KARTING sensation George Russell is out to become a European junior champion for the second time.

The 14-year-old, from Tydd St Giles, is determined to retain the CIK-FIA European KF3 Championship, which concludes at the PF International track, near Grantham, at the weekend.

Russell sits second in the championship standings heading into the final round but, with 50 points up for grabs over the weekend, he is hopeful of catching Spanish leader Alex Palou.

Russell said: “We’re still in with a chance, and consistency will be the key.

“It’s not going to be about pushing hard to win the finals - we’ve just got to make sure we’re there or thereabouts in each race and stay ahead of our main rivals.”

Russell will have to negotiate six heats and rank in the top 34 out of 117 drivers to qualify for the two point-scoring finals.

The European final comes at a good time for the in-form teenager, who impressed at the opening round of the CIK Karting Academy Trophy in Braga, Portugal.

Russell won all of the heats and the first final, before a mechanical problem let him down in the second final.

He said: “We were about to start the second race from pole position and the starter motor packed up.

“The clutch was just spinning around, so we ended up whacking the starter with a hammer and it made contact with the clutch. By that time we were half a lap down, though, and we could only finish 16th.

“It was still a good weekend for us with a win and some really good pace right from the start.”

Russell sits fourth in the academy table with two weekends of racing remaining.