Matthew Rees is rocketing up the motorsport rankings and is now considered by many as a star in the making.
Whether that means he will be the next Lewis Hamilton remains to be seen, but the 16-year-old from Cardiff has certainly made a fast start off the grid.
Having won the prestigious British Formula 4 Championship title in his rookie season, single-seater racing driver Rees has shown both his talent and potential.
Matthew won races at Donington Park and Snetterton this year, to take a 12-point lead into the final race meeting at Brands Hatch.
After another great performance in his 1.6-litre Ford EcoBoost-powered race car, he wrapped up the title with one round to go.
The Sport Wales-supported driver is now being talked about as a future motorsport superstar – and it’s no wonder, as past winners of the British F4 Championship include none other than McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris.
Matthew’s interest in motorsport stems from his grandfather, who used to race Minis and saloon cars.
The schoolboy started competing in 2013, initially kart racing at Llandow before branching out and making a name for himself nationwide.
He headed onto the international stage in the 2018 FIA World Karting Championship, but then stepped back from racing in 2019 when his mother became ill.
When she recovered, Matthew resumed racing midway through 2020 with the JHR Developments team – familiarising himself with the UK tracks on a simulator, before impressing the squad at a winter test at Pembrey Circuit and securing a race seat for 2021.
Run as a televised support series on the British Touring Car Championship race card, the British F4 Championship is a 30-round series with three races each race weekend, including a reserve grid race.
In a championship where you must keep on top of technical set-up, tactics and race craft whilst among a group of identical 160bhp cars all jockeying for position at over 100mph, Matthew was embroiled in a high-speed dog fight throughout the season.
He scored a maiden F4 race win to lead the drivers’ standings at the halfway point.
