Not a bad claim to fame for 17-year-old Enaam Ahmed. The record in question goes back to when Senna, the Brazilian legend, was racing in Formula 3. He won 12 races back in 1983. Enaam’s just gone one better with 13. “It’s pretty amazing for me, I’m just a normal kid from London,” Enaam told Newsbeat.
“Senna’s been my hero my whole life, to even get near his win record is pretty special to me,” he says. It happened at the British Formula 3 finale at Donnington Park in Leicestershire.
Enaam had already won the championship but he then got his 13th victory in the final race. He also got 654 points the highest amount of points ever achieved in the series. Ayrton Senna went on to bigger and better things – winning three F1 titles before being killed in a crash during the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994.
But despite taking the record, Enaam says he still needs a sponsorship deal if he wants to progress to the next level. The cost of a full season in Formula 3 is over £700,000. “I’ve been sending 10 letters a day to try and get sponsors, 99% I never get anything back, but I always have hope,” he says.
Enaam only races in a car once a month. The rest of the training is based on building stamina and being mentally prepared. “I train five times a week and run every time I train. We do a lot of conditioning and keeping muscles working for a long period of time.” The 17-year-old says he fell into racing by accident.
“My dad’s friend used to race as an amateur. I went to a karting track and really enjoyed it and it went on from there. Enaam became world and European karting champion when he was 14. Lewis Hamilton didn’t manage that until he was 15.
“I passed my driving test as soon as I turned 17, it wasn’t hard for me,” says Enaam.
“But I’m quite responsible on the road. I get all adrenalin out on the track.”
The F3 champion says he has a plan if he doesn’t make it in racing.
“Maybe I’ll be a taxi driver, because I’m good at driving.”
bbc.co.uk