A Kent racing driver has been honoured with inclusion in a special film dedicated to Lewis Hamilton after his last race for the Mercedes F1 Team.

Seven-time F1 champion Hamilton ended his 12 years with Mercedes in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, and the team produced a short film in honour of their departing driver, which has been viewed by millions around the world.

Twenty-year-old racer Ruben Stanislaus, from Strood, was among those who featured in the montage that was about inspiring those who dream of also being an F1 driver.

Stanislaus has been one of those to have been inspired by Hamilton, who like many famous F1 drivers, started out racing karts at places like Buckmore Park, in Kent.

The Kent driver started racing at the age of six and was dubbed a mini Lewis Hamilton when he was younger due to his looks and speed on the track.

He said: “It was an honour to be selected by Mercedes in this goodbye tribute to my childhood idol and inspiration.

“His style on and off the track is something I’ve always admired.

“It’s a big new season ahead for him and hopefully one for me too”

Hamilton, 39, will join Ferrari next year.

Stanislaus got to meet and interview his idol as part of a recent BBC documentary, highlighting the sacrifices made by the drivers and family, emotionally and financially and breaking through in a sport that has lacked diversity.

Since the programme was aired last year, Stanislaus won one championship in his first season in cars, and finished runner-up in another, driving a Praga R1.

He raced at iconic tracks such as Silverstone, Donington Park and Brands Hatch.

Since the age of 16, Stanislaus - a former Rochester Math School student - has worked for Hamilton’s first-ever boss as a driving instructor at Silverstone race track. He also works as a driver coach and ambassador for Sim Motorsport in Gillingham.

Stanislaus, now 20, is planning ahead for next season’s racing which starts in Spring of 2025.

His hope is to race a John Cooper Works Mini as part of the British Touring Car Championship package, where races are shown live on ITV4.

The Kent youngster is currently in talks with a couple of race teams about hosting a hot laps day at Brands Hatch for prospective sponsors and selected guests to be driven at speed round the world famous circuit by Stanislaus in late January. You can email rs18racing@gmail.com for more information on that and sponsorship opportunities.