Wow great:The 14-year-old racing prodigy who could become Lewis Hamilton of Stoke-on-Trent
A prodigious talent from the Potteries is aiming to become the Lewis Hamilton of Stoke-on-Trent after gaining a place at top racing academy. Jay Leverton, 14, is having to balance his studies at Newcastle-under-Lyme School with his ambitions to become a pro racing driver after joining Arden Young Racing Driver Academy.
Mum Erin, from Hanford, said: “From last year, we got our own kart and started entering the two biggest competitions – the National Karting Cup and the Super One series. When we started, we went up to the local track at Burslem; he absolutely loved it.
“We signed him up on the academy and the teachers at the time asked us how long he had been doing it. They said ‘your son has got a natural ability for racing and you need to pursue it’.
He flew through the academy course because he was so good. He entered lots of ‘arrive and drive’ competitions and was winning them all.
“He was winning everything. I said we needed to grasp the opportunity and give him as much as we can rather than waste his talent.
“We bought him his first car and entered his first season this year. He has done absolutely brilliantly in his first year.”
Over the summer, Jay has joined the Arden Young Racing Driver Academy in Oxfordshire. Now Erin has spoken about his ambitions for her son.
She said: “We went for an assessment and he had an interview. He was offered a place in the academy programme.
“At the moment they are teaching him to drive Formula Four for the future. The academy programme is run through Arden International, which has associations with Red Bull.
“The interview he had was with Jamie Horner, who is the brother of Christian Horner (team principal of the Red Bull Formula One team). Arden is run by Jamie and his dad, Gary.
“We had to sign a contract. he’s had six lessons so far and they’re very impressed. They’re giving him targets.
“It’s hard work – they teach in a simulator that’s a replica of the F4 racing car, so it’s quite high-tech stuff. They’ve given him a programme of nutrition and fitness. It is all a big package that we have to follow.”
Amid the hard work, Erin is beaming with pride for her son. She is now looking for sponsors for him.
Erin said: “I feel great. It’s fantastic. It is a great opportunity for Jay and we are immensely proud of what he as achieved in such a short period of time. He absolutely lives and dreams about F1. It’s all he wants to do and if we can give him that opportunity and try and take him the right way, we would be selfish if we didn’t.
“It is such a shame for the kids who have the talent and parents aren’t able to support it all. But he has got sponsors already and we are looking for more.
“We go down twice a month and school are fantastic. He has to have a day release and they’re really supporting him. He is in his first year of his GCSEs so school is saying anything that he misses we can pass on the work and do it after school. We said school has to be his priority because he has to have good grades. We have told him he needs to have a backup plan.
“But as long as he is willing to put the hard work in and as long as he is enthusiastic we will be there to support him. In the future hopefully we’re training for the F4 that he can’t race in until he’s 15 anywa