ALEX Quinn — a Sir James Smith’s School student — is gearing up to make his debut in single-seater racing at Brands Hatch next month (April).

After serving a four-year apprenticeship in British and European karting championships, Alex has won substantial backing — including full-time management — from the Racing Steps Foundation to race in the ultra-competitive 2016 MSA Formula Championship.

Alex was selected for the fully-funded single-seater drive by the not-for-profit Foundation after an intensive assessment programme at the end of 2015 and is currently immersed in an intensive winter testing programme with his race team Fortec Motorsports.

Alex’s first race, which kicks off a 30-race championship, run over the course of 10 meetings between April and October, gets underway at Brands Hatch on April 1.

As well as attracting huge crowds, the leading junior single-seater series — which runs alongside the ever-popular British Touring Car Championship — is also televised live on ITV4.

Other circuits on which Alex will race during the season include Donington Park, Thruxton, Oulton Park and Silverstone — the home of British motor racing.

The 125mph (200kph) single-seater which Alex will race comprises an FIA-homologated, Mygale-manufactured carbon fibre monocoque chassis powered by a 160PS, 1.6-litre Ford Ecoboost engine coupled to a 6-speed, paddle-shift, sequential gearbox.

At just 15 years of age, Alex will be one of the youngest drivers in the 2016 championship.

Since stepping into the car for the first time for his October RSF assessment, Alex has spent the last four months focused on the winter test programme designed by the Foundation and Fortec to enable him to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to make a successful transition from karts to cars.

Over the course of the rigorous acclimatisation programme, Alex has tested in all types of weather, working closely with his race engineer to get to grips with the car, and improve his driving technique.

The programme — devised by the RSF in conjunction with its partners — has also involved a rigorous five-day fitness ’boot camp’ run at Bath University run by experts from the Silverstone-based Porsche Human Performance Centre.

Looking forward to Brands Hatch, Alex said: "I am really excited to be given this opportunity to race in the MSA Formula Championship. It is going to be tough, but I am fully focused and confident that I will do my best with the professional support of my team and the support of the RSF."