Young racer hoping to copy Lewis Hamilton fights to save kart race in Formula E

Ambition: Lewis Appiagyei says his hero is Lewis Hamilton
Rehema Figueiredo23 November 2015

An 11-year-old boy who wants to be the next Lewis Hamilton is putting pressure on the organisers of Formula E to host a children’s race in London.

Lewis Appiagyei, from Camden, has already won karting races around the world but has his sights set on becoming a Formula E champion.

The competition uses electric cars and staged a race in Battersea Park this summer, but Wandsworth council has faced criticism from residents for closing the park for the event.

A campaign has been launched against the race, which attracted 60,000 spectators this year.

The race also had a popular children’s karting event but there was a suspicion it would not be repeated after the manufacturer of kits — issued to schools for the children to make the karts themselves — was no longer involved.

Lewis, who persuaded his school, St Mary Magdalene Academy in Islington, to take part, is leading calls for the event to be established and is meeting with the CEO of Formula E.

“I want to be a racing driver when I grow up and my hero is Lewis Hamilton,” he said. “I wanted to do Formula E with my friends. I wrote a letter to my headmistress about this event because it’s a good way to learn about engineering. A few months later we found out Formula E were taking it out. It’s really frustrating.”

Lewis wrote a letter to Formula E with the help of his father Anthony, asking them to include a children’s race.

Mr Appiagyei, 50, said: “When Lewis discovered this school series was going to happen he was jumping up and down. But things started disappearing from the website and Formula E ignored the questions we were asking.”

Lewis and his father met with Greenpeace to ask for the organisation’s help. The Year 7 student also started an online campaign #letthekidsraceuk and said he plans to ask the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to get involved.

Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E, has agreed to meet with Lewis to discuss options for a children’s race next year.

Mr Agag said: “It’s great that Lewis and many young people in London are so enthusiastic about Formula E. We can confirm Formula E will be developing a new and exciting programme involving young people for 2016.”

A decision about next year’s Formula E event will be made on Tuesday.

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