New Delhi: How often have we seen 11-year-olds becoming world champions in any sport in the world? There are only a few child prodigies who have had the distinct honour. 11-year-old Josh Cooke from England is one of them. The young racing sensation became a world champion in carting after clinching the Micro Max class (age 8 to 11) title at the Rotax World Championship in October last year.
Josh, who hails from Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, draws inspiration from the legendary Lewis Hamilton and wants to follow in the footsteps of the seven-time Formula One champion in becoming a successful Formula 1 driver in the future. Josh started karting at the age of just 6 with the help of his father with the help of videos on YouTube.
He would watch clips of other go-kart racers and his idol Hamilton, who is a former karter turned Formula One driver and one of the greatest the sport has ever seen. His father Oliver Cooke, 42, is a solutions engineer but spends several months in a year helping his son train and doubling up as his car mechanic during racing competitions.
“I love being his part-time kart mechanic, alongside my day job as a solutions engineer. I would not change it for the world,” Olivier Cooke was quoted as saying by the BBC.
Josh dreams of competing in the Formula 1
Josh was only 10 when he became a karting world champion last year. He went on to enjoy a breakthrough year in the circuit in 2024 by winning the British Open title in March followed by the Rotax Max Challenge International Trophy in France where he once again won in the Micro Max class which is for drivers aged 8-11.
The young racer hopes to continue building on his impressive performances and dreams of becoming a Formula 1 driver in the future. His father said Josh would move up an age category this year to compete with more experienced racers before eventually shifting to single-seater cars in the next few years. The 11-year-old aspires to become of the best Formula 1 drivers in England.
“I want to be one of the best drivers in England; maybe even the world. Racing in Formula 1 is my dream,” Josh told BBC.
11-year-old Josh Cooke from England has become a karting world champion at a tender age and hopes to follow the footsteps of seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
