Aged only 16, Pontypool’s Caleb McDuff is making history as the UK’s only male Deaf racing driver, and with a contract recently inked for Team BRIT he’s set to debut at the famous Donington circuit at the end of March. Billy Edwards found out more from Caleb himself.

Fresh from school in Cwmbran, near his hometown of Pontypool, Caleb McDuff joins Buzz to discuss a sporting talent well beyond his years. His pride in proving disability isn’t an obstacle to resounding sporting success shines through, as he pictures his mood in the driving seat of his upcoming races. He’s been chasing the rush of the wheel since he first got his first go-kart, at age three.

“I get more concentrated. It can be quite nerve-wracking when you have 20 or 30 more drivers around you. I’m pretty sure when the season gets going, I’ll feel the excitement.”

Last year, McDuff joined Team BRIT, whose aim is to give people with disabilities the opportunity to compete with able-bodied drivers in national motor-racing challenges. Their ‘Strive, Empower, Belong’ project, endeavouring to create new solutions for Deaf racing drivers, has provided him with a window of opportunity. “I find the whole team very friendly,” he says. “I am very thankful to be in it. I think when the race starts, it will be more competitive.”

Ian, Caleb’s father, elaborates that a great benefit of joining Team BRIT is the “exciting” opportunity for technological innovation. As well as a bespoke racing helmet to complement his cochlear implants, they are currently working on a special ‘heads-up display’ system to communicate easily with the crew.

“As the season progresses, we’ll test the system on a simulator. Hopefully, by the end of the season, it will be tested in real life. He will be the first driver in the world to have it.” An especially developed hand control system means he’ll be joined by fellow driver Dom Shore.

Even when off the track, McDuff can flex his racing muscles virtually. “I try to do real-life practice as much as possible when I can, but when there’s no practice, I practice on my e-sports simulator.” This allows Caleb to focus on and retry different parts of the course. “There are all these different parts. It’s where I get all my racing lines from” – meaning the quickest route to drive any corner. With routes perfectly recreated within the simulator, Caleb can get better and better at a particular track each time.

Ian, a car enthusiast himself, built a racing car in 2021 in which Caleb competed in the Junior Saloon Car Championship, finishing 18th overall out of 33 competitors. Since joining the team, he has moved up to a BMW. Is it a daunting prospect? “A very big step up, to be fair. 260-brake, rear-wheel drive… I am very excited to be driving it.”

As we chat, behind McDuff is an impressive array of awards and trophies. Which one is his favourite? “Last year, when I got the Top Advancer, I was quite proud of that.” This was an award for the most overtakes at a junior saloon car race at Donington Park, a storied motor racing circuit in Leicestershire. The driver is remarkably self-effacing about his talent: “It’s not a very big thing, but I am very proud of how I performed in that race.”

With so many achievements at such a young age – including South Wales Karting Champion 2019 – which trophies would McDuff like to snap up next? The crown jewel, he assures me, is the country’s most famous race. “I would like to become the first deaf Formula One driver, if that’s fairly achievable for me. I really hope I can get to that stage.”

The ultimate ambition, then, is for Caleb McDuff to reach the heights of his racing hero, Lewis Hamilton. “He started off in go-karts, same as me, and I was once on the same team. Hopefully, I’ll get to go to Formula One, just like him.”

Caleb competes in the Britcar Trophy at Donington Park, Leicestershire on Sat 30 Mar.

Info: here

More on Caleb here

words BILLY EDWARDS