Racing Kid
He's one of the top racing drivers in a big series in Europe but back in Australia he still can't get his licence. His name is Alex Peroni and despite his age, this Aussie kid is already taking the racing world by storm.
He's one of the best young drivers in the world, racing at speeds of up to 250 kays per hour against some of the sport's best. But off the race track, and on the road, things are different.
ALEX: I've got my L plates so I can drive with mum in the passenger seat. I'm not the best still - I've got a lot of things to learn.
Ok, so at 16, Alex isn't quite old enough to drive himself to the race track, but he does have some serious skills when he gets there.
DAVID QUINN, SPONSOR: He obviously can drive very well. He's the youngest Australian to be racing at this level.
Alex competes in Europe in the Monoplace challenge
ALEX: I drive what's called a Formula Renault. It's quite an early stage in single seater, it's made for younger people, it has a two litre engine.
With a few wins under his belt, Alex is now leading the series and is on track to take out the championships! It's an incredible accomplishment, but even though he's just 16, he's been racing for a really long time. Alex began racing go karts when he was 7, and competing internationally when he was 9.
ALEX: I probably got into it through my dad and dad has a lot of DVDs he used to play for me, and I used to watch them for a long time and I got hooked at a very young age.
PIERO, ALEX'S DAD: If only I'd known where this would have ended but Alex was insistent, he's very passionate about motor sport.
ALEX: I started at 7 so very young and then you just climb up the categories always wanting to compete with the best in the country and the world.
And he recently made the big step of moving to Italy, and living with his grandparents, so he could compete against the world's best. While it looks like it's paying off, Alex already has his sights set on competing in Formula One, like some of his driving heroes.
ALEX: Daniel Ricciardo and ex-drivers like Michael Schumacher and Senna and stuff like that yeah I look up to them.
DAVID QUINN, SPONSOR: From what we've heard from his team mates and from his engineers he does have the ability to do it.
He wants to be in Formula One by the time he's 20, and while he still has a long way to go, Alex reckons with a bit
of hard work he's got what it takes.
ALEX: My passion for it, I work hard for it, I study and I try my very best at it.
- Matthew Holbrook | Reporter
- About Alex: Official Website | weblink
- Young Racer: Behind the News | history
- Young Tasmanian racing driver Alex Peroni on track for European series win: ABC News | weblink
- Italy | Map
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