The welcoming morning breeze in Sakhir not only provided a cooling sensation to the already hot temperatures around the 1.414-km circuit but also brought along the air of heightened anticipation for what was to transpire today, amidst the sands of the Persian Gulf.

The 2021 Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals moved into the Pre-Final stages of the event here in Bahrain, as further excitement lay in store for all the drivers around the challenging and fast-flowing 1.414-km circuit. Not only was the surrounding temperature courtesy of the sunshine beating down from up above just as intense as it has been all week, but the action out on track would again welcome the aura of nighttime and floodlight-covered racing. 

On this 5th Day of the RMC Grand Finals in Bahrain we saw a lot of exciting action on the track and very motivated racers throughout the whole event area. Yesterday’s racing was very crucial to see where drivers would place for today’s Pre-Finals, as the combination from the intense 27-degree heat at its highest, the general atmosphere and the sheer racing action and thrilling fights would heighten both, the emotions of everyone at the circuit and those watching on from the official Live Stream. 

Following on from two days of Non-Qualifying Practice at the circuit, it was time to get the racing action underway amidst the sandy surroundings, with an increase in the air temperature at the track providing a perfect backdrop to the excitement of Qualifying Practice and the first set of Qualifying Heats for all competitors.

Let’s take a look back to the Welcome GetTogether which took place yesterday evening at the spacious Formula 1 paddock and let’s review this second day on which the motivated racers had their first time on track with their brand new karts for the non-qualifying practices. The beginning of these NQ-practices have been scheduled very late so that the racers had the opportunity to drive in the floodlight for the first time in this week.

The IAME Euro Series reconvened at the 7 Laghi Kart track in Castelletto di Branduzzo for the third round of the season, with another race of packed grids and full of action in all the categories! Despite taking place right in the middle of the summer in Italy, and under heat reaching up to 35C, thunderstorms were a frequent threat throughout the weekend, thankfully limited to a few minutes of appearance!

The Motorsport UK Wera Tools British Kart Championships will burst into life for the IAME, TKM and KZ2 classes this weekend (28-30 May) as Shenington Kart Circuit in Oxfordshire plays host to their opening counter of the 2021 season.

The second round, taking place in Zuera, might have started in summer-like conditions, but ended in a fully wet Sunday. Despite the unlikely weather change, the power balance between the drivers largely remained the same, giving a great show for the finals!

The IAME Winter Cup started off the 2021 international IAME season in great fashion on the Kartodromo Internacional Lucas Guerrero of Valencia. British drivers made the most of a tricky weather in Sunday's Finals with Roman Kamyab claiming the victory in Mini, Bart Harrison winning his second consecutive cup in Junior, and Dean McDonald achieving another Senior success.

The weather improved greatly during the Prefinals of the Rotax MAX Challenge International Trophy in Portimão and the variations in grip seen since the Qualifying Heats resulted in races as exciting as they were selective in all categories.

Emerging talents, mixed weather, close racing, last lap moves and worthy winners: the first International IAME Games provided all the ingredients of a great karting event for the conclusion of the 2020 IAME International season at Portimao! Connor Jupp drove to a sensational on-the-edge win in Senior, Aaron Walker emerged victorious in a rainy Junior Final while Leo Robinson took the Mini victory in a last-lap thriller on the Kartodromo Internacional do Algarve!

The European Championship race at Sarno for the OK and OK-Junior categories had started well for the Birel ART brand, with a promising Qualifying and several drivers at the front of the field. Unfortunately, there were many collisions in the hot weather near Naples. The hopes of the Birel ART Racing team were dashed throughout the Heats and Finals, to the great regret of the whole team, although they are already focused on the upcoming competitions...

The eagerly awaited FIA Karting Championships kicked off in Spain on the international circuit of Zuera with the OK and OK-Junior categories. The Birel ART Racing team had prepared perfectly for this important competition and the chassis performance was one of the constants of this meeting, which put the competitors to the test due to high air temperatures.

In Lonato, Giuseppe Palomba and Riccardo Longhi have just given the Birel ART Racing Team a formidable double win in KZ2 to conclude the 25th Winter Cup, during which the Lissone brand put in an exceptional performance. Barely five months after winning the World KZ Championship on the same track, Birel ART shows its ambitions for 2020 in the first KZ2 competition.

There is no shortage of reasons for satisfaction after the first competition of 2020 for the Birel ART Racing team on the Adria circuit at the opening of the WSK Super Master Series. In OK, it was Maya Weug's strong progress that caught the eye alongside Clayton Ravenscroft's solid run. Tymoteusz Kucharczyk made a perfect debut for the team in OK-Junior in addition to the fine performance from Cristian Bertuca.

After its world crown in 2019 to celebrate the brand's 60 years of existence, the Birel ART Racing Team is getting ready for more success in 2020. International high-level competition remains the scene of the most spectacular sporting and technical confrontations between the main chassis manufacturers, and Birel ART intends to showcase its skill by aiming for the top places in the four categories in which it is involved.

As a key element of the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals' success as the supplier of the Senior Max and DD2 Masters chassis, Sodikart refines its active participation in this global event every year. During the 20th edition, which took place in Sarno, Italy, from 19th to 26th October 2019, the French brand once again achieved a flawless result that satisfied every user of the chassis "made in France".

At the end of thrilling Finals on Sunday, Tom Lebbon took the win in the Juniors, Lorenzo Travisanutto, in the Seniors, and William Macintyre, in the Mini class, all claiming maiden victories in the series!

The first round of the IAME X30 Euro Series welcomed this weekend in Mariembourg, in Belgium, 172 drivers from 20 countries, largely increased compared to 2018, something that highlights the growing success of the competition promoted by RGMMC. Run in beautiful conditions on the Karting des Fagnes International Raceway, the Finals on Sunday delivered their great racing with the first wins of 2019 going to Freddie Slater in Mini, Jason Leung in Junior, Callum Bradshaw in Senior and Philipp Seewer in Shifter.

Following the successful 2018 Volant Winfield, and with winner and reigning French F4 champion Caio Collet earning a spot within the Renault Sport Academy, the 25th edition will once again be a reference for the detection of young talents (most from karting) at the prestigious Circuit Paul Ricard.