From Freddie Hunt to Chris Eubank Jr, the offspring of sports stars often end up competing, too. Is the name a help or a hindrance?
I knew absolutely nothing about cars
Freddie Hunt, 29, is a professional racing driver. He is the son of 1976 Formula One world champion James Hunt.
When I was very small, I knew Dad had been world champion, but I didnt know what that meant. I was probably in my early teens when I realised hed been someone special. Friends fathers, who remembered him well, would get excited talking about him. To me, he was only ever just Dad.
Id always had a need for speed. My nickname as a kid was Fearless Fred. I had constant bike crashes. There was only ever one speed for me: flat out. But I knew absolutely nothing about cars. When I was tiny, I went to a few grands prix with Dad, but I didnt go to the races properly until after he died. Then, in 2006, I went to the Goodwood Festival of Speed as a spectator, and a friend suggested I jump in a Maserati and have a go. Id never driven anything like it before, but I loved it.
I was playing professional polo at the time, but that wasnt going well due to lack of money. All my horses were knackered. The day before Goodwood, Id made a plan to sell them. Call it fate, if you like, but the next day I was in that racing car and knew it was what I wanted to do. I rang up Uncle Dave, Dads little brother who also raced, and asked him to help me. Ring me back in a week if youre still serious, he said. So I did.