Worksop's Outwood Academy Valley teen Andrew Ferrol ready to take next step on karting ladder

The Valley student (14) will take to the grid for his first race in the Fulbeck Sprint Series on February 19th followed by the MSUK Championships a week later after discovering he has a knack for the sport.

“He only started proper racing in January 2021 at the teamsport track in Sheffield, ” explains mum Sam.

“He showed a natural ability for it and started beating the older drivers.

“He joined their cadet academy training programme and he broke their all time short track record.

“He couldn’t progress any more there so he did a trial date in January at an outdoor track with a racing team and he did really well.

“It was cheaper in the end to have our own team so he will be racing his own kart.”

Andrew has since sat the qualification tests needed to allow him to compete, where he was assessed on driving safety and his awareness of track rules, such as what safety various flags mean.

It is what the family hopes is an exciting step up the ladder of a sport Andrew has always loved.

“He has always loved Formula One and has been to Silverstone to watch the races,” added Sam.

“He has only ever done it for fun so it is a step up now, he is excited and nervous about racing.

“He is raring to get his first season done and wants to progress to the British Championship, that is his main goal.

“It fills up his weekend and there is a lot to learn. He has to learn how to be a mechanic to make sure tyre pressure is right and to be able to fix basic mechanical problems if the kart isn't running correctly.

“There's a lot to take in but he's taking it in his stride because he has an interest in it.”

As part of his journey Andrew has had it tougher than most due to having type 1 diabetes.

Added Sam: “We are very proud of what he has done. He's had to go through a few more hoops to get his licence.

“He had to have consultant appointments and get letters to say that he is fit to drive, so it has been harder for him than a normal 14 year old.”