Sunderland’s very own motor racing sensation Charlie Benson is on the road to be the next Formula 1 sensation after being signed up to race in Formula 4. This is our interview with Charlie, his family, and his coach, from shortly before the teenager’s talents were recognised by Formula 4 squads.
00:00This has been his whole thing since he was little, like his first words were car car, he wanted every ride on, he wanted speed, anything to do with danger, anything to do with vehicles, he used to love messing about with his dad's vehicles in the garage and things like that, so it's always been a thing for Charlie.
00:20It was inevitable actually when you look back on it.
00:23Hi, I'm Charlie Benson, I'm 15 years old and I'm a go-kartter from the north-east of England. My aim is to be a Formula 1 driver, so you have kart-ins where you generally start off and then you go to Formula 4, 3, 2 and then hopefully ultimately Formula 1.
00:41We got him some electric ride-ons, he then progressed through those, they weren't fast enough, we got him into some petrol buggies, went all over the place with them.
00:52I started 8 years old but not fully competitive.
00:56And his karting career actually started at Warden Law, so at North East Kart Club.
01:01Charlie was about 8 or 9 years old.
01:04And going round in a Honda cadet kart. I've done this for a lot of years now and I actually saw that he had a little bit of a talent there and also the enthusiasm to hopefully take him further, which is what he's exactly done.
01:20We race at national level, looking to go international with things like UAE for the Formula 4.
01:28Right now we're doing, we're still in the Super 1 Championship.
01:32After last year we did another one, UKC, but this year we've done the Super 1 Championship in the Junior Rotax 125 class.
01:43When I was about 9 or 10 in 2020 I started racing the Super 1 Championship where many F1 drivers, for example Lando Norris, George Russell, Alex Albon, that's where they started.
01:57As a parent it can be quite worrying at times because motorsport is dangerous and everyone does say, how can you watch him?
02:08And my friends are all like, oh my god.
02:09But he takes, you know, measured risk.
02:13He's very, very confident.
02:15He's very, very sensible about things.
02:18I fully trust him when he's on track.
02:20I don't obsessively worry about it, you know.
02:24I think as a parent that's your main concern, isn't it?
02:27I just want him to do well in everything that he does.
02:30The gold ones are the championship ones, which was, I was in 2022, I was Mini Rock Champion in Super 1.
02:38The other gold one is when I got Vice Champion in 2023 in the Max category.
02:43Really, really proud.
02:45He's achieved loads in his carton career.
02:48My mum, my dad, my sister have helped me along the way, funded my racing career so far alongside the help of my partners.
02:59I think he's now going to go into what is probably the lowest class of the formulas, but Formula 4.
03:06But that is where all the big teams start looking for the drivers.
03:11In fact, there's a lot of drivers who are in Formula 4 who are actually already signed up to the Formula 1 teams.
03:18That's where they scout the drivers.
03:20So he's going to be going into that.
03:22A lot of pressure and, of course, unfortunately, a lot of money.
03:26So hopefully his sponsors do exceptionally well.
03:29But I think he's got a very bright future.
03:33We just need to keep on top of it and just give him time and allow him to just grow his craft.
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