Champions of the Future Academy Program: Saturday Showdowns in Spain

Under cloudy skies at the Kartódromo Internacional Lucas Guerrero, the second round of the 2025 Champions of the Future Academy Program kicked off with intense competition across the Mini 60, OK-N Junior, and OK-N Senior categories. With the rain holding off, Saturday delivered a dry first day highlighted by several standout performances that set the tone for the rest of the weekend.

Mini 60: Capela steals the spotlight, Burgess tops U10

Qualifying saw Italian driver Niccolò Perico take control early, claiming pole position with a strong lap that put him ahead of the tightly packed Mini 60 field. The top five in timed qualifying were Perico, Wynn Godschalk, Lorenzo Zucchetto, Zayne Burgess, and Vicente Capela. The qualifying heats brought mixed fortunes for many, with Perico and Godschalk each grabbing a heat win, but it was clear that several contenders had the pace to challenge.
 

The final delivered an exciting result, which also came with a twist following a post-race penalty. After leading most of the race and taking the on-track victory for both U10 as well as the overall classification, Godschalk received a 10-second time penalty that dropped him down the order. Vicente Capela who had capitalized brilliantly, executing a clean move and holding off Zayne Burgess to take second place on track was promoted to the win, with Perico completing the podium after starting 10th - due mostly to a technical issue during his second qualifying heat. Burgess inherited the victory in the U10 classification, ahead of Godschalk and Samar Chopra.
 

Championship Standings – Mini 60 (After Saturday):
1. Niccoló Perico – 179 pts
2. Wynn Godschalk – 113 pts
3. Teo Pelfrene – 107 pts
4. Mattis Brageot – 102 pts
5. Vicente Capela – 91 pts
 

Championship Standings – U10 (After Saturday):
1. Wynn Godschalk – 198 pts
2. Benjamin Karajkovic – 173 pts
3. Zayne Burgess – 172 pts
4. Bruno Miranda Pacheco – 161 pts
5. Samar Chopra – 143 pts

OK-N Junior: Peruzzi and Xie go head-to-head

The Junior category saw Leonidas Peruzzi take pole position in timed qualifying, followed by Conor Clancy, Didier Kreeft, Axel Nocom, and Victoria Farfus. The two qualifying heats showcased a close battle between Peruzzi and Kreeft, each taking one win, setting the stage for a thrilling final.
 

In the Saturday final, Peruzzi showed exceptional composure, recovering from losing the lead early on and capitalizing on a late mistake from his closest rivals. He crossed the line just 0.111 seconds ahead of Huifei Xie, with Many Nuvolini charging up the order to complete the podium. Kreeft, who had led in the early laps, dropped down to 13th after a front fairing penalty, while Vanesa Silkūnaitė and Farfus rounded out the top five.
 

Championship Standings – OK-N Junior (After Saturday):
1. Many Nuvolini – 130 pts
2. Vanesa Silkūnaitė – 128 pts
3. Kacper Rajpold – 126 pts
4. Nojus Stasionis – 125 pts
5. Huifei Xie – 115 pts

OK-N Senior: Silkunas untouchable, Meneses charges forward

In OK-N Senior, Markas Šilkūnas continued his perfect start to the season by topping timed qualifying, followed by Wojciech Woda, William Marshall, Chiara Battig, and Martim Barros Meneses. The heats confirmed Šilkūnas’ pace as he claimed both victories and secured pole for the final.
 

The final was a commanding performance from start to finish by Šilkūnas, who built a solid gap and never looked back. Behind him, the drive of the top-3 came from Martim Barros Meneses, who surged through from ninth on the grid to finish second. Woda held his composure from 6th on the grid and capitalized on happenings around him to clinch third place, with Klara Kowalczyk and Ella Häkkinen rounding out the top five.
 

Championship Standings – OK-N Senior (After Saturday):
1. Markas Šilkūnas – 226 pts
2. Wojciech Woda – 158 pts
3. Marlon Bayer – 127 pts
4. Chiara Battig – 111 pts
5. Gabi Santos Teixeira – 110 pts

Looking ahead to Sunday

With Sunday bringing a full reset and another set of timed qualifying sessions, heats, and finals, all eyes will be on who can build on their Saturday momentum. The title contenders have made their presence known, but in Valencia, anything can happen.
 

Sunday Schedule – April 13

Sunday’s action features another full round of Qualifying Heats in the morning, followed by the Finals in the afternoon for all four categories.

09:00–10:50 – Non-Qualifying & Timed Practice
11:20–14:00 – Qualifying Heats 1 & 2
15:00–16:30 – Finals