Albon Wins the McLaren-Mercedes
Vodafone Karting Challenge in Front of Hero Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton was back
to his karting roots today meeting the current Stars of Tomorrow
cadet drivers, and watching them take part in the McLaren-Mercedes
Vodafone Karting Challenge! The event was held as part
of the British Grand Prix build up at Daytona in Milton Keynes,
where the top ten Stars of Tomorrow cadets raced continental style
Parilla 80cc cadet karts.
Lewis Hamilton also gave a quick
display in a JICA kart around the Daytona track and was straight
away on the carb and locking up under braking on the slippery surface.
In the race itself Alex Albon took first place followed by Brett
Wykes and Roy Johnson.
The Top 10 Drivers in the Stars of
Tommorrow British Cadet Championship were invited to demonstrate
their skills infront of Lewis Hamilton!
Take a look at the video including some of the cadet
race and some clips of Lewis Hamilton running the JICA kart. If
you listen carefully you can hear Lewis stabbing at the brake
and blipping the throttle!
Lewis Hamilton - “I have not
driven a kart, apart from the other Vodafone event I did, for
years so I felt a bit rusty. It was good to get back out there
because this is where I started, and racing this kart, this is
what I loved doing. I will have to try and make sure this year,
or maybe next year to get out on a kart again
Lewis gave some advice to the young drivers on
starting races, and how to maximise their performance. -
“I was always gaining places
at the races, especially at the beginning, no matter what position
you start in. You have to attack, and try to take as many places
as you can. But it's not all about winning it at the first corner.
It's about taking your time, and pacing yourself throughout the
race, knowing you have 10 or 15 laps, knowing that you have got
to take 2 people on that lap, 2 people again on a another lap,
or maybe 3 or whatever on the last lap.”
Going into a race and having a strategy
is the key to winning.
You have to keep on enjoying it,
but there's a lot to it. You have to make sure, with your opportunity,
to extract the most out of it. Even when you have a bad kart and
you can't win, get the points or finish as high up and you can,
and don't be disappointed with it. Come away from it, and try
to come back stronger.”
Lewis also spoke about the BRDC's Stars Of Tomorrow
karting championship -
'This is where I learned my racing
craft and they gave me the opportunity to hone my skills and battle.
The maneuverer's you see me doing in Formula 1, I wouldn't have
got them any other way than in this championship, it's given me
a lot. Without that I wouldn't be as good as I am today.
Lewis on whether the sport is ready and equipped
for the extra attention it now receives -
“If think so, and i think what
is important is that i give back as much as I can to karting.
I learned so much here because it was the beginning of my career.
So if I can give back as much as they've given me, the I'd love
to”
To listen to interviews with the Stars
of Tomorrow drivers and Carolyn Hoy
about the event go to:
