New world champion Verstappen laid foundations of his Formula One career at track near Grantham

New Formula One champion Max Verstappen cut his teeth in karting and raced in its most prestigious championship at a track near Grantham.

Twenty-four-year-old Verstappen won the F1 Drivers' Championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday, overtaking reigning champion Lewis Hamilton in controversial circumstances on the final lap of the final race of the season.

But when the 15-year-old Verstappen raced a round of the CIK-FIA World Championship at PFi Kart Racing Circuit at Brandon, near Grantham, in September 2013, he totally dominated proceedings, with the FIA describing him as "simply unbeatable" throughout the race weekend.

Also racing alongside Verstappen at Brandon that weekend were some other familiar names you may have heard of – George Russell and Lance Stroll, not to mention Lando Norris who won the KF-Junior International Super Cup at the same race meeting.

Verstappen went on to be crowned 2013 World Karting Champion and two years later became the youngest ever driver to start an F1 race, at the age of 17, and the rest is history.