Dubai: It's a cliché, but UAE-born Briton Edward Jones, a six-times UAE junior karting champion, aims to emulate his F1 hero, Lewis Hamilton, and one-day break into Formula One.
The 16-year-old went on to justify his dream by saying that his current coach, Kieran Crawley, also mentored Hamilton when the 2008 F1 World Champion was still in his teens.
Crawley interjects and counts the similarities between his past and present ward and one begins to believe in the young racer's dream.
Driving style
Apparently Jones is not the only fastest driver Crawley has ever mentored, but what separates the youngster from others is that he epitomises Hamilton's penchant for knife-edge win-at-all-cost driving style.
"He and Lewis are from very different backgrounds. UAE karting is very primitive compared to Europe, but it's Edward's work rate, his ability to move up the ranks quickly and learn from mistakes that likens him to Lewis," said Crawley.
Jones finished eighth in the 2008 Karting World Championships (KWC), achieved a pole position in the same event in 2009 and came second in the first final of the KWC in 2010. First class vehicle control on Dubai's dusty tracks has apparently given him the edge in rainy Europe.
In his debut year in cars, Jones of Team Fortec, has already won a British Formula BMW Championship race at Snetterton on May 8 in just the second of a seven round British Intersteps Series.
It made him the first UAE representative to win a British Formula race.
Russell Jones, Edward's father, estimates that from 30-40 local karters only one or two have made it to Europe and none to heady heights as Edward's.
The win gave Jones, who started karting at Jebel Ali track when he was six, the confidence needed to step into Europe's Formula Renault next season.
"My aim now is to win the BMW series outright, I'm not going in for anything less. It's not the most important thing this year, admittedly that would be development and preparation for next year. But like Lewis Hamilton I only go in to win," said Jones, who juggles racing with studies at Dubai College.
Crawley added: "That we're already talking about a move to Formula Renault after his first BMW win is a measure of his talent — he has all the ingredients to go far if he keeps up this momentum."
Essentially on the first rung of the F1 ladder, Formula BMW is usually followed by Formula Renault, Formula Three and GP2 before F1 teams come sniffing.
"Aside from talent, it's a lot about luck, being in the right place at the right time and having everything in order," said Crawley.
On top of this, Jones, who is sponsored only by his parents and Print Central, must meet growing expenses. While a full season in karting costs £200,000 (Dh1,175,443), this season will cost £300,000 and next year £500,000.
Winning his home Abu Dhabi Grand Prix cloaked in the UAE flag is the ultimate objective "to give back everything the UAE has given me" said Jones. But as Edward's father Russell said: "It's a huge task of any individual. Racing is not just sitting behind a wheel, but how you handle yourself in public."
