Iakopo Fuamatu

Iakopo Fuamatu is a racing driver born in Apia, Samoa, currently racing in the 2016 F1RDS season.

Early career
Fuamatu was born in Samoa, but at the age of 2 his family moved to Auckland, New Zealand. He became interested in racing in 2001, when the Australian V8 Supercar series raced at Pukekohe Park, near Auckland. Fuamatu started to compete in karts when he turned 12, and at 16 he began to compete in the Toyota Racing Series, with some good results. In 2015, as well as a year in the TRS he also went to Australia for the first time and competed in the Australian Formula Ford Championship. He finished 3rd in the TRS that year, including victory at the season ending New Zealand Grand Prix, and finished fifth in his first Formula Ford season, with a few race wins as well.

F1RDS
While in Australia, Fuamatu gained the attention of John Zimmer after dominating the opening round at Eastern Creek, near the base of Zimmer's team. Zimmer watched some more races through the season and at the end of the year approached Fuamatu with an offer to compete in the F1RDS in 2016, for Rosenforth Engineering, as well as to join ZimSport's young driver program.

Fuamatu's first start was in the Winter Cup, where he made an immediate impact. He started on the front row at the first race at Sonoma, and taking pole for the second, winning both. However, he struggled in the other rounds at Laguna Seca and Long Beach. While he led the championship going into the final race, an electrical failure put him out, and he fell behind Anu Võsu and Aimée Gauthier in the championship.