KINGSTON, Jamaica – Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Minister, Olivia Grange, says discussions are underway with the Jamaica Karting Association and the Jamaica Millennium Motoring Club, to further develop motorsport locally.

“The future looks good for (karting) and for motor racing and I am in discussions with the presidents of both entities to see how I can make a contribution as the Minister of Sport to having the sport grow,” Grange said.

“[We want] to see how we can leverage the opportunity that exists coming out of the success of Alex [Powell], for example, and what he has contributed to ‘Brand Jamaica’ internationally through his efforts,” she added.

The Minister was speaking during a visit to her New Kingston offices on Friday by the young Jamaican karting star.

At just 14 years old, Alex has an outstanding career in karting, winning races in the highly competitive four race FIA Karting European Championships in July, while placing third in another.

He made history when he signed to a Formula One (F1) team at age 11, becoming the first Caribbean driver to do so, and will be competing in the prestigious FIA Karting World Championships from September 15 to 18 in Sarno, Italy.

Grange said that the youngster’s racing exploits have brought immense pride to the country and will further strengthen the sport locally.

“He is a Jamaican sensation, young and outstanding… He has grown and he has done extremely well on the international circuit and Jamaica is so proud of him,” Grange said.

Meanwhile, the youngster, whose goal is to race on the F1 stage, has his eyes firmly set on the upcoming World Championships.

“This is the biggest event of the year, so a lot of preparation goes into that. Hopefully, we can take over the form that we had from the European Championships and put all the effort into the World Championship,” he said.

Powell, who lives in Miami, Florida, made his debut in karting in 2015, following in the footsteps of his father, John Powell, who is a veteran rally driver.

Powell started his career in the Caribbean and the United States and expanded his range to the European circuit in 2018, where he won the WSK Final Cup title in the 60 Mini class.

He officially joined the Mercedes junior team in 2019, winning the ROK Cup Super-final (Mini ROK) and 24 Degrees South Garda Winter Cup (Mini ROK).

After blazing a trail of success in the Junior OK division, Powell, a Mercedes-AMG F1 protégé, transitioned to the Senior OK category several months ago, showcasing his outstanding potential.