From karting at home to FIA F3 king: Dennis Hauger on the moments that made him

6 January 2023

MP Motorsport’s newest Formula 2 signing Dennis Hauger looks back at the biggest moments from his racing career so far. From growing up in the Norwegian karting scene and graduating to the international stage, to being in the pressure cooker environment as a Red Bull Junior Driver, Hauger picks out the defining chapters he’s experienced so far.

INTERNATIONAL KARTING

“The first moment was when I was 10, going into international karting, which was obviously at the time, a fun thing – nothing super serious but the next step in my career. That was a good step and a cool one in my career at a younger age.

“The type of racing from national to international, especially in Norway which isn’t the biggest country, it’s something quite different. It was really cool at the time, a completely different atmosphere in terms of how the racing was - it was a lot harder and at a higher level. It went quite well straight away so that’s why we kept going, It was supposed to be half the season at international level and then the rest in Norway, but it went so well that we decided to keep going. The next season I won three world series karting Championships or something like that, so it was really cool to take that step which wasn’t originally the plan.

“English was the best thing I learned back then! How to communicate with the mechanics and the team. Back in Norway, it was just me and my dad but going into a team, how to communicate and work together was a big thing, especially at a young age. To manage to do that isn’t easy. The type of racing as well was harder. You could squeeze each other off track, those types of things to do with driving were quite different. Going into cars, you take all those experiences with you from the past so those are the two main things that I really learned the most when I came into international karting.”

BECOMING A RED BULL JUNIOR

“It’s a cool moment. I think I was 13 when they contacted us. They thought I was older at the time, so they thought I was going into cars already, but I wasn’t old enough, so I kept sending reports to Helmut Marko, the boss, after each race. I had to do it, so I did! They were Just about how the races went and a bit more detailed stuff and at the end of that season I got a simulator test, which went really well in Milton Keynes.

“They tested me on some different stuff, and it went really well so we got a meeting with Helmut and the contract was on the table from then on really. It was quite a cool moment for a 14-year-old. From then on, we went into cars and started with Formula 4. That was a cool step, especially at that young age to be stand out on the simulator and do a good job without having to think too much about it, it was a big turning point in my life.

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“It’s definitely hard, it comes with pressure from Red Bull, they expect you to perform, and the academy is known to be quite rough in terms of having to deliver, in that sense, you get a lot of pressure at a young age. It’s quite important to learn how to deal with it as you grow older, that’s something I’ve taken out of the process and learned a lot from both in terms of life and racing, how to deal with the pressure. It’s a good learning experience, I’m still learning but at that young age, you have to handle it which is not always easy.

“They’ve always been there with training camps, simulator time – it’s been helpful. In the end we’re working with the teams within the Championships more but it’s always good to have that help as well on the side to keep working and improving. They’ve been a very important part of my career so far and been vital in me taking those steps further. I think I’ve grown a lot within the system, and even though there have been hard times, it’s been good overall.”

BECOMING FORMULA 3 CHAMPION

“That was a big one, especially after a hard 2020 season, it was really nice to refocus and show everyone what I’m made of and take the title the next year. At the beginning of the season, you never really know how you’re going to do and after that pole position in the first race weekend of the year at Barcelona, it was a sort of release, pressure off my shoulders.

“From then on, we kept growing and building confidence up even more. The season itself was a really cool year for me. Sochi stands out to me, winning the Championship there and the team radio, the emotions coming back to the pits, seeing people crying – there were so many emotions going on. It was a really cool moment I think.

“Red Bull Ring, starting P12 and getting the win was a cool moment. I don’t know if anyone else has done that yet, but it was a really good race for me. With PREMA Racing, it was a good learning curve in the pre-season. How to maximise the car and work with them to get the car I needed to feel comfortable, which was the main thing for me. After the first race weekend I knew I had the pace and could really build from there. I knew we could get a good season so it kept building from that point.

“Mid-season at Red Bull Ring and Budapest and into the summer, I got into a really good rhythm and built serious momentum. It was a mix of different things, but I got myself up to the maximum level.

“I didn’t get overly stressed, I kept quite calm, and I think in the end, that’s what got me the title as well, keeping it consistent and not overstressing anything. I think I had a crash fighting for the win in Barcelona and after that, I think something clicked in my head in how to push for a Championship. After that I tried to keep it as consistent as possible. There was always some sort of pressure, but I always managed to focus on myself and focus on what I had to do which was a nice thing to be able to do.”