At a certain point in life, students face a series of important decisions – what university to go to and what to study. Sometimes, there’s a secret third option that parents fear the most – taking a gap year. Dutch race car driver Daan Arrow chose option three – and couldn’t be happier.
In January 2026 sports car drivers kicked off the season with a 24-hour race at Dubai Autodrome – the first race of the 24-hour series.
65+ teams put their professional and amateur drivers forward to compete among each other for three podium places. Non-stop racing for 24 hours means quick tire changes, refuels and driver switcharoos on the go almost every two hours.
Photo: Anastasia Shamara
The Winward Racing garage had a pleasant, yet at times hectic atmosphere: beanbag chairs filled with engineers – some napping, some on shift; supervisors panicking, strategists yelling and drivers snacking and preparing for their turn, or, in the case of young pilot Daan Arrow, documenting the event on their Instagram.
The 22-year-old was enthusiastic and full of energy even during the night portion of the race. He was always surrounded by supportive family members, friends and was eager to show everyone around and share his very niche side quest with others. However, for Daan – racing is anything but a side quest. After finishing high school and having majored in subjects like mathematics, physics and business, he had made a decision that a lot of us face when moving into the next stage of our lives: to follow your dream or to take the safe route. With support from his teacher and parents Arrow decided to take a gap year to chase his dream of becoming a race car driver: “To make racing possible, you have to dedicate everything to it”, – said Daan.
One gap year turned into three, sponsorships flourished and a career in motorsports had turned into something very real and sustainable for the young Dutch driver, but he doesn’t shy away from education: “I believe it’s very good to have an educational base alongside motorsports.” Despite having to give his all to racing, Arrow doesn’t regret it and speaks wisely of his experiences: “I needed to commit everything to it and I’m very glad I did. Even if it wouldn’t have succeeded, I learnt so much and I’m wiser – wiser than if I would have gone to university.”
Despite being interested in mechanical engineering and having given up the chance to study the subject, Daan has a positive outlook on the future and is open-minded about being able to find the perfect work-life balance: “I still can [go to university] and sometimes I still think potentially in the future, I could be interested in studying”.
A true success story in the making, a real example of our peer knowing what he wants but also finding himself in the process, allowing himself to take risks and to try new things, opening certain doors without fully shutting others. Could this be the way to go? Could there be a wonderful grey area that leads to success, instead of the traditional black and white?
Winward Racing won third place that weekend. Daan Arrow was one of the pilots on the podium.