William Macintyre, who lives in Wroxham, has been named as one of the 10 finalists for the annual Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Award.
The award has been won by F1 stalwarts – past and present – including David Coulthard, Jenson Button, Lando Norris and George Russell.
That is despite, at 16 years old, not yet being old enough to drive a car on the roads.
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The Langley School pupil’s consistency in his Hitech single-seater this season has propelled him into British Formula Four title contention, having won the Rookie title in last year’s Ginetta Junior Championship.
Will’s mum, Sian Macintyre, said: “He lives and breathes racing.
“He spends anywhere between 70-75 hours a week in the car, so it’s a full-time job.
“If he’s not in the car he’s either on his racing simulator talking to his chief engineer, or checking his onboard camera and looking back at his racing data.”
The work is paying off, with the third-youngest driver currently 26 points clear at the top of the Rokit F4 table with two rounds remaining – at Donnington Park this weekend and Brands Hatch on October 7.
In addition to his championship campaign, Will has a chance to win a test drive in an Aston Martin Formula One car and £200,000 if he can beat his opponents.
In an Instagram post, Will said: “It’s an honour to be nominated for such a prestigious award with such a high calibre of previous winners.”
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Mrs Macintyre added: “We’re so proud of him and are immensely hopeful about his future.
“It’s amazing he’s been recognised for his driving.”
The 10 finalists for the award will be narrowed down to four at the end of September, with the winner being announced at the Autosport Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.
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