If you want a glimpse of the electric future, you could do worse than look at a nine-year-old from Basingstoke.
Junior Wright might still be in primary school, but he’s already carving out a place for himself in UK motorsport as one of the youngest drivers competing in the country’s first official junior electric karting championship. And later this year, he’ll be heading to Silverstone to see his heroes during Formula One testing.
Like many racing drivers, Junior’s story starts early – very early. He was on a balance bike at two, graduated to an electric John Deere at three, then a quad bike at four. By the age of six he was karting, learning the basics of racecraft at Blackbushe Circuit while most children were still figuring out playground politics.
Now he’s part of the MightE Cadet Series, Motorsport UK’s new all-electric karting championship for drivers aged between eight and 12, which makes its debut in 2026. It marks a significant moment for grassroots motorsport in the UK, introducing a new generation of drivers to racing without the noise and emissions traditionally associated with karting.
For Junior and his family, racing has quickly become a way of life. Every other weekend, the kart is loaded onto a trailer, hitched up to a campervan, and the Wrights head off to circuits around the country. The campervan itself is part of the story as it was built by Junior’s dad – a mobile mechanic – during lockdown. At the time, it was simply a project; now it’s the backbone of a family racing operation.
That hands-on approach extends to the kart itself. Junior’s dad takes care of maintenance and repairs trackside, effectively doubling up as race engineer and mechanic, while the rest of the family gets stuck in too. His sister is a regular at race weekends, becoming part of the paddock scene and building friendships of her own.
Back home, Junior’s school, Great Binfield School in Basingstoke, has adapted to his unusual schedule. He’s given authorised time off to compete, with schoolwork sent along so he can keep up with lessons between races.
Support also comes from the local community. InstaVolt, the public EV charging company headquartered along Junior’s daily school route, is backing him through the season, helping to cover coaching and tyres. It’s a neat fit – a business focused on electric mobility supporting a young driver whose burgeoning race career behind the wheel is all electric.
Despite the growing attention, Junior’s life still has plenty of the familiar rhythms of childhood. He races against friends on track and spends time with them off it, while his favourite F1 driver is current world champion Lando Norris. The upcoming trip to Silverstone for F1 testing will be another step into a world he’s been building towards since those early days on two wheels.
At a time when the UK’s transition to electric vehicles is often framed through policy debates, infrastructure challenges and concerns over range, Junior’s story offers a different perspective. For him, electric isn’t a new technology or a point of discussion – it’s simply normal.
And as the MightE Cadet Series gets underway, it’s clear that the next generation of F1 drivers could be arriving with a very different starting point. For Junior Wright, the future of motoring isn’t something to be debated – it’s already under his right foot.
