At age 2, Donovan Dyer plopped himself on his Tonka truck and went hurtling down his parents’ 100-foot drive.

He screamed with joy; his mother Joanna “died a thousand deaths” as she watched, helplessly.

“He loved it,” she said. “That was the sign on the wall.”

In 2016 the family moved to England, partly to advance his dream of becoming a Formula 1 driver.

They believe the 15-year-old will next month become the first Bermudian to compete at Silverstone, the famed motor racing circuit in Northampton.

All that is standing in his way is £54,000.

“His family has been able to support him up until now,” Ms Dyer said. “We are, obviously, actively looking for sponsors in the UK but it's the first time that a Bermudian – as far as we know – is going to race on four wheels at Silverstone, which is huge. So we are asking the Bermuda community to support the journey and be part of his story.”

Donovan started with a homemade go-kart at the age of four.

At seven he was thrilled with his birthday present: a half-hour ride around the go-kart track at Southside.

By the age of ten he was living in the UK where he could get the learning support he needed for his dyslexia and pursue the sport he had become passionate about.

In 2018, when Donovan moved from racing indoors to the “highly competitive” outdoor karting arena, he had only 18 months’ experience under his belt and was competing against boys who had been doing it for at least five years.

In 2019 he bought his own kart and began competing just as the pandemic and its many challenges arrived. In 2021 he moved into “the more competitive Junior Class and entered the Super One Series Championship”, which attracted Bert Jeakins of the sports team Jeakins Race Preparation.

“Not only does he look like he looks – a minority in motorsport – he also comes from a background that …. we're not wealthy. As a family we've sacrificed and pulled together to get him into karting, to get him to the point where he is being seen. So socioeconomically, he's a minority as well. And it's virtually unknown that someone from Donovan's background, someone from such a small country, has made the progress that he has,” Ms Dyer said.

“Even with that comparatively little experience, he's repeatedly coming in the top ten and, I believe on a couple of occasions, in the top four or five out of 34, 35 drivers. It’s quite an achievement.”

The teenager knows the British Automobile Racing Club’s Junior Saloon Car Championship is only the beginning of the hard work needed to fulfil his dream of becoming a Formula 1 driver.

“The process to get into F1 is definitely not easy. It's a lot of dedication. You definitely have to revolve your whole world around racing if you want to get that high. It's not something that you can laugh or smirk about and think ‘Oh that's easy, going around in circles.’ There's a lot of physical endurance,” he said.

“It's definitely my main goal. If it all goes well, I could probably [be a Formula 1 driver] five, ten years from now.”

At the moment he is focused on the 2022 season, which kicks off on March 26 at Silverstone.

“Silverstone is one of the biggest in the world and definitely the biggest track in the UK. It's the home of Formula 1 racing,” Ms Dyer said. “Lewis Hamilton has kind of called it his own over the last few years and Donovan being able to race there is absolutely a phenomenal opportunity.”

In a go-kart Donovan hit about 55mph at his fastest which, “when you consider he is only three inches off the ground is very scary”, she added.

In his upcoming races he will go more than twice that speed.

“It's just the adrenalin, driving through your fears. It's just exciting. It gives meaning. I don't know why but it’s just amazing,” Donovan said.

His mother says “a little prayer” whenever her son goes out on a track.

“He comes by it honestly because his dad is Dennis Trott, who used to race powerboats. So it was expected.

“While not many parents would encourage their son to go faster it was inevitable. In the saloon cars he will be going as fast as 120mph but with better safety features, in the form of a five-point seatbelt, a sturdy neck brace and reinforced car in the form of a roll cage.”

Many mentors have helped pushed him through. His mother has encouraged his progress on the track and in the classroom where, despite his learning differences, Donovan “excels in product design, maths, physics and entrepreneurship”.

He has also teamed up with Go Beyond, a charity that “provides residential and day breaks at centres in the countryside to children [between the ages of 8 and 15] who are living in difficult or seriously challenging circumstances”.

“Growing up in Bermuda I know how lucky I have been and being able to use my passion to raise awareness of children less lucky is a real privilege,” Donovan said.