Andie Stewart: Meet the 12-year-old karter wanting to break new ground

Stewart belongs to a racing family as her dad, Drew, and grandfather, Henry, both raced, while younger brother, Johnston, also competes in go-karting.

After she started to race competitively, she swiftly progressed to racing in the United Kingdom and Europe, and this year Stewart stepped up to more powerful Junior X30 karts, which can hit speeds of 120kph.

In November, she was selected as one of nine girls from around the world to take part in Girls on Track Rising Stars programme, which is run by the FIA’s Women in Motorsport Commission – world motorsport’s governing body.

The only driver from the United Kingdom to be selected, Stewart headed to Cremona in Italy and worked with the FIA, ACI Scuola Federale and Formula Medicine, with a number of off-track and on-circuit tests and training exercises.

“It was such a great opportunity to be there with other girls my age,” Stewart said.

“I was so joyful when I was picked. I was so shocked that I was the only one from the UK and I knew I would have the best time.”

Nicola, Andie’s mum, said it was a “huge opportunity” for her daughter to be working with some of the biggest bodies in motorsport.

“It’s a huge thing and there was that moment where I was nervous for her, but I knew she would take those nerves and run with it,” she said.

“She works really well under pressure, better than most adults I know, so I knew this is something she would benefit from for a long time.”