Brazilian teenager Pedro Cardoso, one of South America’s premier young motor racing talents, will make his graduation into car racing on UK soil this year after signing a deal with title-winning team Hillspeed to contest the 2014 Ginetta Junior Championship.

The hugely promising 14-year-old, who hails from Brasilia, has racked-up numerous title victories in his young karting career and will make history as the first Brazilian to compete in Ginetta Junior when he debuts in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship support category in March.

In 2013, Cardoso won the Sao Paolo State Championship, triumphed in the prestigious Sao Paolo Karting Cup for the third year in succession and was also Vice-Champion of the Brazilian Rotax Junior Max Karting Championship.

Cardoso first came to prominence at the tender age of nine-years-old when he won the 2008 RBC Grand Prix of Kart and Brazilian Grand Prix of Kart titles. In 2010 the rapid youngster won the Sao Paolo Karting Cup for the first time and reclaimed the crown in 2012, along with the Brazilian title, as well as enjoying a victorious run in the Florida Winter Tour series.

“This is a very important moment for my career and I believe Hillspeed will help me improve a lot throughout the year”, said Cardoso, “It’s a very accomplished top team so I am in the best company I could be.

“I was very happy when I tested with the team in December and I believe I can deliver good results, although I know we will need to work hard together. This [Ginetta Junior] is a great series, as well as a great team, and I am very excited to start working with all the guys at Hillspeed.”

Chairman of Ginetta Cars, Lawrence Tomlinson, is thrilled to welcome the first South American driver into the Ginetta Junior Championship and is looking forward to seeing how the youngster progresses throughout his maiden season.

Tomlinson commented: “It’s great to have Pedro joining the Ginetta Junior Championship for 2014, his commitment to the series further highlights the BTCC supporting series as a platform for drivers across the globe to begin their motorsport career in front of a mass audience.”

Hathersage-based Hillspeed, of course, has enjoyed tremendous success in the ranks of Ginetta Junior since first entering the category in 2010. Winning the main season title with Tom Ingram and the Winter Series crown with Seb Morris, the following year Morris claimed the main Ginetta Junior title and the squad has since continued to be a race-winning and championship challenging force.

“Everyone at Hillspeed is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Pedro in his first season of car racing, he’s a highly rated young driver and an incredibly exciting talent”, said team principal Richard Ollerenshaw, “Brazil, and South America as a whole, has always been such a hotbed of motor racing talent and we’re confident Pedro has what it takes to be a very successful competitor in Ginettas.

“Our aim is to help Pedro quickly become a front-runner and we’re certain he will begin the season very competitively. It’s going to be a tough challenge for a 14-year-old in his first season in cars, but he has a fantastic network of support. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Pedro’s manager, Geraldo Rodrigues, for putting the deal together – it’s a great start to the New Year for Hillspeed.”

Brands Hatch Indy Circuit in Kent will host the opening two rounds of the 2014 Ginetta Junior season over the weekend 29th/30th March.