A teenager from Saddleworth is following in the footsteps of Formula 1 legends after being awarded a racing scholarship.
Chase Fernandez, a Year 9 student at Saddleworth School, has been crowned the youngest-ever winner of the coveted Ginetta Junior Scholarship.
The scholarship means he will benefit from a fully funded season in the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship next year.
The championship has launched the careers of some of the world's best-known drivers and legends, including F1's Lando Norris.
The 14-year-old karting star will now follow in their tracks, racing next year in 23 rounds at circuits including Silverstone and Brands Hatch with the Assetto Motorsport team in a Ginetta G40 race car.
The battle for the highly-sought scholarship saw 60 of the most talented, young racing drivers aged between 14 to 17 compete for the prize over a three-day event.
The Ginetta Junior Scholarship is one of the biggest prizes up for grabs in UK motorsport and the youngsters raced in October at Blyton Park circuit in Lincolnshire for the opportunity.
To even get on the track, the teens had to complete a series of driving, fitness and media assessments.
But the event was judged by a team which included two former winners of the scholarship, Adam Smalley and Sennan Fielding, as well as the current GT4 champion, James Kellett.
Chase's on-track driving skill captured their attention and he raced through with the fastest lap times of the day, despite treacherous wet conditions.
Off the track, ITV commentator Richard John Neil evaluated the teenage entrants' media and communication skills while F1 driver trainer, Richard Chessman, put their fitness and determination to the rest with a range of physical challenges.
The Saddleworth youngster managed to impress the judges across all three days of the competition and on the final day, was crowned winner of the 2023 Ginetta Junior Scholarship.
Steph Bush, Ginetta Championships manager, said: “Every year we are hugely impressed by how talented the young drivers contesting the Ginetta Junior Scholarship are, and this year was no exception with a high standard being set across all the assessment areas on both qualifying days.
“We ended up with a high number of finalists and they continued to raise the bar.
"Chase stood out to our judging panel and is a hugely deserving winner.
"We’re very excited to have him racing with us next season.”
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