14-year-old Tjaden Tromp announced his presence on the DOE Formula Vee Partnered with CIM Lubricants grid with a level-headed performance at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit this past weekend (11-13 April).
The young Victron Energy South Africa brand ambassador became eligible to obtain his competition licence for the regional status category. He debuted as part of a double-header Extreme Festival event at the iconic circuit, becoming the youngest driver to compete in the category.
Tromp was eager to record his first result, particularly after significantly improving his pace throughout the weekend’s timed sessions, culminating in securing 14th place on the grid.
However, two incidents elsewhere in the field resulted in Friday’s first race being aborted after only two completed laps due to the impact on the programme, with two further categories still needing to complete their qualifying sessions.
DOE Formula Vee Partnered by CIM Lubricants were presented with two options. A shortened race at the end of the Day 2 programme or a 12-lap double points race on Saturday. Further delays in the remaining sessions, and with available light also being a concern, resulted in the second of these options being the only viable one.
This did not change Tromp’s focus as he obtained his first recorded finish on Saturday afternoon, with 15th place following a good early tussle with Mile Stewart.
“It was a good debut despite the delays we faced.” Said Tromp. “While it was frustrating to wait for that first race at the iconic circuit to be ticked off, finally, it was certainly worth the wait. There was a lot that went into making the weekend possible. We have found key areas to work on, and finding an extra 4.7 seconds per hot lap certainly shows that we are moving in the right direction. We look forward to being even more competitive in the next round.”
Tromp is complimentary of the circuit as he wraps up his thoughts on the weekend. “Driving into the premises, you immediately notice you are at a world-class venue. It is definitely challenging and very technical. It is a real driver’s circuit that I have come to love in my three days there. I’m looking forward to returning and competing for silverware next time.”
Tromp’s next DOE Formula Vee Partnered with CIM Lubricants outing will be around the clockwise orientation of Red Star Raceway on 10-11 May. He competed at the venue before in his 2022-2023 Formula M campaign.
Issued by Brandsponential on behalf of Tjaden Tromp
Photography by: James Thomson
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