Shanaka Clay - F1 Coach
Shanaka Clay started racing at a very young age, and when he was 8 years old, he was already driving go-karts. He quickly became known as a natural and special talent in karting. Shanaka has competed in high level races all over the globe, from the UK to Europe, and even on an international level in America and Asia. During these years, he raced against famous F1 and previous F2 drivers like Lando Norris, Dan Ticktum, and George Russell.
He won many championships and set tons of track records in different parts of the UK during his time as a kart driver. His speed and skill proved his potential, which became even more visible in the years to come. Financial problems made him switch to Simracing.
Shanaka began playing the F1 game series in 2011. Shanaka entered competitive gaming through Apex Online Racing. Buying his first racing wheel marked the beginning of his simracing path. He switched off all assists for F1 2018 to improve his skill level. During this game cycle, he qualified for the Pro Draft Series.
His efforts didn’t go unnoticed in the next season when he was named an official esports driver by the Racing Point team, following hard work and talent shown throughout 2019’s F1 edition. He led them to win the Pro Exhibition race against official grid members. As a result, when Racing Point rebranded to Aston Martin, they did not hesitate to sign Clay again, due to his loyalty and consistent results while representing their brand.
Shanaka switched to Williams Esports for the 2022 season, where he showcased great skills in racing. Recently, he became part of the R8G team with hopes of returning to the F1 Esports grid. His win during the season 35 PSGL F1 final race has strengthened this desire.
Shanaka Clay is a symbol of how you can excel in both sim racing and real racing competitions or tournaments.