KARTING sensation Kieran Tison is aiming to follow Lewis Hamilton’s slipstream – all the way to Formula One.
Teenager Tison has made a stunning start to the sport since he first took to the track just 12 months ago.
The 16-year-old, from Cable Street, Wapping, has won four championships in the past year and is currently lying second in the Junior Club series at the circuit where F1 stars Hamilton, Jenson Button and Anthony Davidson first burst onto the scene.
Tison’s career is picking up speed and his uncle Joe Tison believes that the talented young driver can emulate Hamilton by reaching the top in motorsport’s biggest competition.
“He wants to become an F1 driver and the talent is there,” he said. “Lewis is his inspiration and he drives just like Lewis did when he was a kid. Kieran has found what he wants to do in life.”
It is a remarkable rise for the talented youngster, who had previously shown little interest in sport and had never sat behind the wheel of a kart until last year.
Within six months, Tison had won two championships and set an all-time lap record at his local circuit.
“Kieran’s a very humble kid, very shy and very intelligent,” his uncle explained. “He hardly played sport – even when he was young he used to stay inside drawing pictures and playing games.
“But I wanted to get him involved in sport so I took him Karting.
“He really enjoyed it and started taking it quite seriously. Within three months he had won a championship.”
Tison’s success has not gone unnoticed. The teenager, who will begin a course in motorsport engineering at Thames Gateway college in September, has already caught the attention of Martin Hines, who owns the Zip Kart Young Guns team, which backed Hamilton when he was eight years old.
“He’s got what it takes to be the next Lewis Hamilton and I’m going to do everything I can to help him get there,” said his uncle.