Meet the 12-year-old racer who is making waves in her sport

Gaming? Playing with your friends? Trying to avoid homework? Think back to what you were doing when you were 12 years of age.

Not many get to race around Europe at speeds of up to 120kph and be a trailblazer in their sport, but that's exactly what Andie Stewart does.

Stewart remembers trying a go-kart for the first time when she was six in her native Northern Ireland, at the same Nutts Corner Circuit where Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris would have driven in their early years of competing.

It was only "going around in circles" but it was all she needed. From that moment, she was hooked.

"I just loved the feeling of the adrenaline pumping and I don't think I've ever smiled as much from that day," Stewart said.

"As soon as I just jumped in that kart, I knew what I wanted to do when I grew up."

'It was such a shock to be picked'

Stewart belongs to a racing family as her dad, Drew, and grandfather, Henry, both raced, while younger brother, Johnston, also competes in go-karting.

After she started to race competitively, she swiftly progressed to racing in the United Kingdom and Europe, and this year Stewart stepped up to more powerful Junior X30 karts, which can hit speeds of 120kph.

In November, she was selected as one of nine girls from around the world to take part in Girls on Track Rising Stars programme, which is run by the FIA's Women in Motorsport Commission - world motorsport's governing body.

The only driver from the United Kingdom to be selected, Stewart headed to Cremona in Italy and worked with the FIA, ACI Scuola Federale and Formula Medicine, with a number of off-track and on-circuit tests and training exercises.

"It was such a great opportunity to be there with other girls my age," Stewart said.

"I was so joyful when I was picked. I was so shocked that I was the only one from the UK and I knew I would have the best time."

Nicola, Andie's mum, said it was a "huge opportunity" for her daughter to be working with some of the biggest bodies in motorsport.

"It's a huge thing and there was that moment where I was nervous for her, but I knew she would take those nerves and run with it," she said.

"She works really well under pressure, better than most adults I know, so I knew this is something she would benefit from for a long time."

'To be able to progress that far would be a dream'

Stewart says that Suzie Wolff, former Williams Formula 1 test driver and current managing director of the F1 Academy, is her racing hero and she has "created other paths for women" in the sport.

"There are so many opportunities for females," she added.

"There are lots of girls coming into the sport at a young age, which I think is amazing."

Stewart's karting journey is very much a family effort, and Nicola says they "wouldn't have it any other way".

Nicola admits the danger of any form of motorsport "is something that crosses your mind", especially for someone as young as Andie, but the safety aspects of the sport are "heavily policed" and "we wouldn't let her do it if we weren't happy".

Despite not driving herself, Nicola says she now "loves it as much as they do" and Andie's passion has been the main factor in her progress.

"It's fuelled by the fact she absolutely loves the sport.

"She loves everything about it. She loves the competitiveness of it and the adrenaline."

Nicola said she "can't put into words" how proud she is of her daughter.

"She's 12 years old and she's doing things that adults can't do.

"I couldn't do this at her age, I know a lot of people couldn't do this at any age, so I'm over the moon that she's doing out there doing things for the sport, and for women in motorsport.

"The confidence she has gained from this is unbelievable."

The Antrim native will take another step forward next year when she races internationally in the Champions of the Future Academy, which comprises of races in Europe and in the Middle East.

Stewart, who says she "can't wait" to race in 2026, will not be able to step into car racing until she is 14 or single seaters the following year, but her immediate focus is on continuing to progress and developing as a driver in karts.

Looking at the long term, she's not afraid to dream big.

"I definitely want to be a professional driver, but for now I just want to keep progressing. I would love to go to F1," she said.

"It would mean so much to me to be able to take part in one of those races. To be able to progress that far is my dream."