Gustav Burton: When Crowdfunding Can Save A Drive
- therookiereporters
- 7 hours ago
- 3 min read
When Gustav Burton, a Porsche Supercup driver, lost his biggest sponsor during the season, he feared he would not be able to keep racing. However, having built quite a large online presence, followers commented that they would love to support him, and they did.
After completing the year in both the Porsche Supercup and Porsche Carrera Cup Germany, Gustav Burton lost his biggest sponsor in April but had struggled through ever since. The crunch time was between the rounds of Hungary and Zandvoort as he did not know if he could continue racing in Monza.
Having already cut his Porsche Carrera Cup season short, his focus was Monza. With an established following online, fans had mentioned that they would love to support his career. With that, a plan was born.
With just over 150 thousand followers across Instagram and TikTok combined, Burton had built a large community. After posting a video about how difficult and expensive it can be to break into motorsport, revealing that he had run out of sponsorship money, followers began suggesting that they would love to help fund his racing career.
In a follow up video, about three and a half weeks before Monza, he announced that he was setting up sponsorship for £10 and £100 to support him get to the goal. Those who contributed would have their names displayed on his car during the race weekend.
While not saying the specific amount that he needed to raise, he later said that his biggest sponsor had stopped paying in April and that they had made it work since. This explained the reason why he dropped out of the Carrera Cup series. Going into the Italian Grand Prix weekend, he was fighting for a top seven position in the championship, but with the financial pressure continuing to build, the focus had to turn towards funding his final race.
With a continue number of videos on social media, Burton continued to reach out to fans, giving hints that he may be able to go to Monza, with a deadline of the 27th of August.
So, did he do it?
In a video that made the internet nervous, Gus Burton said that he had reached his goal. With an army of 2,224 supporters and names on the car, crowdfunding a race seat was possible. While some names were disallowed, with options to change them, there were some famous names that did make it on. These include Jack Aiken, Oliver Rowland, Timo Glock and his family, as well as Jan Magnussen.
While just some of the names were of famous drivers or those involved in motorsport, the effort of fans around the world alike shows that motorsports will come together to support one of its own. Motorsport fans and those invested in the sport know the financial cost that it takes to get racing. From sponsors, family money and personal investment, the financial burden can take a toll and has long prevented talented drivers from progressing or even finishing the season.
While covering the fees for two race weekends was possible for Gus Burton, it remains to be seen whether crowdfunding could support a driver for an entire season, particularly when costs at the highest levels of motorsport can reach millions of pounds. However, in such a short space of time, Gus Burton proved that it is possible to fund a race seat through crowdfunding. While it may not provide a solution to the wider financial problems within motorsport, it could change the way drivers and fans think about getting racers onto the grid.
While Gus Burton’s finale race in Porsche Supercup did not go to plan this season, the fact that he got onto the track should not be underestimated. After qualifying in 11th, a first lap incident took him out of the race and caused the early stoppage in the race. While the result may not have been what Burton had hoped for, making it to Monza was an achievement. Just weeks earlier, it had been unclear whether he would even be able to compete.
By raising the funds and making it to the grid, Burton proved that an engaged online community could have a tangible impact on a driver's career. Whether crowdfunding can become a long-term solution to motorsport's financial barriers remains to be seen, but Burton may have opened the door to a new way of thinking about how racing drivers are funded.
Article Written by Amy Powis
