The magnificent Al Forsan International Sport kart circuit and its spectacular layout brought the first season of the Champions of the Future Academy Programme to a close in the sunshine and heat of the United Arab Emirates. The 'arrive and drive' concept of the programme is set to become a benchmark in the world of karting. In the presence of eminent motorsport personalities, Spain's Luna Fluxa Cross in the Senior class, Australia's James Anagnostiadis in the Junior class and Belgium's Priam Bruno in the Mini class received their 2024 Champions trophies.
Promoter RGMMC has won its gamble with the total success of the first edition of the Champions of the Future Academy Program. With the partnership of the prestigious Parolin, TM Kart, Kart Republic and IAME factories, the many drivers racing in 2024 competed on equal terms, allowing talented drivers to emerge. The six events held successively in Europe and the United Arab Emirates produced lively, hard-fought races that were watched by thousands of spectators thanks to the broadcasting of high-quality images on YouTube and Motorsport TV, not forgetting the frequent posts on social networks.
At Al Forsan, the young drivers competed in front of a host of VIPs, including Toto Wolff and Gwen Lagrue from the Mercedes-AMG F1 team, Allan McNish, Representative of the Audi F1 project, Susie Wolff, F1 Academy Managing Director, who came along with several drivers from the 2024 Championship, John Ryan, Motorsport UK Sporting Safety Director, and H.E. Tareq Abdulraheem Alhosani, Vice-Chairman of the board of Directors of Al Forsan International Sports. RGMMC appreciates their presence at the circuit and during the podium presentation.
OK-N Senior: Honours go to Luna Fluxa Cross and Markas Silkunas
Luna Fluxa Cross celebrated her title at Al Forsan. The Spaniard was able to do so in style on the very first day of racing, taking the lead in the Final from the first lap against Ireland's Daniel Kelleher, before extending her advantage. Coming back from 5th place, Thailand's Austin Gale overtook Kelleher to climb onto the second step of the podium. Just a few lengths behind, Lithuania's Markas Silkunas took seized the vice-championship after getting the better of France's Hugo Herrouin.
The following day, the start of the Final was marked by a collision which eliminated Jordanian Hamza Al Fayez and Herrouin from the start. Silkunas took advantage of the situation to fly to victory. Despite her best efforts, Fluxa Cross was unable to catch up with the leader, who was also able to secure his 2nd place in the Championship behind the Spaniard. A penalty dropped Gale from 3rd to 9th place. Mozambican Ghazi Motlekar completed the day's podium ahead of Pole Maksymilian Rafalik. However, France's Herrouin saved 3rd place in the series ahead of Greece's Philippe Karras, who was unlucky at Al Forsan.
OK-N Junior: Champion Anagnostiadis concludes with success
The Champions of the Future Academy Program showed that international karting is not just for Europeans. The two podiums at Al Forsan were monopolised by drivers from Australia, Thailand, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. With over 40 nationalities represented during the season, the RGMMC series confirmed its legitimacy. On Tuesday, Toby Gale made the most of his brilliant Qualifying performance to get off to the best possible start in the Final and hold off his rivals. James Anagnostiadis, who was only 5th on the first lap, gradually came back to finish 3rd ahead of local driver Nathan Kappen, one of the revelations of the event. Conor Clancy, also from the United Arab Emirates, overtook South African William Marshall to take 4th place.
On Wednesday, Anagnastiadis was keen to finish on a high with his fifth win of the season. The Australian takes a well-deserved Junior title. Relegated to last place in Qualifying practice, Thailand's Gale spared no effort to climb back up to 3rd in the Final, only to come up against an excellent Marshall in the closing laps. The podium for Al Forsan was identical to that of the overall classification. Poland's Kacper Rajpold had too many incidents to hope to retain his place in the top three overall, where he was after the trip to Al Ain. He finished 4th ahead of Conor Clancy and Ella Hakkinen. Respectively 4th and 5th in the last Final, Italy's Ego Pedrotti and Lithuania's Vanesa Silkunaite scored their best results of the season.
Mini 60: Young U10 drivers in the driver's seat
It's often said that age is meaningless in when it comes to talent. In the U10 category, local driver Achilleas Peruzzi and Italian Niccoló Perico demonstrated this by each winning one of the Al Forsan Finals against older drivers. This came after a series of relentless battles. On Tuesday, Peruzzi managed to break away from a compact field where Nikita Dzhalilov overtook Perico at the last minute to take 2nd place, watched by Portugal's Vicente Capela, who has been improving steadily this season, and Switzerland's Albert Tamm, who was disappointed not to have been able to hold on to his 1st place following the heats. Mattis Brageot completed the U10 podium behind Peruzzi and Perico.
On Wednesday, Tamm, Dzhalilov and Perico took it in turns to lead the race. It was the Italian who won the final duel of the year. After a difficult start to the competition in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Champion Priam Bruno finished in style. Still 6th with four laps to go, he came home 2nd ahead of Capela, who celebrated his first podium, and the Italian Davide Di Filippo, 2nd in the U10 category ahead of Atiqa Mir from the United Arab Emirates. Perico put in an excellent performance at Al Forsan, finishing between Bruno and Tamm in the overall standings, while winning the U10 standings ahead of Peruzzi and Switzerland's Lorenzo Zucchetto.
2024 Final Rankings
OK-N Senior
1 Fluxa Cross Luna (ESP) 665 points
2 Silkunas Markas (LTU) 540 points
3 Herrouin Hugo (FRA) 510 points
4 Karras Philippe-Armand (FRA) 421 points
5 Rafalik Maksymilian (POL) 398 points
6 Motlekar Ghazi (MOZ) 311 points
7 Nassar Georges (ARE) 299 points
8 Karras Jean-Paul (FRA) 271 points
9 Gale Austin (THA) 203 points
10 Cegielski Franciszek (POL) 190 points
OK-N Junior
1 Anagnostiadis James (AUS) 589 points
2 Clancy Conor (ARE) 463 points
3 Rajpold Kacper (POL) 453 points
4 Marshall William (ZAF) 389 points
5 Gale Toby (THA) 366 points
6 Hakkinen Ella (MCO) 217 points
7 Peruzzi Leonidas (ARE) 213 points
8 Vitver Matyas (CZE) 166 points
9 Stanley Nicola (USA) 156 points
10 Simons Torres Angelina (ESP) 155 points
Mini 60
1 Bruno Priam (BEL) 664 points
2 Perico Niccoló (ITA) 562 points (1st U10)
3 Tamm Albert (CHE) 525 points
4 Dzhalilov Nikita (-) 323 points
5 Peruzzi Achilleas (ARE) 320 points (2nd U10)
6 Bobreshov Maxim (AER) 278 points
7 Capela Vicente (PRT) 277 points
8 Feligioni Augustin (FRA) 261 points
9 Palacio Lucas (ITA) 218 points (5th U10)
10 Truchot Alessandro (ITA) 206 points
11 Zucchetto Lorenzo (CHE) 182 points (3rd U10)
12 Lawrence Ava (ARE) 181 points (4th U10)