The 25th anniversary of the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals saw a strong field of karting talent head to the Circuito Internazionale di Napoli in Sarno, Italy from October 19-26, 2024, with British drivers leading the charge in the Micro MAX, Junior MAX and Senior MAX classes.
Micro MAX
With all 36 Micro MAX racers competing in the Final, Team UK’s Luke Milward and Chinese Taipei’s Shuo-Ting Chang started on the front row, just ahead of British driver Austin Oman and Lithuania’s Jokubas Vaskelis. Fifth on the grid was Kyrgyzstan’s Ilia Mazo alongside Team Great Britain’s Joshua Cooke. The ten-lap Micro MAX Final was underway, with Milward bringing the field at a nice and slow pace. Unfortunately, the red flag flew as the drivers exited turn one in a multi-kart incident as several mid-pack drivers were out of the race immediately after it began. In a slight delay, various drivers involved in the opening lap incident were allowed to restart on the second start attempt.
Two UK drivers and two Lithuanians led the 36-kart field as Cooke and Oman locked bumpers and tried to push away from the rest.
Lap seven saw Oman go for the lead as Cooke went from first to fourth in one corner as Chang and Vaskelis followed Oman through. Cooke was back to the lead as the last lap board was displayed, with Oman placing third.
Mini MAX
Courtesy of two Qualifying Heat race wins and a Pre-Final victory, Team UK’s Albert Friend led the field to the green in Mini MAX. Behind them in row two, Nikita Ljubimov from Estonia flanked UK’s Oliver Spencer, while a pair of British drivers were in row three with Harry Taylor and Emerson Macandrew-Uren.
Friend led the opening lap of the 11-lap Final as Babicek followed closely. Macandrew-Uren was the biggest mover on the first lap, jumping three positions from sixth to third. Friend was defending for his life on lap three as more than 15 karts ran nose to tail after lap four.
Making a bid for the front, Friend was unsuccessful and fell to fourth, but Babicek led and was on the defense. It was a five-kart battle for the win, with Babicek scoring the win ahead of Friend taking silver.
Junior MAX
Team UK’s Cameron Nelson was the clear leader after the Junior MAX Qualifying Heats and Pre-Final, with Denmark’s Casper Nissen joining him on the front row. Scott March from the UK won his Pre-Final to secure the third place starting position while Team Netherland’s driver Boaz Maximov was alongside in fourth.
Two more British drivers started in the top-ten, Jacob Ashcroft seventh and Lewis Goff ninth with Team Denmark’s Mathias Kjellerup and Team Netherland’s Max Sadurski in eighth and tenth. The 15-lap final was underway with a couple karts off early, but Nelson led Marsh, Nissen, Simoenova, and Maximov. It was three UK drivers in the top-four, with Nelson leading Marsh, Nissan, and Jacob Ashcroft as he managed to move his way forward into the top-five.
Goff was back to second on lap 13 but 2.379 behind Ashcroft to make it a British one-two, but it was all for not as Jacob Ashcroft was on his way to his third RMC Grand Finals podium in as many years. In a fierce battle behind him, Ashcroft easily drove to victory as Goff and Nelson made it a British one – two – three.
Senior MAX – Final
Team UK started the Senior MAX main event one, two, three, four, and five as Kai Hunter led Matthew Higgins, Callum Bradshaw, Harry Bartle, and Lewis Gilbert. Looking to break up the UK party up front was the sixth-place starter and Italian Elia Pappacena, but there was another Brit behind him as Sean Butcher lined up seventh.
It was 18 laps for the Senior MAX drivers as 36 of them were off and racing, with Hunter maintaining his place at the point ahead of Bradshaw and Gilbert, who both gained positions on the opening lap as Higgins dropped two positions to fourth and Bartle in fifth.
Bradshaw took the lead on lap two, and Hodgson jumped from ninth to seventh on lap two. It was sensible up front for the first four laps, but Bradshaw and Hunter went wheel-to-wheel, with Hunter heading for the grass and spinning to avoid contact.
Vic Stevens delivered Team Belgium a victory as Bishop and Bradshaw were all over one another. Behind him, Bishop finished second on the road before a potential penalty while Bartle crossed the line third, Sidler in fourth, minus a nose cone, and Bradshaw in fifth. Oliver Hodgson was elevated to P4 in the results, as Max Walton rounded out the top five.
