Havana: The most authentic street circuit

Is the next F1 star racing on the streets of Havana?

I was recently having a scroll on Aeon and spotted this post:

Havana’s streets become racetracks in this exhilarating portrait of children at play

At first glance, I just thought it was cute to see kids finding different ways to have fun, but when I looked further, I realised that these kids were geniuses. As I watched the video, captured by Francis Alÿs, I realised that these kids have essentially built themselves karts to race in and get around more easily. It seems as though every day is race day in Havana!

These kart-like structures, also known as chivichanas, are considered a Cuban style of skateboarding. They are usually built from repurposed wood and ball bearings nailed together with stones used as hammers.

What stood out most to me was the way that these children essentially create functioning steering wheels using a plank of wood and some imagination. I also loved how fast they go and how brave the children are – I would think twice before launching myself down a steep hill with nothing but a few planks of wood between me and the ground.

Perhaps my favourite thing of all is how these chivichana races attract crowds and support from fellow Habaneros - it comes across as a real community event.

What these kids can do with a few pieces of scrap material is truly phenomenal.

Maybe Formula 1 teams should be looking to the streets of Havana to find their next engineers or possibly even the next Lewis Hamilton.

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