30/05/2023
Proudly waving the flag of Pakistan across the world in Formula racing circuit, Enaam Ahmed has become the first ever and the only Pakistani to be a World Champion in Karting, beating the records of Formula One drivers Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
Not only that, Enaam Ahmed is also the British Formula 3 Champion, the first ever high-level Formula Championship winner in the history of Pakistan and beating the record of Ayrton Senna by winning 13 races in one season.
The 23-year-old is going places around the world with his winning streaks on the dangerous tracks, driving cars at an average 200 miles per hour – making sure that his car carries both British and Pakistani flags. Enaam is one of the brightest and most exciting young racing talents in motorsport. He has been winning Championships and breaking records from the age of 14. Enaam Ahmed is also the most successful Pakistani heritage racing driver ever in the history of motorsport because he is also known as the most successful British Formula 3 driver in history.
Enaam Ahmed was born to Pakistani parents in London 23 years ago. It was at the age of eight that he started taking interest in racing. His parents started funding their son’s passion by sending him to local Go-karting tracks for children but they had no idea that their son would become a European and world champion at the age of 14 - winning it one year younger than Lewis Hamilton who was 15 when he became the world champion.
When Enaam announced his decision for Car racing to his parents, they told him they will not be funding him anymore and he would need to learn to stand on his own feet to explore his opportunities or return to normal life and finish university degree and then do whatever he wants to.
Enaam Ahmed left the comfort of his home immediately to live in Japan, Spain, Italy, New Zealand and the United States to focus on professional driving. He has not looked back ever since.
In an interview, the star racer explained about his achievements. He said: “I was 14 years old when I won five championships in one year. The two most important ones being the European Championship in Go-Karting. I won that when I was 14 years old while Lewis Hamilton had won when he was 15 years old. At the age of 17, I became the British Formula 3 Champion, the first time ever a Pakistani won a major Motorsport championship beating the record of Ayrton Senna.”
Naturally, Enaam Ahmed felt very proud when he beat Lewis Hamilton’s record at the age of 14 in Go Karting which is the most competitive racing one can do at that age and beating Lewis Hamilton’s record was a huge achievement. There was a lot of pressure on him to win those competitions for himself so he could make his name but also to impress his parents and to show them he made the right decision of leaving home at a very young age – when most of his childhood friends played around the nearby Hyde Park.
The most important factor for Enaam Ahmed has been to win these accomplishments as a Pakistani origin racer. He says with pride:” For me it matters the most that I won these races at the world stage as a Pakistani and races at the world championship level and at the European Championship level as a Pakistani. Not just to do it but to win it, this makes me very proud and there is a long way to go.”
Enaam Ahmed has a driving simulator set up at his home in London when he’s with his parents. He’s in the United States where he spends most time as that’s where he drives cars as a professional. He said: “The training is usually twice a day. That’s not the hardest part though. The most difficult thing to do is to go out at that young age and get sponsors as these are sponsors who fund races. I always have to perform and to win in order to stay in the game. If you don’t perform there are no sponsors behind you to move forward. For example right now I race in the United States in the series called Indy Nxt which is leading me to IndyCar - the biggest series in the US.
“I am the first ever and the only Pakistani to take part in these races. Alhamdullilah, I am lucky that I have big sponsors from America who are sponsoring me this year to race in America and they have enabled me to live my dream and get to the top in the two biggest racing series.”
