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LIVERPOOL RACER DESTINED FOR FORMULA 1
James Roberts has become the newly crowned 2022 Ultimate Karting Champion , and the 2021 Vice Champion in the UK and is competing in multiple UK & European Championships throughout 2022 .
James was born on the Wirral in 2010 , before moving to Liverpool at the age of 5 to be closer to his extended family . His passion for motorsport started at an early age with a taster session at the indoor kart circuit ( Daytona ) in Manchester soon after turning six , which inevitably lead to the purchase of his own kart for use at outdoor tracks up and down the UK .
James cut his teeth and truly caught the karting bug competing in the Bambino class ( age range from 6 to 8 years ) with races spanning the UK and making great use of his local circuit for testing and racing , Hooton Park , near Eastham , before moving up to the cadet categories ( age range 8-12 years ).
In 2021 he took the plunge and invested in the up-and-coming Rotax powered Micromax kart . Rotax engines are one of the most popular and arguable the most competitive kart engines in the world . James ’ first race was in the Micromax UK series and just three days after collecting the kart saw him finish an impressive 2nd in a field of 17 at Wombwell Kart Circuit in Barnsley .
Further success followed in Micromax later that year with him coming second in the BKC GP plate , 3rd in the Rotax Grand Final Qualifiers and many wins throughout the rounds . However , choosing to sacrifice a shot at the title he headed to Genk , Belgium ( Max Verstappen ’ s home karting circuit for the last round of the BNL Championship .
At the same time , James also joined the UKC ( Ultimate Karting Championship ) competing in the Sodi Academy where he has seen his most success to date . With all competitors having identical equipment , talent and skill truly are key to success . Competitive racing saw him finish a close second at the end of the 2021 season . A huge achievement , especially having missed the first round . His prize for becoming Vice Champion of that series was race entry to the Rotax Golden Trophy held in LeMans , France in July 2022 . Part way through an already successful 2021 , James finished 3rd in the Motorsport UK ( MSUK ) organised Rotax Grand Final
Qualifiers at Whilton Mill , Daventry . His prize was a complete Rotax engine and ancillaries ’ package , still being put to good use .
In the UK , James ’ primary focus has been competing in the UKC Micromax Sodi Academy and after a strong season so far , winning his last three races he headed into the final round last weekend at 3 Sisters , Wigan where he finished on the podium to clinch the UKC Championship . James has also competed , with great success , as a guest driver on three occasions in the UK Cadet Kart Championship ( securing two P2 ’ s and one P1 ).
James hasn ’ t just got his sights on success in the UK , with slightly different regulations in Europe , he is already competing in the more powerful European ‘ Minimax ’ category ( Rotax Eurotrophy ), finishing an excellent 9th in an experienced field of 34 at Genk , Belgium on his first attempt . He will be returning to the European arena competing in Germany in August and back to Belgium in October , hoping for even more success ! And that ’ s just for starters ! With plans for 2023 already underway , James is hoping to compete in the new MSUK “ Inter ” category in the UK whilst continuing his adventures abroad .
Motorsport requires ultimate commitment and dedication , so aside from the championship and race weekends , hundreds of hours go into practice , testing , kart maintenance , component matching , fitness sessions , preparation and debrief , data analysis , studying onboard footage , planning and strategy debates to name but a few .
The sport is popular with hundreds of racers competing at all levels up and down the UK every weekend with the more prestigious events enjoying coverage from professional media outlets and being aired around the world on YouTube and FreeSports TV channels .
This is such an exciting time for James with a brilliant future ahead for this super focused and extremely talented young driver from Merseyside , who ’ s on route to Formula 1 .
James is currently looking for sponsors . If you are interested , please get in touch at editorial @ merseylife . com
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