LANDO THE RISING SON

best racing driver? Well, the talent of Ayrton Senna, Max Verstappen or Lando Norris and the money of Nikita Mazepin,” he adds.

“I watch driving in Formula 1 now and everyone says it’s the car. And of course the car is incredible, but his driving is perfection.

“He just doesn’t make mistakes, he doesn’t do anything silly, he just drives around at high speed watching on the big screens.

“Usain Bolt was the fastest man in the world because he was born to be a sprinter. These top drivers are the same.”

Crest Of The Wave

F1 continues to expand. Wrexham AFC owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney recently invested in Alpine, Netflix’s Drive to Survive continues to captivate new audiences, and this year will see a trio of races in the United States for the first time since 1982. But how does that impact the British pyramid, which is already congested and spearheaded by those with the cash to compete?

“[British motorsport is] actually riding the crest of the wave from Drive to Survive,” Carlin adds.

“What’s happened is it started to put motor racing in everybody’s lounge so

“So poor old dad, when his son comes into the kitchen after watching Drive to

Hughes has the fastest time of any Brit in the last 10 years – 9.97 in 2022 in Eugene – and the fastest of the three British times set in a final –10.03 in 2019, but Britain has mostly struggled to produce a consistent championship sprinter.

Dasaolu’s 9.97 from 2013 is the only other sub-10 time clocked by a British man at the World Championships in the last 10 years. Nine have competed across that decade.

So whether Hughes and Amo-Dadzie can change the trend remains unknown, but to have two Brits running sub-10 within a week and be in the top five Brits of all time bodes well. Let’s hope so, anyway, otherwise it’ll be another 30 years when Hughes’ record is broken, and Kylie will be on album No25 by then.

Survive, goes and does some karting.

“The base of people wanting to be racing rivers has grown hugely, and racing of any form, even go-kart, is expensive.

“After a while most drop off, but if 50 per cent [of the new breed] stay you’ve doubled your base and another 20 per cent stay on, then the next level of F4 racing will be bigger.

“We’re noticing that people wanting to do Formula 4 has doubled in the last three years. If your pull at the bottom is bigger then you’re going to have more good drivers coming through.”

Some 30 per cent of the current F1 grid have graced Carlin Motorsport’s ranks. He is not keen to say who will be next.

But while you may not know Zane Maloney, Oliver Gray and Ido Cohen now, there’s a good chance you will one day.