The path for drivers to Formula 1 is often long and complicated, and relatively few drivers manage to fulfill their cherished dream. However, among them are stories that can serve as examples for each of us. Stories full of struggle, perseverance, and resilience, showing that dreams are worth fighting for. And it is these stories that should be spoken about the loudest.
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Roman Biliński, although born in the United Kingdom, races under a Polish license (his father is Polish). As he emphasizes, representing Poland on international tracks is a great honor for him, but obtaining that license was not an easy task either. He received Polish citizenship in June 2022 and immediately applied for the Polish license, which was officially granted to him at the end of January 2025, allowing him to officially debut under the white and red flag in F3.
Roman Biliński’s early years in racing
While most drivers start their karting adventure at the age of 5-6, Roman Biliński began at 12. In 2019, he debuted in the British Ginetta Juniors series, where in his first races he secured pole position and was close to winning, but was disqualified due to a technical regulation violation. Even then, he impressed with his pace, and competitors wondered who this young boy was, appearing out of nowhere and impressing from the start. Racing in this series opened the door for Biliński to British Formula 4, where he competed in 2020 and 2021. However, his results were not satisfying – he stood on the podium in third place three times in total and ultimately finished 8th and 17th in the overall standings. The next season he spent in the Formula Regional European Championship with the Trident team. Although the sporting results were still not fully satisfying, three seasons in this series provided a huge amount of experience for the young driver. The real breakthrough came with racing in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship. It was there that the Pole showed a true sample of his skills, winning 5 of 7 races in the first part of the season, and continuing his good streak secured the championship title even before the last race. In the same season, Roman simultaneously raced in two series in Europe and Oceania, which only shows the huge ambition he had. Impressive results became a gateway to Formula 3, where he debuted in 2025, but not everything went exactly as Biliński would have liked. Until that moment, the biggest challenges were the next career steps and faster rivals. However, a few months earlier it turned out that Roman’s biggest fight would not be with other drivers, but with his own body.
A serious accident that threatened his entire career
In June 2024, Biliński suffered a serious car accident (off-track) in Italy. As he describes, the only thing he remembers is getting out of the smashed car and then the hospital room. As a result of the crash, three vertebrae were broken, and every movement could have ended in complete paralysis. The situation became even more serious when the Pole suddenly lost feeling in his left leg, which led to immediate surgery. Ultimately, six screws and a metal plate were placed in his spine, and sensation in the leg returned very slowly. The driver emphasizes that at that moment he wouldn’t have even felt if someone stabbed him with a knife. This meant he had to learn to walk and drive again. There were also medical opinions that returning to full fitness, let alone professional racing, might be impossible. However, Roman knew he still had many goals to achieve. And so he began an impressive fight with his own body and weaknesses. This story is all the more moving because two months after the accident he got into a car at Imola and thus returned to racing. This was a condition for getting into the coveted Formula 3, where the team that was to sign him required that he complete at least three races in FREC. So the Pole decided he would fight for his dreams until the end and got into the car, supported by cushions designed to absorb forces acting on the driver’s body when hitting curbs. Biliński recalls that every lap was agony for him, and tears involuntarily ran down his face. Additionally, he was burdened by the awareness that any mistake could still result in complete paralysis. Despite this, he decided to take the risk. Not because he didn’t feel fear, but because the dream proved stronger than him. Roman emphasizes that he realizes, in hindsight, it was a foolish and hasty decision, but at the same time, his ambition wouldn’t let him sit on the couch instead of fighting for his cherished goals. As if that wasn’t enough, his heroic attitude is highlighted by the fact that when he got into the car, he still hadn’t regained full feeling in his leg, so pressing the brake was purely intuitive. Ultimately, the team that was originally to sign him withdrew, but Rodin Motorsport took their place.
Competition in Formula 3
Roman stood on the F3 podium already in his first race in the series – he finished third in Melbourne, Australia. At the same time, he became the first Pole to stand on the Formula 3 podium. Another important step was second place achieved on the historic Monaco track, and the culmination of all efforts was the top step of the podium in the sprint at Italy’s Monza. Moving to F3 meant that from now on the Pole would race alongside the best during Formula 1 weekends, as well as its feeder series – Formula 2. This meant additional pressure, as F1 races attract thousands of fans and important personalities. Moreover, the performances of young drivers are closely watched by members of the world’s top teams. Every weekend became a kind of job interview before Formula 1 teams, and every mistake could cost the loss of another chance. However, Biliński emphasizes that he has had to deal with pressure for a long time, and his main motivation is to get to F1 and win the world championship title. His determination and good results meant that after a year of racing in F3, another “promotion” came, as on November 25 it was announced that in the 2026 season he would represent the DAMS Lucas Oil team in Formula 2. Talks began at the start of the F3 season, and good results led to a quick finalization.
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Although the level in F2 has risen significantly compared to F3, and the start of the season was not the easiest, a real breakthrough finally came that started the Pole’s good streak. Roman Biliński took second place in the sprint, again on the historic Monaco track. Since then (except for the sprint in Barcelona) he regularly scores points and is not afraid even of weaker qualifying positions. It was in Barcelona that Roman’s last lap was interrupted due to a red flag, which cooled the emotions after the amazing Monte Carlo. In the race, Biliński showed what he was capable of, starting an incredible drive and overtaking through the field after a pit stop. It should be emphasized that he was making up losses of 4-5 seconds to rivals and ultimately finished ninth. Qualifying in Austria was also not kind to the Pole, yet he finished the races in sixth and tenth places. The weekend in Great Britain started phenomenally. From the very beginning, Roman showed impressive pace and finished qualifying in fourth place. However, the races did not go as the Pole hoped – after a tough fight, he finished the sprint in seventh place and the main race in eighth. Undoubtedly, it is pleasing that Biliński is starting to score points regularly, which, along with gaining experience in F2, will make him a real threat to rivals.
Summary
Biliński’s story is not only about extraordinary talent but above all about a man who was ready to sacrifice everything for his dreams. It shows that the greatest success is not the podiums won or races won, but victories invisible to outsiders – those won over one’s own weaknesses, fear, or limitations. Roman first had to learn to walk again, and now the experience gained allows him to take further steps toward the coveted Formula 1. And perhaps that is why his story inspires much more than many championship titles.
The article was written by Aleksandra Binkowska, you can find her on TikTok – link.
Many different Polish drivers compete in junior series on the road to Formula 1. The most important information about them can be found in the article category: Polish racing drivers on the blog.
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