Motorsport
King to star on TV

THE burgeoning career of 18-year-old Jordan King is to be televised this week as part of a new, in-depth Sky Sports F1 documentary series entitled ‘Britain’s Next F1 Star’ on the eve of the Korean Grand Prix.

King has been selected as one of just six young competitors to be filmed for the series on the Sky Sports F1 channel at 7.30pm on Thursday, October 11.

The show focusses on the gifted single-seater ace’s career to-date, from his days as a late-starter at the age of 11 – when many of his adversaries practically jumped straight out of the cot into the cockpit – to the years of playing catch-up in karting and his current status as one of the leading lights on the international motor racing scene.

This year has seen King transformed into a title contender in the Formula Renault Northern European Cup and podium finisher in the eagerly-contested Formula Renault Eurocup with Manor MP Motorsport.

He has also made history in becoming the youngest-ever Formula Two racer of the modern era.

King recognises that he needs to step things up another gear again in 2013, and he is presently debating the various merits of graduating to F3, the World Series by Renault or the F1-supporting GP3 Series, in the knowledge that making the right choice will be crucial. The ultimate goal, of course, is F1, and the targeted timeframe five years.

King said: “When Sky approached me about the programme, it was obviously a real honour and I feel very proud to be featured."

" I know I’ve achieved quite a lot so far, but equally, I’ve still got an awful lot more to achieve. You’ve got to keep pushing yourself.

"You need talent, clearly, but you also need the right mental and physical attitude, the right backing, the right people behind you, the ability to present yourself well and a personality to set yourself apart from the crowd. You really need to be the complete package.”

Meanwhile, King will face his sternest test yet after being selected as a finalist for the coveted McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award.

King is currently vying for title glory in the Formula Renault Northern European Cup with Manor MP Motorsport.

In recognition of his talent and potential, the highly-rated Stoneleigh-based speed demon has been invited to participate in a six-driver shoot-out at Silverstone, where he and his fellow first-time McLaren AUTOSPORT finalists will be pitched against one another in a trio of cars representing the sport’s three principal disciplines – single-seaters, tin-tops and endurance.

The sextet will be assessed by a panel of expert judges including ex-grand prix star and current British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) president Derek Warwick and two-time British Touring Car Champion Jason Plato.

King acknowledges that it is a major honour to have been chosen.

“When I got the ‘phone call, I was a bit shocked, to be honest,” he candidly confessed.

“I’ve obviously known about the award and the prestige attached to it since I first began racing in karts, and so many of the drivers who have won it and been finalists are now big names within the sport.

"I never dreamed that I would be a finalist myself, though – it’s amazing and all a little bit surreal, to tell the truth.

The winner will be revealed at the glittering AUTOSPORT Awards ceremony in London at the beginning of December, and will receive £100,000, a McLaren-Mercedes F1 test, full BRDC membership and a TW Steel watch.

“I may not have been racing for as long as most of the other finalists have – the majority of them were barely out of nappies when they started and consequently have a lot more experience than I do – but I’ve beaten each of them at some point in my career, so I feel comfortable in my ability.”

Fiercely ambitious as ever, he added: “Being picked as a finalist is an achievement all in itself, but it’s only half the job. Now it’s up to me to grab this with both hands and really make the most of it.”

Jordan King. Photo supplied by Dutch Photo Agency. (s)

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