At an age when most toddlers can barely walk, Shao Ziyan drove racecars both in professional simulators and in real life. He was first exposed to racing simulators at the age of 1, and started driving race karts before he turned three years old.
At the age of four, Shao started competing in professional rally events at the age of 4, winning the Hope Star Award at the 2023 China Rally Sprint Championship. In popular racing simulators DiRT Rally 2.0 and WRC 10, he ranked among the top 30 drivers globally, which prompted his father to retrofit his first rally car.
On April 9, 2023, 5-year-old Shao Ziyan obtained the RUNRACING Driving Academy Training Certificate certified by the China Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, thus becoming the youngest licensed racing driver in the country. Last year, he drove a modified race car to participate in the China Wuyi Automobile Rally.
According to Chinese sources, Shao Ziyan’s father invested around 800,000 yuan ($116,000) in modified racecars and advanced driving simulators, and also served as his co-pilot in rally races.
Although he drives better than many adults, Shao Ziyan doesn’t do so on public roads. His racecars are transported to the race venues via trailers, in compliance with the requirements of the Road Traffic Safety Law.
