Sebastian Melrose (born 12 January 1998) is a Scottish racing driver who last competed in the Ginetta GT4 Supercup for Team HARD. He was born in Bathgate, Scotland. He is a holder of the Scottish Motor Racing Club (SMRC) rising star award, winner of the Ecurie Ecosse Hubcap and is also the godson of 4 time IndyCar Series champion and 3 time Indy 500 champion Dario Franchitti. He is also known for appearing on the fourth season of the Netflix reality show Too Hot To Handle.
| Sebastian Melrose | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Nationality |  British |
| Born | 12 January 1998 Bathgate, United Kingdom |
| Ginetta GT4 Supercup career | |
| Debut season | 2021 |
| Current team | Team HARD. |
| Car number | 69 |
| Starts | 17 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Best finish | 21st in 2021 |
| Previous series | |
| 2019 2014-2018 | VLN Series Formula Ford |
Career edit
At the age of 16, Melrose's first race was at Knockhill in Scotland, March 2014, followed by his first away race at Brands Hatch later that year, October 2014. There he entered the Formula Ford Festival, progressing to the festival's final with a notable a top 20 finish [1] the youngest driver to have achieved this. He was awarded the SMRC rising star award for Formula Ford 1600 as a result, as well as his professional approach away from the car.[2]
Previously racing in the Formula Ford 1600 series with the Graham Brunton Racing team, Melrose finished his second season 5th in the championship standings with 140 points. In 2016, he finished 3rd and won the SMRC Best Young Single Seater Driver accolade. In 2017 Melrose finished 2nd in the Scottish Championship, winning the David Leslie Trophy along the way. In the same season he won Champion of Brands while racing at Brands Hatch circuit. Another second place was secured in the 2018 season.
In April 2019 Melrose took the step into closed wheel racing by joining Walkenhorst Motorsport in Germany to race a BMW in the VLN Series at the Nordschleife Nurburgring.
In 2021, Melrose would make the step-up to the Ginetta GT4 Supercup, racing with Team HARD.[3]
Personal life edit
Melrose was born in Scotland to a Scottish father and Salvadoran mother.[4]
Racing record edit
Racing career summary edit
| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Formula Ford 1600 Scotland | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 19th | |
| Formula Ford Festival - Kent | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31st | ||
| 2015 | Formula Ford 1600 Scotland | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 164 | 17th | |
| 2016 | Formula Ford 1600 Scotland | 15 | 0 | ? | ? | 11 | 216 | 12th | |
| Formula Ford 1600 - Walter Hayes Trophy | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27th | ||
| Formula Ford Festival | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC | ||
| Formula Ford 1600 National Championship - Post89 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC | ||
| Super Series FF1600 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC | ||
| 2017 | Formula Ford 1600 Brands Hatch | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | N/A | 1st | |
| Formula Ford Festival | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19th | ||
| Formula Ford 1600 Scotland | Graham Brunton Racing | 13 | 2 | ? | ? | 5 | 221 | 2nd | |
| National Formula Ford 1600 Championship - Pro | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 18th | ||
| Formula Ford 1600 Northern Championship - Post 89 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 30th | ||
| 2018 | Formula Ford Festival | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC | |
| Scottish Formula Ford 1600 Championship | Graham Brunton Racing | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 197 | 2nd | |
| National Formula Ford Championship - Pro | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 22nd | ||
| 2019 | VLN Series - Cup5 Class | Walkenhorst Motorsport | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23.98 | 21st |
| VLN Series - SP10 Class | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.38 | 30th | ||
| 2021 | Ginetta GT4 Supercup - Pro | Team HARD. | 17 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 133 | 14th |
| 2023 | Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain - Pro-Am | Richardson Racing | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12th |
References edit
- ^ "'Wheelspin' The Magazine of the Scottish Motor Racing Club, October/November 2014" (PDF).
- ^ "The SMRC Chairman's Autumn Newsletter 2014" (PDF).
- ^ "Formula Ford Champion of Brands Winner Seb Melrose joins Team HARD. Racing's Ginetta Supercup Campaign". Team HARD. 9 June 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ "Seb didn't kiss Flavia but they look cosy together outside Too Hot To Handle". Reality Titbit. December 12, 2022.
External links edit
- Sebastian Melrose Official Website
- The Scottish Motor Racing Club Website
- Sebastian Melrose career summary at DriverDB.com