F1 POLECAT INTERVIEW:

Harry ward

Karting driver for x racing

Harry Ward is no stranger to the UK karting world. 2025 marks the start of his second season in owner karting and is currently launched head first into a total of three championships: Tillotson T4, BWR and Junior Rotax. Racing number 71 Harry leaves an early imprint in the future of motorsport. I chased him down to tell me exactly what its like to race in the younger generation.

Syd: Hi Harry, thanks for joining me today as our first current karting racer. Let jump straight in. Are there any motorsport legends and racers you look up to or try to take inspiration from in terms of racing style or accomplishments you hope to achieve?

Harry: There are many famous and talented drivers to take inspiration from who have had great success but the drivers that inspire me are the ones who can fight their way up the motorsport pyramid without the budget. You learn a lot more in this way instead of buying your way to the front. Many people don’t get the chances in motorsport because they simply can’t afford it.

Syd: Absolutely! So much potential can be lost because of financial hindrances. In such a competitive environment, how do you identify a strong opponent and what do you do to combat that? 

Harry: A strong driver isn’t all about pace. It’s about race craft, mentality but also knowing how to play the mind games, how to make moves stick. 2025 is my second season in owner karting and I have gone from being at the back to fighting for the lead. What I have noticed is that every driver has their own strengths and traits. Some are aggressive, some calm. One might have great one lap pace, but lacks race craft or race pace. You have to understand their strengths and weaknesses and use them against them.

Syd: Racing is a very demanding sport, what do you do to maintain balance between your karting career and school, as well as just being a teenager?

Harry: It can be extremely demanding and stressful with school in the mix and that is a reason many drivers opt for a homeschool route as many schools can be fussy about giving time off for events like these, causing issues for drivers which can ultimately stop their racing due to fines if time off is taken. I had to miss a lot of days last year including a week I had to take off for The T4 Nations Cup in Valencia, and quite a few other races. Especially as many of the drivers are at the age where their GCSEs are coming up and they can’t miss school or they risk falling behind. This is a sport many of us have a strong passion for and these are some of the sacrifices we make to pursue a career in our sport. We have to work twice as hard as some others to keep up in school but it’s what we have to do to enjoy doing what we love.

Syd: I can imagine, especially as driver are getting older the competition is getting fiercer as well as school getting more demanding. Motorsport in general is known for being particularly expensive compared to other sports, in what way is karting financially demanding or is there anything in place to make racing more cost effective and accessible than it's known to be?

Harry: If you don’t have a big budget for motorsport it is possible to enjoy it but you may have to cut costs where possible. If that means reusing old parts and buying second hand things, you can make it work. If you are truly dedicated to making things work, you can do it.

Syd: If not a racing driver, what career could you see yourself pursuing, would it still involve motorsport, maybe an engineer or strategist) or would it be completely different and away from racing?

Harry: Obviously we all want to make a living out of driving but if it isn’t possible it will be a case of working in other positions involved with motorsport like Engineering, Media or anything motorsport related really.


Syd: Yes, i mean, there so much the sport has to offer career wise and that ties in to so much of what F1Polecat is trying to promote. What is the moment in your karting journey so far that you're most proud of?

Harry: I’d say my favourite moments were first of all The T4 nations cup in Valencia. That weekend was full of emotional and unexpected moments, something unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. Another mention was my first ever race in owner karting where I took P3 in the pouring rain and finding out after that I had done that all with a bent axle.

Syd: That’s incredible! Recently, I went Go Karting at TeamKarting in Basildon, which is my local track. How does karting for leisure on that level compare to competitive karting that you're involved in (such as strategy, speed and experiences)?

Harry: Rental karting like that is where I ,and many other racing drivers, started. It builds the foundations for the higher steps of karting giving the building blocks on how to become a faster and better overall driver. It can teach you a lot more than people think but it does differ a lot too from racing karts. The physical side and the competitive side is a lot more difficult and the danger is more due to the higher speeds and the open wheel racing. I have seen and had some big crashes and it does remind you how dangerous our sport can be.

If you want to follow along further with Harrys racing endeavors you can find him at @harryracing71

Thanks Hazza!