A 10-year-old kart racer from Huntingdonshire who represented Team UK at the weekend is now a world champion.
Josh Cooke, who lives in Hartford and also plays for Huntingdon Town Football Club, won in the Micro Max class (age 8-12) at the Rotax World Championship event, the RMC Grand Finals held in Sarno, Italy where he raced 35 young national champions from all over the world.
The race that Josh competed in was not only watched by 4,000 spectators but live streamed too, as 392 drivers from 60 nations battled it out across 8 categories.
Among the other competitors on Josh's grid was the son of Kimi Raikkonen, who was one of the biggest stars in Formula One.
"He's had a hell of a year," said Josh's dad Oliver, having won the British Open title in March and the RMC International Trophy in Le Mans, qualifying him for his place on the grid at the Grand Finals.
Recalling his early years, he added that Josh would sit and watch Formula One races at home from a very young age and after watching Lewis Hamilton competing in karts in a video on YouTube, his passion was sparked.
He's been racing ever since he got a kart for his sixth birthday. "Something about motorsports has captivated him," said Oliver.
Since then, he said it has "fundamentally changed the way we live life", adding that he swapped a sensible family car to buy a transit van and caravan so they could travel to races across the UK and Europe.
"It would have been easier if he wasn't very good, but he's incredibly talented," said Oliver, who added that Josh now races 35-40 weekends a year.
"I wave him off at the dummy grid, but once out on track he is on his own, and it's down to him to put everything he has learnt into practice," he added.
"He understands what a good lap looks like and is able to implement a race strategy effectively - it is a lot more tactical out on track than people might realise."
Being his mechanic, Oliver said that "motorsports has become more of an obsession for both of us. We're a great team and 100% in it together."
Looking ahead to next year, he said that Josh - who turns 11-years-old in January - is gearing up for both the British and European Championships next year, and hoping to qualify again for the Grand Finals, to be held in Bahrain in 2025.
Further into the future, he said Josh would love to become a professional driver, but "he's a bright kid and does well at school - he really likes maths and science and loves the data side of racing so who knows, maybe he will end up as a race engineer.
"I certainly cannot imagine a point where racing isn't central in his life," Oliver added.
"We are thoroughly enjoying the journey we are on, and Josh is certainly hungry for more success."
Keep up to date with Josh's sporting success via his Instagram page: www.instagram.com/josh_cooke_karting/
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