Mari Boya: My Greatest Influences

18 May 2023

Racing is certainly a family affair for one of the newest arrivals on the Formula 3 scene – Mari Boya. It’s no surprise that one legendary homegrown hero has been at the forefront of the MP Motorsport driver’s mind since the very beginning.

Reflecting on the three key figures that have impacted his journey, the Spaniard looks back on who sparked his love of motorsport and how he became the racer he is today.

HIS MUM

“Firstly, there’s my family – particularly my mum. In my home, they really like to watch F1 races, especially her. I started watching it because of her and her passion for the sport, and then she was the one to introduce me to the sport and that’s the reason why I’m here.

“Since when I first started karting, my mum has never been scared of me racing because she really likes the sport. She also likes cars, so she was just really proud of me, and she has always been supporting me a lot. She doesn’t try to give me advice on my racing because when I started, I was already working with a coach, so she just let him work with me.

“She loves to see me enjoying what I am doing and I’m doing a sport that my family really love, so the passion is the same for all of us. Now that I’m the one racing, I think it’s really impressed it on them and I’m also really grateful.”

FERNANDO ALONSO

“My mum was a really big supporter of Fernando Alonso because in Spain he had a really big boom in popularity, especially in the years he was with Renault and then especially with Ferrari as I got a bit older and that was the time where I started to follow him.

“As I was growing up, I was always looking at him and now he’s still racing. I was born in this sport with him and whilst I’m still racing, he’s still active. So, it’s really amazing to have such an impressive talent from my country and I’ve always loved to support him a lot.

“From what I watched when I was younger, I think he’s a really aggressive driver and I think he’s very strong mentally – I really like this about him. He’s also a well-loved driver in the whole paddock, everyone speaks good about him, I like that!”

KARTING TEAM BOSS

“Rubén Simón, he’s the team manager of the Monlau Karting Team. Since the first day I entered that team, he has been supporting me a lot and until the time I entered Formula 4, he had been the person always by my side. I really appreciate all the hard work he has done for me, and I’m really pleased to still be in contact with him. I always speak with him, and I think it’s really beautiful to still have that relationship there and also with his family.

“To be honest, he taught me everything! I didn’t know anything about this world and Rubén Simón and my coach Pedro Ivars in the past taught me everything I know. When you start to have some experience, you understand some things on your own, but at least everything I knew at the beginning was thanks to them.”