’s season-opening races in Jeddah in March.
“It’s been a really steep studying curve to get to that first race in Jeddah, however I’m having a blast,” she says.
Forward of this weekend’s F1 Academy race in Miami, Motorsport sat down with Block to talk about her whirlwind 12 months, the difficulties of open-wheel racing, and the pressures of being a younger driver in a social-media-obsessed world.
Was System 1 and open-wheel racing at all times in your radar as one thing you wished attempt?
I grew up watching F1. Me and my dad would sit down and watch every time a race was on, but it surely’s at all times been an unknown space for me as a result of I grew up in rally. [It was] at all times one thing I wished to do however by no means had the chance. To have this opportunity is admittedly, actually cool. Type of like a lottery ticket for me.
I’ve achieved quite a bit within the American rally scene, successful the championship. And whereas I do know the following step for myself [there], I wish to go do this. It is a trial 12 months to see if I like it sufficient to cease doing rally and rallycross—which is a giant and daunting factor, to depart one thing I do know so nicely behind. We’ll see the place it takes me.
How has it been adapting to open-wheel racing?
Truthfully, it’s been fairly exhausting. At first, I believed it was going to be a bit simpler than it really was. It’s a very totally different motorsport, and I knew nothing about it. I did a little bit of karting after I was a child however nothing to the extent of my rivals once they had been youthful. The problem is what excites me probably the most. Not being good at one thing going into it makes me need it that rather more.
Each race is new—I’ve by no means competed on any of those tracks or towards any of those ladies. So it’s actually only a massive studying 12 months for me, and I’m taking each bit of knowledge that I can.
Lia Block racing in F1 Academy at Jeddah in March.
And racing at Williams means you’ve received a storied staff behind you. Plus I hear you’ll be driving the FW08 from the ’80s on the upcoming Goodwood Competition of Velocity.
I’m very, very excited to be a part of the Williams staff and the historical past they’ve. To drive that iconic piece of historical past at Goodwood goes to be so loopy. I’m a bit nervous to drive this very costly, outdated automobile, however to have the ability to say I drove an F1 automobile at 17 years outdated is certainly actually thrilling.
And it’ll be a Goodwood I really keep in mind! I’ve been a number of occasions with my dad, however I used to be too younger.
As a teenage driver within the F1 orbit, you’re extraordinarily energetic on social media. Is there numerous stress to keep up that on-line presence?
Yeah, social media presence is admittedly massive now. I used to be grateful to have my dad, who knew a lot about advertising and marketing from proudly owning his firm. I skilled that from a younger age and noticed how totally different he did it in comparison with his rivals. Going ahead, it’s undoubtedly one of many greatest components of motorsport, and having a very good social media presence could make or break a contract.
It’s fairly exhausting. And actually, if I may simply be a racecar driver and never have to fret about that, it’d be a dream. However with the brand new era, it’s solely going to get larger and greater, and it finally places so many eyes on the game, identical to with Drive to Survive. I feel we’ll even be seeing [more social media] with rally and rallycross.
Block prepping for a stint
You’ve even dipped your toe within the vogue world a bit. Is that one thing you wish to proceed?
Rising up—this sounds humorous—however I at all times wished to be an actor. I’m fascinated by modeling and appearing. It’s so cool that somebody like Lewis Hamilton has introduced the style world into the motorsports world, merging them collectively. It’s enjoyable to have a character off the observe in addition to on. So it’s one thing I’d love to do extra.
Talking of Lewis, there’s a extremely cool video of him and your dad racing towards one another of their respective automobiles at a Prime Gear pageant a few decade in the past.
I’ve seen that!
Plenty of F1 guys clearly cherished watching your dad. Has there been numerous assist for you and the Block identify within the paddock?
Yeah, I feel so. Now it’s simply attempting to make my very own profession, go a unique path and my very own manner. Having his assist, and the those who knew him, feels very nice. The entire motorsports world is sort of a massive household.
