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Teen swaps racing games for competing on the track

Christopher Mace
BBC News, West of England
Kirsty Peters Jude Peters wearing a blue and black racing suit and a black cap with Pirelli written on it. He is holding a champagne bottle and a trophy.Kirsty Peters
Jude Peters won the Ginetta Junior Scholarship for the 2024 season

Jude Peters is about to race a car that can do 160mph even though he has never driven on a road.

The 16-year-old, from Malmesbury, Wiltshire, was a sim racer, but has gone from racing in his bedroom to a real endurance racing contract in just two years.

His contract with Team Virage in the Ligier European Series will see him compete at famous European circuits, including Le Mans and Silverstone.

"My dream goal was just to be able to do endurance racing, and now I'm doing that at the most iconic tracks in the world," he said.

Kirsty Peters Jude in blue and black race suit, next to his mum, who is holding a bottle of champagne and a trophy, and his dad to her right. Both parents have a jacket promoting Jude's racing team.Kirsty Peters
Jude's parents have effectively become his managers, arranging his training and booking hotels

Jude's rise to professional racing has been rapid.

Just two years ago he had never driven a racing car of any kind, nor taken part in competitive karting, which is the usual pathway.

He had been racing for years at home with a basic simulator set up in his bedroom - a racing wheel and some pedals that plug into a PC.

Knowing how much Jude loved sim racing, his parents booked him onto the simulator experience at the Ginetta Race Cars HQ near Leeds.

He was immediately quicker than the factory driver.

Ginetta invited Jude to take part in a competition for its Junior Scholarship, which he won, giving him a partly-funded drive in the Ginetta Junior Championship.

Kirsty Peters A yellow prototype sports car going down the straight of the Paul Ricard circuit.Kirsty Peters
Jude has been testing his new Ligier European Series car at the Paul Ricard circuit in France

The next step, the Ligier European Series, is the first on the endurance racing ladder and Jude's new team, Virage, has won the championship for the last three seasons.

He was at the Paul Ricard circuit last week to test his new car.

"It's a difficult career to get into and there are so many people that want to," said Jude.

"For the people that make it, it's a small percentage, but it's a goal I have and I'd like to get to the top."

Jude's mum, Kirsty, watched nervously through her fingers as her son competed in the Ginetta series.

"I was terrified the whole time," she said.

"Jude has put in a lot of time, a lot of dedication and a lot of hard work, and this hasn't come easy to him.

"We've become his managers, supporting him in making sure he eats the correct food, making sure he's exercising, booking accommodation, doing the PR.

"It feels like it can be a full time job."

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