KARTING is the world's most recognisable route to creating a possible future Formula One driver.

The roots of the new Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton's success, can be found in karting.

But until Singapore is willing to invest in proper facilities for karting, or parents here are lured to get involved, the red lights are still on for creating a homegrown F1 driver.

The New Paper's Va-Va Vroom series tackles this issue looking at the current situation here.

To date, some of the more prominent local race drivers that have made some headway in international motor racing include Hafiz Koh and Denis Lian (the only two who have raced in single seaters), Ringo Chong and Melvin Choo.

What differentiates Koh from the rest is that he is the youngest and the only full-time professional race driver at the age of 24.

Despite the low popularity of motorsports then, Koh eventually persuaded his parents to let him pursue motor racing as a career.

That's not easy, in a nation still focused on academic and paper qualifications.

So why is it important to pick up karting at an early age, preferably between five to nine, if Singapore is to create homegrown drivers who could go all the way to F1?

After all, Hamilton gave the same advice for Singapore's sporting authorities when he was here in September for the SingTel Singapore Grand Prix.

Foundation

With the success of that race, some parents could now be more receptive to letting their children take up karting.

Karting forms the foundation for motor racing and is the first step for any serious racer's career.

What makes karting so easy to pick up, is that a driving licence is not needed and age is not a restriction.

Firstly, the costs of karting.

A professional racing kart can cost anywhere from seven to $15,000, and this does not include maintenance or regular part replacements.

Here's where sponsorships come in.

Like how the Singapore Racing Team was formed this year with the financial backing of MFGlobal Singapore, to race in the Asian Karting Open Championship.

In short, no money, no race.

Then, there's still the absence of a proper local karting venue to develop talent and persuade Singaporean parents.

Now, the only karting venue available to the public ? Kart World at Taman Jurong ? is too small to accommodate all of Singapore's karting interest with its narrow 520-metre track and a rate of $40 for 10 minutes of ride time.

Alternative venue

An alternative venue ? Circuit@Tuas ? has a 840-metre track but currently only caters to motocross activities and does not provide public karting facilities as yet.

It may not be a world-class facility, but it seems like Kart World is all Singapore has till the proposed Changi race track is built in 2011.

A request for design tenders was called in May, but it has since been postponed, without any further announcements from the Singapore Sports Council.

Although the Singapore Motor Sports Association (SMSA) has received increased funding this year, it may not be enough for all plans like overseas training, racing opportunities and public awareness programmes in schools and the heartlands.

Besides, karting isn't the only form of motorsport around to fund.

But the government has promised support for local motorsport development if a viable long-term plan is drawn up by the SMSA.

The writer is a freelancer.

This article was first published in The New Paper on Dec 10, 2008.