MotoGP dreams burning brightly for British Talent Cup Series rider Charlie Huntingford

Charlie Huntingford dreams of one day lining up on the grid as a MotoGP rider.

Aged just 13, the Debenham High School pupil still has many years ahead of him before that could ever become a reality.

And yet the teen has already taken some impressive steps into the world of motorsport during the first couple of rounds of this season’s British Talent Cup Series.

As the third youngest rider on a 32-strong grid, Huntingford started with 22nd and 16th-placed finishes at Silverstone, which was followed earlier this month by finishing 25th and 14th at Oulton Park.

The early signs are promising, and dad Simon, who is director of Mototechniks on Stowmarket’s Bury Road, believes there could well be plenty more to come.

He said: “It’s Charlie’s first year and from the first round to the second round he showed some real progress.

“The lads at the top end of the championship, most of them are 16 or 17, so he has plenty of time to learn and develop.

“The championship gets plenty of support from MotoGP and they are big on making sure the kids stay safe and they’re not pushed to go out and win races. They’re allowed to grow and that is what Charlie wants.

“When I left him on the grid at Oulton Park he said afterwards that he had a tear or two in his eyes because he was doing what he wants to do. His dream is to be a MotoGP rider.

“This is a new venture, he’s showing plenty of potential and he’s really enjoying himself.”

Debenham resident Simon has also been impressed with the way Charlie has adapted to racing at speed.

Oulton Park is notoriously a tough track to contend with – particularly for novices – but the youngster was far from flustered.

Simon added: “You have to be brave on a track like Oulton Park. It’s one of the hardest tracks to learn on with all of the undulations. You’re coming to a hill at 90 or 100 miles per hour and you know there is a tyre wall just 20 metres away but you can’t see it – that can be daunting.

“But Charlie has been unfazed, he enjoys it. He certainly deals with the speed a lot better than I do!

“Speed isn’t the issue, it’s more about him learning the tracks. He’s been used to karting at places like Red Lodge, but these are much bigger tracks.”

* Anyone interested in sponsoring Charlie going forward can register their interest by contacting Simon via email: info@mototechniks.com