Ben Beresford appears to be a natural behind the wheel of a race car - but he can’t show it on the track just yet.

Beresford, 11, from Hythe, proved a revelation racing high-tech simulators at SIM Motorsport.

Bosses at the Gillingham-based company were so impressed they invited him to take part in their race school.

He became the youngest graduate but must stick to karting for now as 14 is the minimum age to race cars for real.

“SIM Motorsport were blown away by him,” said dad Mark Beresford.

“They invited him on to the race school and he came away with a merit.

“I don’t know where he gets it from - certainly not from me.

“He seems to have a natural talent for it.

“It’s mind-blowing - he shouldn’t even be on the course until he’s 14.

“The Alpine F1 team developed these simulators during the Covid pandemic.

“There’s software for all different classes of cars and teams but the original concept was F1.

“You have to be 14 to race cars on the track, so he’ll have to wait for that, but hopefully with a lot of support and a bit of experience behind him, he’ll make the transition from karting.”

Race school covers a variety of topics, including the principles of driving, race craft, car set-up, mental approach, nutrition, physical training, media and sponsorship.

Simon Ricketts, chief executive at SIM Motorsport, said: “Despite Ben’s young age, his talent in the simulator and positive mindset impressed us.

“As a result, we decided to invite him to the race school, which is an invite-only programme.

“We believe he has the potential to be a real success in the future.

“He is now an ambassador for SIM Motorsport and serves as a first-class example to other youngsters of what can be achieved with determination and a positive mindset.

“We look forward to supporting him in his motorsport career.”