ONE of Worcester's brightest sporting stars - who has been likened to former Formula One World Champion Jenson Button - made a winning start to his senior karting career at the weekend.

Iggie Sterer-Smith, 16 from Warndon, was racing in his first senior race on the Elite Senior Rotax Series on Sunday, where he beat riders much older and experienced than himself.

It was some statement to make and he will have no doubt raised plenty of eyebrows around the circuit, which dad Craig is hoping will help him really push on.

"He has done a lot of what he has done on a shoestring budget in comparison to some of the other drivers on the circuit, it's a very lucrative sport," he said.

"I work so hard to get him on the track each week but he has so much talent for it and seeing what he did at the weekend was amazing."

Sterer-Smith started karting aged eight at Worcester Indoor Karting, winning his first championship in his first year and smashing the lap record. He then moved on to the outside circuit at Herefordshire Raceway, where he won three back-to-back championships.

In 2022, he joined Jack Dex Racing, driving in Junior Rotax, a two-stroke series where he continued to shine, winning trophy after trophy. At the end of 2023, Sterer-Smith moved on to the Elite Senior Rotax Series, attending two test days in January 2024 and then entering his first senior race last weekend.

"He had so little time in the build-up to this race," added dad Craig. "Some of these drivers are able to get out and spend a lot more time on track but Iggie hadn't even been in a kart for six weeks prior to the weekend, which makes what he did even more incredible really.

"I don't really know where the talent has come from but ever since he was little he has loved cars and racing, just like me. He watched Formula 1 on the TV with me from a very young age and that's where it all started.

"On his first time on track in Worcester, he had obviously never driven before and he was driving like I was, I don't know how he did it! But even then, people were saying how talented he is and one person said that the closest person to Iggie that he had ever seen on a track was Jenson Button!

"I am really pushing for him to make it as a professional but it's such a challenge financially and we are hoping to get more sponsors and backing on board so we can really help him achieve what he wants.

"Hopefully someone sees him or picks him up and can take him on because when you watch him, you can see how good he is."