F1 Mexico Grand Prix: Young drivers say high costs are affecting diversity

Dhian Singh Pahal's competing against "multi-millionaires" despite only being nine

With just a handful of races left in the Formula 1 calendar, the championship's winner has already been decided.

And being honest, it was probably a foregone conclusion ages before Red Bull's Max Verstappen clinched his third world title in Qatar earlier this month.

Something else that hasn't changed much in the sport for a while is how difficult it is to start competing on four wheels.

For promising young drivers like Dhian Singh Pahal, the huge costs have already started to cause a problem even though he's only nine years old.

He's trying to raise enough money to compete on a level playing field in the British Kart Championship next year.

His dad Kuljit Singh Pahal says they're "competing against multi-millionaires" who have already spent up to £3,000 on their go-kart before a race weekend.

"We're not doing anything close to that, we're on a very tight budget," he says.

"Dhian has to try that much harder and put the effort in to try to keep up."

Kuljit, who lives in Coventry, is trying to raise £25,000 get his son championship-ready for next season and says he's still on his first go-kart of the year.

"Most of the people driving are on their sixth, but we're still on our first," he says.

"We're also trying to get five or six big sponsors as well to be part of the journey, [the costs] will help with the driver coaching for next year."

F1's first and only black driver Sir Lewis Hamilton has been campaigning to make motorsports more diverse for years.

Recently he's been working on projects to educate children from diverse backgrounds on STEM subjects.

Motorsport UK has told BBC Asian Network the number of ethnically diverse people who work in the industry is less than 3%.

Jessica Runicles, their head of sustainability, says they've been working on projects to tackle the problem with diversity,

"I think we have to be honest, it is an expensive sport."

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Someone who's a few steps ahead of Dhian is 23-year-old Enaam Ahmed, who became a World Karting Champion at the age of 14.

Since then, the British-Pakistani racer's won the Formula 3 British Championship and is currently competing in the Indy Next Series in the United States.

But he says it's not been an easy ride for him to progress within the motorsports industry.

"The problem with racing is it's not like any other sport where you can come in with no money and get into it like football," he tells Asian Network.

"It is different from that point of view and that's why you have a lot less diversity.

"There's so many drivers that I've raced against that were easily good enough to go to Formula 1 but they never got the chance."

Enaam Ahmed (second from right) has the most wins in British Formula 3 history

Motorsport UK's Jessica says they're aware sponsorship is an important part of trying to get further in the sport.

"One of the things we're running is a developing driving day, supporting drivers of colour on how to attract sponsorship, how it works and how to showcase yourself."

And sponsorship is something that's been important for Enaam, who says he's had to become a salesman as well as a sportsman.

"I always figure out a way with a sponsor I've got, how they actually make money out of it, why is it suitable for them to be associated with you.

"If you can figure out what's in it for them and you can charm them, then you can get them on board."

Enaam, who's from London, has some advice for nine-year-old Dhian if he wants to be standing on F1 podiums in the future.

"All I'd say is take it one step at a time," he says.

"Focus on what your immediate goal is, winning at a local level, then going up to the British Championship and then going to race in Europe."

Listen to Ankur Desai's show on BBC Asian Network live from 15:00-18:00 Monday to Thursday - or listen back here.