Following in the footsteps of his father, touring car and Dakar star Tom Coronel, Rocco Coronel is a Dutch racing driver who has already carved out a unique position in motorsport history by becoming the first non-British champion of the Ginetta Junior Championship. He quickly established himself as a dominant force in international karting, demonstrating the exceptional early talent and consistency that led to his rapid ascent into car racing.
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Early Career
Coronel achieved major success on the international karting stage in 2023, claiming the FIA Karting European Championship title in the highly competitive OK-Junior category. This continental triumph highlighted his consistency and positioned him as a key figure to watch globally. Coronel built on that success in 2024 by finishing third at the FIA Karting World Championship in the OK-Junior class. He secured a podium result at the challenging PF International circuit, further reinforcing his reputation for skill under pressure. He capped off his karting chapter with a decisive statement by winning the final round of the WSK Final Cup in the senior OK category at Cremona, showcasing his ability to adapt quickly and maintain top-tier performance across classes.
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2024 Season
In September 2024, Coronel was selected to join the Red Bull Junior Team following a rigorous three-day evaluation process at the Jerez circuit in Spain. At 13 years old, he became the youngest Dutch driver to be included in the program. He made his car racing debut shortly thereafter in the Ginetta Junior Winter Series at Silverstone in November 2024, successfully preparing for his full-season campaign the following year.
Coronel embarked on his full-season car racing debut in the 2025 Ginetta Junior Championship with the R Racing team. He delivered an exceptionally consistent and dominant rookie campaign, which culminated in him securing the championship title in October 2025 with two races remaining. During this title-winning effort, he secured a remarkable 11 victories and a total of 19 podium finishes out of 22 races. Coronel is recognized as the first non-British driver to ever become champion in the series' history.
Rocco Coronel got 3rd in Barcelona 2025 - Spanish F4
Following his dominant Ginetta Junior championship title, Coronel's immediate focus is his progression to single-seaters. He has already completed his FIA Formula 4 race debut in the final round of the 2025 Spanish F4 Championship, racing with the front-running MP Motorsport team. He is expected to continue his full-season campaign in the 2026 Spanish Formula 4 Championship.
