A successful karting career doesn’t guarantee you the fame and fortune of Formula 1 but there are plenty of drivers out there that prove karting can take you to the very top! Some of the greatest drivers in F1 history started out in karts before progressing to the fast and furious world of Formula 1. So if you’re still dreaming of being the next Lewis Hamilton here’s a look at some drivers past and present who’ve managed to turn karting success into F1 greatness.
LEWIS HAMILTON
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2 (2008, 2014)
Current World Champion Lewis Hamilton started karting competitively aged eight and quickly began winning races and championships. By the age of ten he’d won the British Championship and already had his sights set on Formula 1. He approached McLaren team boss Ron Dennis for an autograph and told him that one day he wanted to race his cars, three years later Dennis signed him to McLaren’s young driver programme. After more karting championships Hamilton moved on to Formula 3 and GP2. In 2007 he was given his chance in Formula 1 and narrowly missed out on the championship in his debut season. A year later He won his first World Championship by a single point after some last lap drama at the Brazilian Grand Prix denied Felipe Massa of the crown. He claimed his second World Championship in 2014 with far less drama finishing nearly 70 points ahead of his closest rival and team mate Nico Rosberg.
AYRTON SENNA
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 3 (1988, 1990, 1991)
Ayrton Senna is regarded by many as the greatest Formula 1 driver in history but before getting his hands on an F1 car he had to make do with a go kart built using an old lawnmower engine. He started racing karts aged 13 and started his first competitive race on pole, something which he became famous for throughout his career. In 1977 he won the South American Kart Championship and from 78-82 he competed in the World Karting Championship finishing as runner up on two occasions. In his first season as a Formula 1 driver Senna achieved seven pole positions and two race wins, finishing 4th overall in the Driver’s Championship. His first title came in 1988 whilst driving for McLaren and despite missing out on the championship the following season he went on to claim two more titles in 1990 and 1991. Despite fierce rivalries with the likes of Alain Prost and Michael Schumacher Senna claimed the rival he got the most out of racing was his old karting team mate Terry Fullerton.
JENSON BUTTON
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1 (2009)
Jenson Button started karting aged eight after his dad bought him his first kart, and he enjoyed success almost immediately. Aged nine he came first in the British Super Prix and two years later he won the British Cadet Kart Championship, winning all 34 races of the season. He went on to win the Ayrton Senna Memorial Cup and became the youngest driver ever to win the European Super A Championship. He made his debut in Formula 1 with Williams and in an impressive first season he finished 8th in the Driver’s Championship. After stints at Renault, BAR and Honda he was named as a driver for Brawn GP. He started the 2009 season in scintillating form winning six of the first seven races giving him a huge lead at the top of the championship. His good form continued through out the season and he went on to win the World Championship with a race to spare finishing 11 points clear of his closest rival Sebastian Vettel. Button now drives for Mclaren and at 35 is one of the most experienced drivers in Formula 1.
SEBASTIAN VETTEL
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 4 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)
Sebastian Vettel first started amateur karting at the age of three and began racing karts competitively aged eight. His talent was rewarded with a place in the Red Bull junior team and in total he spent eight years in competitive karting winning the German Junior Karting Championship, Monaco Kart Cup and European Junior Karting Championship. He got his first chance in Formula one as BMW Sauber’s test driver and his only competitive appearance came at the United States Grand Prix where he finished 8th. The following season he moved to Torro Rosso where he became the youngest driver in F1 history to win a Grand Prix. With a growing reputation he moved to Red Bull and the rest is history! He narrowly missed out on the championship in his first season but more than made up for it as he went on to claim the following four World Championships in a row, making him one of the one of the most successful drivers in Formula 1 history.
FERNANDO ALONSO
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2 (2005, 2006)
Before becoming F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso made a name for himself in karting. He took part in competitions around Spain and was supported by his dad who also doubled as his mechanic. His early success attracted sponsorship and before long he was taking part in karting competitions across Europe. He won four Spanish karting championships back-to-back as well as the Junior World Cup. Before leaving karting he went on to add the Spanish and Italian Inter-A titles to his list of honours. Alonso spent his first season in Formula 1 at Minardi and after a number of impressive performances he attracted the attention of the faster teams. The following season he moved to Renault and after two solid seasons with the French team he claimed the World Championship in his third, ending the five year dominance of Michael Schumacher. In 2006 he pipped Schumacher to the title for the second year running making him the youngest driver to win back-to-back championships in Formula 1 history.