Bromley racing star inspired by Ferrari outing

The 15-year-old karting sensation was invited to Ferrari’s HQ in Maranello, Italy, to undergo three days of special training and assessment.

McCarthy, who has won the Euro Max Challenge and UK Super One karting championships, impressed Formula One’s most iconic team and said the experience was unforgettable.

“I was pleased with my performance and it gave me a good insight into what being a professional racing driver is like,” the Ravens Wood pupil said.

“The Ferrari Driver Academy has inspired me even more and I want to get to that level, where I can become a professional.

“Driving round Fiorano? It was one of the best days of my life.”

McCarthy, along with three other promising racers from China and Italy, underwent a series of medical and physical tests to access their health and fitness.

The quartet then enjoyed a session in Scuderia Ferrari’s high-tech Formula One Simulator, in preparation for their session on the track.

“The whole thing moves around, replicating what it would actually be like to drive round the circuit,” McCarthy said.

“I’d never experienced anything like that before!”

Following a dinner at Montana, seven-time F1 World Champion Michael Schumacher’s favourite restaurant when he raced for the Prancing Horse, McCarthy and his peers were able to race F4 cars around Ferrari’s iconic track.

McCarthy, who has been karting since he was eight, added: “I’d never driven a car before, but I was cautious rather than scared.

“The car was very powerful, so I made sure I didn’t do anything stupid. I was so excited as I pulled out of the pit-lane, it was really fun.

“The team was impressed with my performance - I was only 2.5 seconds off the fastest lap but everyone else had driven single-seaters before whereas I hadn’t.

“It was just an amazing few days.”

The sixth-annual Ferrari Driver Academy was in association with Banco Santander.

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