FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

Discuss the sport you love with other motorsport fans

Discuss your own car, automotive news and latest supercar launches.
#160369
Ok,

I'm 18 and I live in the United Kingdom, my parents have never really supported me in anything and never understood or really known how much I love and enjoy motor sports.

I was introduced into motorsports by my uncle around the age of 8, since then I have watched loads of races be that mostly on TV but I have been to two tracks, Silverstone and Spa, I play and have played hundreds of car games as I couldn't afford to go karting.

Now, I have a job and have some financial backing behind me which could open the doors for me, I have only been on a karting track a few times, the first time is when I went with my school at aged 13/14 but for safety regulations we had to be let of one at a time not all off the grid at once, there were 15 of us at a time, I started from the back and coming out of the first corner I had overtaken a driver, sat in behind the next and used a slipstreem to fly past 2 people at the next corner, by the end of this lap I was already up to 4th place, the next person was extremely hard to overtake he kept moving over and blocking me so I sat behind him pulled left a bit and quickly darted right when getting to the hairpin which allowed me to get past, by the 6th lap I was in 1st place and won the race on lap 18, I had lapped several drivers. We had several different races and overall I won all my races and one of the marshals asked me if I do karting as a hobby and I said no and he said that I was extremly good for a first timer (those driving games payed off lol)

I then went back a few weeks later with 2 friends and joined in with a group of people who were there for "Karting Practice" we started all at once (20 drivers but in total there were 40 people there to drive) and we had in total 8 different races (20 laps each)
The first race I came 4th, my friends who came with me came 19th and 20th, the next race I came 10th after being rammed off (the person who rammed me off was then disquallified and sent home) third race I came 4th and then 4th race I came 2nd, 5th race I came 3rd and then 6th and 7th race I won and last race I came second.
In all, I think I was a pretty good driver there obviously still learning and I know I could of improved.

But, How would I get into karting as more than a hobby or just at the start as a hobby, I can't really put into words how much I love and want to do something with motor sports, I just hope I truely to have enough skill to get into the sport and go up and up!
#169083
theres a few old great f1 racers who got late starts, gilles villinueve, damon hill etc, tho this probably wouldnt happen anymore as it seems to favor younger talent now a days.

You can always come to America and race Nascar into your 50s :wavey: just kidding lol.

Im 25 right now and back in school, im still planning that maybe in a year or so Ill buy a kart lol.
#169093
I did karting for a few years. I bought my own kart and did the smaller class with no gears and worked my way up. Try joining a club and they will help you.
Learn the basics of the engine so that you can work on it yourself, keeping the costs down. I had a small car with a trailer on and would ask questions from the other racers when I was there. Most drivers and pit crews are great people and very helpful.

I hope you do well.

    See our F1 related articles too!