Formula Fast Indoor Karting Ltd, Banbury, Go-karting, indoor kart

Phil and Hannah Charles opened Formula Fast in December 2009, the realisation of a long standing dream to launch an indoor go karting track that combined F1 engineering standards, a meticulous approach to safety and the best karting in the business within a smart, clean and modern facility.

Phil Charles has been in the motorsport business since he was 7 years old, starting his racing career as a young cadet and finally becoming the youngest ever person to become Senior British Karting Champion in 1996. He then went on to study automotive engineering at Loughborough university followed by a career as an F1 race engineer, working with drivers including Giancarlo Fisichella, Nelson Piquet, Romain Grossjean and Timo Glock. Phil left Formula 1 in 2010 when he and Hannah got married and wanted to start a family, joining Hannah full time at Formula Fast from March 2010.

Hannah comes from a varied background; studying Art History at St Andrews University before having a career in the diamond brokering trade and then, more recently, working with children and young adults with PMLD (profound and multiple learning difficulties). This has remained a passion and now Formula Fast runs a special karting programme for people with disabilities and learning difficulties which includes an amazing two-seater go-kart for people who cannot kart themselves.

Formula Fast is very much a family business with both Hannah and Phil’s families very much involved from the very beginning and their support and enthusiasm have helped to make everything possible. There has also been a recent addition to the Formula Fast family – baby Primrose was born in June 2011 and visits the track most days to see all her friends amongst the staff and customers.