F1: Young karting star aims high – Gulf Digital News

F1: Young karting star aims high – Gulf Digital News

Young karting phenomenon Luca Kane Houghton is seeking to bring glory to Bahrain at the FIA Karting Academy Trophy championship which gets underway in Genk, Belgium, today.

Luca, who was born in the kingdom to a Dutch mother and an Australian father, will be among 54 contestants – all aged between 12 and 14 – from around the world taking part in an event that was first held in 2010. Current F1 drivers Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Esteban Ocon are listed on the roster of past participants, with Leclerc having won the trophy in 2011

The championship’s qualifying round takes place today, with the heats scheduled for tomorrow and the pre-final and final on Sunday.

“I hope to represent Bahrain on the top podium,” the articulate 13-year-old told the GDN on the phone from Genk, just before he headed off to an FIA briefing. “I feel lucky to be able to represent Bahrain and I am confident that I will do well. We had our practice sessions today and I did okay, considering all the karts had brand new engines.”

All the drivers went through the first practice session slowly, Luca explained.

“We drove in the engines and, then, in the second session, I