Wetherby schoolboy chases F1 hopes

Former St Joseph’s Catholic pupil Maximus Shields, 13, has notched up a string of first and second places at the sport, with hopes his success will take him on to Formula One in the future.

Father Barry Shields explained: “Max started karting at eight years old in 2018 at Tockwith motor sports after I got him a quad bike and he scared me on it.

“I used to kart and it looked safer than the quad bike.

“He loves the racing, trying to improve every time out, but also he loves meeting up with all his racing mates.”

Max, who now attends St John Fisher school in Harrogate, dreams of making it into Formula One.

His dad added: “We both know that is very difficult but as Lewis Hamilton (Max’s hero) says ‘you have to dream’.

“On a realistic level he would like to make it to car racing and earn a living from it.

“One of his sponsors, Optimum Motorsport are a well established car racing team so you never know.”

Max is on track to fulfil his dreams after last year winning the Junior Pro Kart national championship, which took in eight tracks he had never raced at, with competitors three years older than him.

“That was a great achievement,” added dad Barry.

“He also won the Teesside 0 plate and came second in Teesside championship.

“But for Max and myself, he was in a really tough battle at Teesside and in one race he spun around on the start and was 12th.

“He drove fantastic all day and managed to come second in the final.

“He also took the lap record at Teesside.”

Last weekend the youngster won several heats and raced two karts in one day, to take sescond places.

Max has now started filming for a television show that is following him around the country.