Already tipped for the top, Freddie Slater has further cemented his credentials as one of the world’s hottest young prospects by winning the 2024 Italian F4 Championship with four rounds still remaining on the calendar.

The impressive 16-year-old British driver – who is a member of the Motorsport UK Academy –  sealed the deal in Barcelona with his 13^th win of an extraordinary campaign, equalling the record set by Mercedes F1 bound Kimi Antonelli.

“It has been an amazing year,” confirmed Slater. “Prema Racing gave me an incredible car all year; we faced different conditions: rain, dry, and many different temperatures. Vincent, my engineer, did an incredible job, and the whole Prema team has been fantastic. Hopefully, there are a few more wins to add to the list. I still want more wins; I want to add to that record if I can.”

The teenager will have little time to celebrate, though, as he’s also contesting the Euro 4 Championship which he leads going into this weekend’s finale at Monza. If he wins that it will be Freddie’s fifth title since graduating from karting in 2022 and winning both Ginetta Junior Winter and Junior Championship crowns plus the Formula 4 UAE Championship.

Looking further ahead, Slater is one of the four rising stars shortlisted for this year’s prestigious Silverstone Autosport BRDC Award.

The annual accolade aims to find and assist the best junior British racing driver and Freddie has been nominated alongside fellow Motorsport UK Academy member Arvid Lindblad, Deagen Fairclough, the newly crowned 2024 British F4 Champion, and Louis Sharp who has just added this year’s GB3 crown to last’s year British F4 title.

The life-changing prize for this year’s winner includes £200,000 plus a money-can’t-buy F1 test with the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team. The winner will be announced at the Autosport Awards in January.

The Motorsport UK Academy offers a performance pathway for the UK’s talented young athletes providing future stars with opportunities to learn, develop, thrive and ultimately unlock their full potential.

Click here to find out more and for a full list of those currently on the scheme.