Luis Leeds: Red Bull’s newest Aussie recruit

Luis Leeds is the latest Australian to head to Europe with Red Bull backing. But who is he? And how did he land such a coveted role?

For the last couple of years, the Red Bull Junior Team has largely dealt in big-name signings, whether it be beating Mercedes to Max Verstappen or bringing the likes of Pierre Gasly, Alex Lynn or Dean Stoneman on board.

But the approach appears to have changed somewhat in 2016, with the programme adding three lesser-known names – Niko Kari, Sergio Sette Camara and Luis Leeds.

Of them, Kari and Sette Camara have already made an impression on the lower rung of the European ladder below F1, the former winning the SMP F4 title and the latter enjoying a solid rookie season in F3. Leeds’ career, however, has mostly been confined to his native Australia.

So, who exactly is Luis Leeds and how did he land what is among the most coveted roles in junior racing?

The Mexican Grand Prix

Luis’ big break came on the heels of a very convincing outing in the non-championship NACAM F4 opener – a race that supported the returning Mexican Grand Prix.

“It was actually a very last-minute decision,” the Aussie recalled. “I was in school on the Monday and dad called me and told me I had to fly to Mexico and race that weekend.

“So Tuesday morning I got a flight there – and the car actually arrived after me. I had to help the team build it.”

His arrival proved to be bad news for the rest of the field as Leeds, driving for Team Ram, topped practice and qualifying before controlling the 24-minute race.

“After I had won the race, I was returning to the F4 paddock and I was told that Dr. [Helmut] Marko watched my race and wanted to meet me.

“I was a bit astounded – it was my first international race win in F4 and all of a sudden I’m being pulled into the F1 paddock and having lunch with Dr. Marko. He just asked me a few questions and, then, yeah, it just really took off from there.”

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