Mitcham karter Barnaby Pittingale may not be in the same league as Lewis Hamilton, but at least one of the McLaren man's ex-rivals can call himself a 2007 world champion.

The 21-year-old former Wallington County Grammar School student lifted the World Easy Kart title in Italy last week at the same time Hamilton was finishing eighth in the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The disappointing end to a remarkable debut season in Formula One for the Stevenage star, saw him finish second in the driver's championship behind Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.

But for Pittingale, who raced against Hamilton as a youngster, it would be sweet revenge as he pipped British champion Harry Kockhill to the championship trophy, after the 17-year-old triumphed in the national championships earlier in the year.

"It is pretty hard to describe how it feels to be a world champion, but all I can say is it feels really good," he said.

"Harry finished ahead of me in the British Championship after I had led most of the season, so it was great to see him come in behind me this time."

Pittingale, a technician with BMW, took up karting seriously as an eight-year-old and raced in the same series as Hamilton for a brief period.

"Lewis was a year older then me, but was way ahead of everyone then. He was already British champion. We only raced each other a couple of times, but he was always way better," he added.

Hamilton - guaranteed to earn a fortune over the next decade - is focusing his attention on renewing his battle for the F1 world title by quitting the UK and switching to tax-haven Switzerland this winter.

By contrast Pittingale, who led his championship winning race from start to finish, is bidding to get enough money together to enter his £2,000 125cc kart into some international competitions of his own.

"I'm literally having to play things by ear at the moment. As I haven't got the money together I don't know what I'll be doing next," he said.

"The winter series starts in two weeks time and I want to enter the Middle East Championship and the Euro Championship after that, but we'll wait and see."