Kart racer's sights on Hamilton

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A teenage kart racer is following in the slipstream of Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Macaulay Austin, 13, from Brynmawr in Blaenau Gwent, has won 100 trophies since taking up karting five years ago.

His father Neil, a garage owner who puts together the karts, said his son's win rate was better than Hamilton's at this stage of his career.

Hamilton cut his teeth in karting from the age of eight before eventually progressing to Formula One.

Macaulay recently competed in the British cadet championship and is now moving up to the junior sections.

Despite not being a member of a team like many other top kart racers, Macaulay finished in fourth place overall after nine rounds of racing.

"He's won 100 trophies and 84 of those were outright wins. No other cadet has a better win rate," said father-of-four Mr Austin.A competitive kart like Macaulay's costs around £5,000

"Even Lewis Hamilton never had the same win rate as Mac for the number of races he competed in."

Macaulay hopes to emulate his hero and one day compete at the highest level in Formula One.

"I'm hoping to go into the European championship next year and hoping to get a good finish in that and follow Lewis Hamilton," said Macaulay.

"He started at the same track where I was champion last year. I want to make it to Formula One or world rallying."

The karts can achieve speeds up to 70mph and Mr Austin worries every time his son takes to the track.

Macaulay, who is with Llandow Kart Club in the Vale of Glamorgan, had an accident on the track when he was eight but, after a hospital check-up, was back racing again later the same day.

"A lot of people think go-karts are these things you see at corporate tracks and you jump in them and they go about 15mph," said Mr Austin.

"But these are 60cc two-stroke karts, proper racing karts, and they are capable of speeds up to 70mph.

Expensive sport

"The way they race is unbelievable, you've got to see it to believe it.

"When there's a group of 28 to 30 karts all heading into the first corner there's a little bit of me in there with him too."

Macaulay helps his father maintain the karts in a building next to Mr Austin's car repair business, but racing is an expensive sport.

A competitive kart costs around £5,000 in total with a decent engine (£3,000), chassis (£1,300) and a specialist steering wheel (£800).

"When we did the British championship we were the only one in the top 20 that were a father-and-son team," said Mr Austin.

But Macaulay is aiming high and his father has full confidence in his son's talent.

"He's without doubt one of the best drivers I've ever seen and I did a lot of motor sport when I was younger.

"I was never as good as him!" he said.