Isle of Man-born Cameron Hawes grabbed a last-minute opportunity to race a single-seater, electric-powered car at Zolder, Belgium recently.

The unexpected phone call came from his manager and sponsor Franck Marie of PAF Classic, when the 17-year-old was presented with a unique opportunity to drive in the inaugural Software AG ERA Championship race.

With no previous experience in single-seaters, let alone electric race cars, Hawes settled in quickly and put in a promising third fastest lap by the end of the last free practice session ahead of qualifying.

In official qualifying he pushed a little too early but quickly composed himself to take P2 for the race.

Proving his race craft, he took the lead with a brave move on the outside at turn 1 on the opening lap and then settled into a four-way battle for the lead.

Having the speed to run with more experienced drivers at the front for the duration of the race, Hawes decided to cleverly manage the power on his car each and every lap and made a move with only two to go.

Re-taking the lead, he managed to pull a gap to cross the finish line first and make history by becoming the first Software AG ERA Championship race winner.

Quite emotional at the finish, he was full of praise for the team: ‘All of the ERA crew worked so hard behind the scenes to make this race happen and turn this championship into a reality.

‘The future of electric single-seater racing is here and now, as proved over the weekend, and I can’t thank them enough for this chance to be part of the journey.

‘What ERA has achieved is unbelievable and proves to the world that this series is the perfect platform to bridge the gap between electric karting and other more established series such as Formula E and the FIA ETCR [Electric Touring Car Race].’

The Manx-born teenager also thanked his manager for all the work he did to get him into this position and present him with the opportunity, in addition to the owners of the for entrusting him with it.

Cameron is hopeful of getting the funding together that would enable him to participate in the full 2023 Software AG ERA Championship.