Meet the teen with his sights set on racing in Formula 1

Jamie Leverton said he had high hopes of getting to drive in Formula 1 [BBC] Formula 1 is the dream for most teenage racing drivers but only a few ever reach that pinnacle of their sport. This season, eight drivers on the F1 grid are under the age of 25, showing the journey is achievable for young drivers. Yet breaking into the sport remains difficult for many, with experts saying the cost of entry-level racing continues to rise.

One of those hoping to climb the ladder is Jamie Leverton, 17, from Stoke-on-Trent. After several successful seasons in karting at local and national level, he is preparing to make his debut in car racing, having secured a seat in the GB4 Championship with Idola Motorsport. "It was my dad who took me indoor karting a few years ago for the very first time," he told me.

"I actually went through the cadet academy where I was beating some of the other kids. I then went to outdoor karting with the Total Karting Championship where I actually won it in my first season. ' His success so far has led Leverton to secure a race seat in GB4.

The 17-year-old is following in the footsteps of the likes of George Russell and Lando Norris who both raced at this level and he said that only added to his motivation. "This is a huge step up for me, I've been testing with Idola for some time and they are a new team in this championship, I want to finish in the top 10 at every race," he said. "With GB4 cars, people equate it to the first step towards Formula 1; the cars are a downsized version of an F1 car and can reach speeds of around 140-150mph.