Majman reflects on his debut USF 2000 season

From starting in kart racing as a junior, to contributing to Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport winning last year’s JSF4 Series in America – an elite youth development pathway in formula racing – Melbourne teenager Brad Majman switched earlier this year to the IndyCar development series USF 2000, with the Jay Howard Driver Development team.

The 16-year-old’s bold move to yet another format of motor racing against the best rising stars in the world is again showing plenty of potential.

The 2025 season finished a fortnight ago in Portland, Oregon, in which Majman placed fifth in the last of three races, to finish an impressive 12th place overall out of 30 drivers in the series, despite missing five races mid-season.

That was achieved by earning eight top-5 finishes in his 13 races, including a memorable third place in a race in Indianapolis in May.

He also won the Tilton Hard Charger Award three times – awarded to the driver who moves up the most positions within each race.

Reflecting on his season, Majman told The AJN that adjusting from the JSF4 to the USF 2000 has been a big task, but he is loving the challenge.

“It has been a big undertaking for me to learn the new tracks, the new drivers and the certain rules and style of racing.

“I have been extremely privileged to have the tutelage of successful IndyCar drivers like Will Power and Oriol Servia, as well as being mentored by [F1 driver] Fernando Alonso, through the management group A14 that I am part of.”

Majman said his favourite race was the Freedom 75 on an oval track in Indianapolis, in which he started in 11th spot and finished third, earning his first podium result.

“Learning how to control the aerodynamics of the cars around me [on oval circuits], the different racing lines you can take and the general flow of the race, was all part of why I enjoyed this race so much.”

“Having watched this sport for a long time, being able to study some of my idols up close and how they attack the circuits, is something that is surreal and it’s helping me become a better driver.”

Natural ability, combined with an excellent work ethic, are what Majman considers his main strengths.

“No one will be working harder than me to dissect my driving, look at the data, understand how to improve and then go and act on that,” he said.

“I still lack a little bit of pace, compared to the leaders this year, which means that I may qualify in 12th [for example], but finish a race in fifth.

“So if I’m able to improve in pace, I’ll be able to start higher up and yield stronger results.”

Majman said he will continue racing in the USF system in America next season, but is yet to decide the team and the series he will race in.