DEXTER Patterson may only be 14 but already he has achieved something David Coulthard, Dario Franchitti, Allan McNish and Paul di Resta all failed to do. When he claimed victory against 92 other drivers from over 30 countries to become CIK-FIA World Karting Champion, he was the first Scot to win the title.

Despite having had the trophy in his possession for four weeks now, the scale of his achievement is only just beginning to dawn on him.

“It all felt pretty surreal when I won it, but it’s starting to sink in now,” the Bothwell teenager said. “I hadn’t had the best of seasons so, going into the race, I had the mindset that I just had to win. I put quite a lot of pressure on myself but I also tried to be calm so I didn’t make mistakes.”

It was quite an achievement for the Scot who, driving an 80mph Forza Racing 125cc two-stroke kart, started the race third on the grid. But some strong laps, including the fastest of the race, saw him hit the front and hold on for the win.

Patterson, a third-year pupil at Hamilton College, has been driving for more than half his life, with his father’s passion for karting igniting the interest in his son.

“My dad bought a kart and as soon as I saw it, I asked could I have one too,” Patterson said. “So he bought me one and his career finished as mine started. I’ve always had a real interest in cars so as soon as I got into the kart, I felt like something clicked. When I first started, I didn’t have the best of equipment – we didn’t even wash the car so it was really muddy all the time – but I was still winning races so that made me realise I must have a talent for it.”

It wasn’t long before Patterson was making a name for himself. He became British champion and won Formula Kart Stars. The teenager admits he is a thrill-seeker, but the trick to racing well is to remain composed amongst all the frenzy.

“I love the adrenaline rush. I also used to ride quad bikes and I loved that too because of their power,” he said. “I guess you have to be fearless, but you have to get the balance right between taking risks but not doing anything stupid. If you see a chance, you have to take it but if it’s a close call, you might be better to just hold off.

“I feel like I’m getting better at judging that as I get older; when I was younger, I thought I could pass at any point but I’d often end up crashing so I had to learn when to wait and when to go for it.”

Patterson’s achievements have caught the eye of many in the motorsport world including Formula One driver Max Verstappen. Patterson’s engine builder, Lanark-based Gordon Finlayson, built Verstappen’s engines when the Dutchman was driving karts and helped set up the introduction.

“I got introduced to Max at the Autosport Awards in London two years ago and he was really friendly,” Patterson said. “You look at these people and think they’re superstars but in real life, they’re just normal, he’s really nice and friendly. He gave me some advice at the start of the year – just to stay calm and to focus on getting on with the job. It’s really good knowing I can turn to him for advice because he’s been through everything – from karts right up to Formula One. So it’s great for me to know I can turn to him if I need to.”

Patterson says combining his racing, which involved regular trips down south and to Europe, with his schoolwork and spending time with his friends isn’t always easy, but he is willing to do whatever it takes to follow his dream.

“The school is really helpful though and they give me time to catch up but I do try to revise when I’m away racing,” he said. “It’s hard though because during the day, I’m too busy to even think about studying and when I get back to the hotel at night, I’m knackered so I’ll be revising when I’m half asleep.

“I have missed out some stuff with my friends back home but I have lots of friends in the racing world so when I’m away, I feel like I’m just away with my friends. This is such a great opportunity though and so any sacrifices are worth it.”

Patterson expects to spend one more year in karting before moving up to single-seater racing, although due to the increased costs, this is only an option if he can secure sponsorship. From there, the world appears to be his oyster.

“My dream is to have a career in motorsport – I’d like to be a driver, that would be great but really, I’d just like to make a living from motorsport in any way I can. If the opportunity came up to go into Formula One, I’d definitely take it but it’s so tough to break into. I’m open to all options.”