Marcus Amand emerged victorious in the Rotax Grand Final Mini Max in Portugal last year. To take part in the 2018 event in Brazil, this time in the Junior category, he had to win the Rotax Max Challenge France. The 12-year-old Franco-Finn did so in style in Laval just before going to Sweden where the CIK/FIA Junior World Championship will take place at the end of this week.
Thirty-four drivers in the 12/16-year-old National category (French name of the 125 Junior Max) arrived in Laval for the last major national event of the season. This year Marcus has been totally occupied learning the ropes in the international OK Junior category, so he has more or less deserted the French scene on which he has forged a flattering reputation since his debut in 2013. Before arriving in the Mayenne capital he had already won the Rotax Max Challenge France in 2014 in Mini Kart and clinched victory last year in the “Cadet” category. He was delighted to be back in the ambiance of his team, PB Kart, and to meet up again with his faithful coach/mechanic, Bertrand Péchon.
In free practice Marcus showed that he had got to grips with his Junior Max kart. He knows the KR chassis like the back of his hand but the Rotax 125 Junior engine is rather different to his OK Junior Parilla. “I found that the Rotax’s acceleration was more brutal while the Parilla’s is smoother but quicker in the high rev band,” said Marcus. “As for the Bridgestone tyres in the National category they’re harder than the Vegas in OK Junior.”
Marcus was third-quickest in timed practice. “We had a bad set of tyres in free practice which meant that our setup choice wasn’t ideal. Luckily, we managed to rectify the situation.” In the four qualifying heats, he had a few wheel-to-wheel battles with other young guns super motivated by the perspective of a trip to Brazil. The future winner won the first and third heats. The start of the second was a bit chaotic and he fell back to fifth, but he managed to fight his way up to third at the chequered flag. Although he also had a torrid time in the fourth heat his fourth place finish was enough to seal pole position for the final.
“It was important to qualify on the inside of the front row to reduce the risks at the first corner of the final,” said Marcus. “I led from start to finish except when César Gazeau got past me at the end of the straight. I realised that I had to repass him immediately as he was quicker at that moment and I couldn’t let him open up a gap.” In the closing stages Guilhem Crespin got to within three-tenths-of-a-second but that didn’t change the outcome. So Marcus will discover Brazil and the Circuito Internacional Paladino de Conde-Paraíba between 24th November and 1st December, and he hopes to clinch his second Rotax Max Grand Final on the bounce.
“There were quite a few uncertainties because we had only a single event to nail our qualification without being able to prepare things to our usual standards due to a lack of time. But Marcus was really good!” said a delighted Bertrand Péchon. And the role played by MSR’s engine specialist Fabrice Minet, in this success should not be forgotten either.
Marcus and his international KR Motorsports team are now completely focused on the CIK/FIA Junior World Championship, which takes place this coming weekend (21-23 September) in Kristianstad in Sweden. It’s certainly the biggest challenge Marcus has ever tackled. It’s worth remembering that he’s a rookie this year! The event can be followed in live streaming on http://www.cikfia.tv/
Marcus Amand driver bio :
Franco-Finnish, born 5 February 2006 in Oulu (Finland). Marcus lives near Saint-Jean d’Angely and studies in Le Mans (France). He is Fluent in French, Finnish and English.
2013: Mini Kart class (France, Rotax Micro Max engine), 3rd in the Rotax Max Challenge France.
2014: Mini Kart class (France, Rotax Micro Max engine), Le Mans 24 Minutes winner. Rotax Challenge France Final winner.
2015 : Mini Kart class (France, Rotax Micro Max engine), FFSA French Champion (pole position). FFSA French Cup winner. Le Mans 24 Minutes winner (pole position). Kart mag Trophy winner (pole position). Minime class debut at the end of the season (France, Rotax Mini Max engine with restrictor), 8th in the FFSA French Championship.
2016: Minime class (France, Rotax Mini Max engine with restrictor), 7th in the FFSA French Cup. Stars of Karting series Champion (4 races, 4 podium finishes including 1 victory). Runner-up in the National Series Karting (3 races, 1 victory, 1 pole position). 2nd in the Rotax Max Challenge France (pole position). Mini Max class (UAE), 2nd in the Dubai O-Plate race. Youngest member of the French Federation of Motorsport’s 10-15 Programme (young driver detection and training).
2017: 60 Mini class (Italy), 8th out of 59 in the Andrea Margutti Trophy. Cadet class (France, Rotax Mini Max engine), 3rd in the FFSA French Championship. Stars of Karting series Champion (3 races, 3 wins, 2 pole positions). Rotax Max Challenge France winner (pole position). National Series Karting champion (3 races, 3 wins, 3 pole positions). Mini Max class (international), Rotax Grand Final winner (Portimao, Portugal).
2018: OK Junior class (International), 6th in the WSK Open Cup. CIK/FIA European Championship, personal best: 11th in Essay/Aunay-les-Bois. Junior Max class: Rotax Max Challenge France winner.
Blog in English and French: www.marcus-amand.com