2023 has been a great year for me. It’s been my first in OKJ and my first European Season.
The season started with the WSK Champions Cup and a four-round WSK Super Masters Series, where I showed lots of promise. My highlights were my first heat-winning OKJ and strong qualifying in round two, where I placed P3 out of 105 drivers.
Next, I started my first RGMMC Champions of the Future. The five-race series precedes the FIA European and World Karting Championships and visits the same track, giving the teams time to go through a race weekend before the main event.
RGMMC series, lots of speed with consistent qualifying, and some strong runs through the heats. I had a number of top-ten finishes in the final in Valencia, Trinec and Rodby, but bad luck in the final two rounds in Cremona and a DNF Franciacorta took the shine off a decent run in the opening rounds.
The FIA European Karting Championship started off in Valencia. A strong qualifying (P11 out of 83) saw me win my second heat, but disaster struck in the 3rd heat when a driver came across to push me off the track, launched in the air and broke my wrist—taking me out of the event. By the second round, I could drive again, although I was in some pain. Another strong qualifying saw me qualify in P9 and finish the event in P6 overall. The third round was hosted in Rodby, Denmark. Qualifying wasn’t so good (P27), but I had a solid drive through the heats and another heat win set me up for the final where I finished P9 overall. The final round was at Cremona in Italy, again I had a decent qualifying with a P7, but a DNF the first hear and in the superheat impacted my final starting position. I had a decent recovery drive, only to be punted off on the last lap.
Overall I was happy with my first FIA European Karting Championship. I placed P13 overall.
During the summer, I raced for Toby George Motorsport in Kart Masters. Everyone had told me that the race is known as ‘Crash Masters’. I had a great time, despite the changing track conditions and limited knowledge of how to set up the kart, I had to get my head down. I had an up-and-down run through the heats a terrible pre-final, but ended on a high after passing 14 karts to finish P13.
Next up was the FIA World Karting Championship at Franciacorta—my first. I knew I had the speed coming into the weekend, but a slower driver impacted my qualifying push lap, and I qualified a disappointing P32. That set the tone for the weekend. Strong drives through the heats and Super Heats saw me start the final in P14. The final was short-lived. I had a decent start on the outside, placing P15 at the start. I was fast and worked my way to P11 when my throttle cable broke, leading to a retirement on lap 3.
We wrapped up the season with a few more WSK races, which saw some strong qualifying. In the final round of the WSK Euro Series, I qualified on pole, my first international pole position. After that, we headed to South Garda Karting, where I qualified P2. We wrapped up the season in Franciacorta, where, again, I was fast, but an impeded quali lap set the tone of the weekend, and I finished the final P14.
Overall, I’m happy with the year. There has been lots of learning that I will take into 2024.
I would like to thank the entire Parolin and GFR engines teams for giving me winning equipment! Thank you to Lorenzo Travisanutto for coaching me, Mirco Anelli for being my mechanic, Roberto Toninelli and Gordie and the team at GFR for always being on point.
See you in 2024!
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