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4:10 PM 6th April 2022
sports

Sheffield Schoolboy Moves Up To Formula 4 After Winning Prestigious Karting Championship

 
Rowan Campbell-Pilling with  Daniel Ricciardo Series UK Junior Karting Championship trophy
Rowan Campbell-Pilling with Daniel Ricciardo Series UK Junior Karting Championship trophy
15-year-old Rowan Campbell-Pilling has been selected for a testing programme in Formula 4 single-seater race cars after winning a prestigious karting championship.

The Sheffield schoolboy, who first began racing at the age of six, was presented with a trophy at the weekend after beating competitors from across the country to win the Daniel Ricciardo Series UK Junior Karting Championship – clocking up an impressive 18 podium finishes along the way.

Sponsored by the Australian Formula 1 star of the same name, the competition sees young drivers from all over the UK compete in karts that are all of the same specification, ensuring the racing is close and fair and rewarding driver ability.

Rowan preparing to test the F4
Rowan preparing to test the F4
As well as lifting the championship trophy, Rowan was presented with personalised gifts from the McLaren F1 driver, including a replica racing helmet and signed limited edition pictures from his Formula 1 win at the Monza racing circuit. He has also been invited to meet with Ricciardo later in the year.

With support from businesses in Sheffield and across Yorkshire, Rowan is now progressing with a testing programme in Formula 4 single-seater race cars.
During a two-day test at Anglesey Circuit in North Wales, Rowan covered over 400 miles reaching speeds of 145mph in wet conditions, making rapid progress under the guidance of a team of race engineers.

Race Engineer and Arden F3 Team Manager, Jack Woodhouse, said:
“This young racing driver continues to impress as he moves from karting to full race spec race cars. His application and focus have been exemplary, he is standing out as someone to keep a close eye on.”
Rowan continues to excel in karting at a national level, winning races in Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire in the last month."


Rowan Testing the F4 car
Rowan Testing the F4 car
Following on from his championship win, he was also invited to undertake a motorsport fitness assessment at the Porsche Human Performance Centre at Silverstone Circuit, where he underwent physical and mental tests to shape his future training. His progress will now be monitored by the Porsche Fitness Team over the coming months as he progresses from karting into race cars.

Rowan Campbell-Pilling said:
“Winning the Daniel Ricciardo Series UK Junior Karting Championship is a real dream come true. It has taken over two years of hard work of off-track training in wind, rain and snow, along with a lot of on track kart racing and testing.

"Having spent the last two years in Arden Motorsport’s simulator, similar to those used by F1 teams, to understand how to drive a race car on a large circuit, I was able to jump into a full race spec F4 car and attack a large race circuit, reaching speeds of 145mph. From turning the engine on and warming it up, to engaging first gear and heading out of the pits, it’s an amazing experience and a dream come true to be driving an F4 car.”