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From The Times
October 8, 2008

Boy racer, 4, revs up to overtake Lewis Hamilton

A boy aged four has been hailed as the next Lewis Hamilton - after beating racers three times his age and winning a karting contract.

Hoddesdon A young go-kart racer has been hailed the next Lewis Hamilton after clinching a sponsorship deal at the age of 4.

Leonardo Panayiotou, who races at the Rye House Kart Raceway in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, where Hamilton made his debut aged 8, regularly beats racers three times his height and age and has been offered a three-year contract worth £15,000 a year. However, he cannot race competitively for four years for insurance reasons. Leonardo’s father, Jason, said: “He lives and breathes motor racing. He’d spend every waking hour doing it if he could.”

Not true at all. Hamilton was and is acknowledged for exceptional talent first and foremost. Anyway this kid is the victim of an unconscionable publicity stunt on the part of the race track, most probably. He's 4, you can't race in karts until 8 so at best he's tootling around the circuit.

tom johnson, watford, uk

Sadly this talented lad is likely to receive much less than his due acknowledgement. Had he been of mixed race or black then opportunists would be crawling out of the woodwork to exploit him. Sad but true.

Bart Richins, Deal, UK

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