Young Huntingdon karter dreams of making it to Formula 1 | Global News Avenue

Not many 11-year-olds can claim to be a world champion in the sport of karting, but Josh Cook can.

Racing driver Lewis Hamilton, from Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, hopes to follow in the footsteps of the seven-time Formula 1 world champion, winning the Micro Max category (8 to 11 years old) at the Rotax World Championship RMC Grand Final in October .

“It feels great,” said Josh, who competed for Team GB in Sarno, Italy. “It’s a tremendous privilege and worth all the sacrifices.”

He and his father Oliver Cooke, 42, spend 35 weeks a year racing across the UK and Europe.

“I love being his part-time kart mechanic while my day job is as a solutions engineer. I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Mr Cook said.

Josh started learning karting at the age of six, inspired by YouTube videos of past Formula 1 championships and his hero Hamilton, a former kart racer, winning world titles.

“I clicked on a link and saw him racing karts at Rye House when he was younger and wanted to give it a try. That’s how it all started,” he said.

“I love all the challenges and competing against other people in wet and dry conditions. But the most important thing is speed.”

His kart can reach speeds of 70 mph (113 km/h). His driving position is one inch (2.5 centimeters) off the ground.

“When you’re behind the wheel, it doesn’t look that fast. But when you (look) off the track, it looks really fast. It’s really fun to drive,” he said.

Josh won the world championship last year when he was just 10 years old.

Last season was a breakthrough year for the young racer.

He also won the British Open title in March and the Rotax Max Challenge International Trophy, a five-day karting event held at the world-famous Le Mans circuit in France.

This is one of the largest public events in history, with 318 riders from 40 different countries competing in 6 classes. Josh once again won the Micro Max category.

“His goal last year was just to qualify for the finals,” his father said. “But to go on and win was way beyond our expectations.

“We travel long distances to compete. We give up a lot of time. If my son and I didn’t enjoy it, I would probably have a hard time doing it.

“Josh is very resilient, especially when things go wrong. He has the ability to restore order and maintain consistent lap times in fractions of a second. That’s probably what sets him apart.”

This year, Josh moved up an age group to race against more experienced riders. Over the next two or three years he would start thinking about racing cars and transitioning to single-seater racing.

His father, who has no racing background, said he was scared by the thought that his son might start testing in a simulator next year.

He is seeking advice from industry experts on the best way forward.

Josh has ambitions to reach the top. “I want to be one of the best drivers in England and the world. It’s my dream to race in Formula One,” he said.

But first and foremost this year, he hopes to retain his karting world championship title.