In terms of quality, quantity and organisation, the first of the six events in the Champions of the Future Academy Program produced some very intense racing. The changing weather conditions, with rain during the day on Saturday and the sun returning on Sunday, pushed the drivers to give their all, whatever the grip of the track. On the spectacular Portuguese circuit of Portimao, the rankings never stopped changing over the two days, forecasting an exceptional 2025 season. The concept put in place by RGMMC is still convincing...

OK-N Senior (KR / IAME / Vega): Markas Silkunas dominant!
With repeaters, new drivers and a high percentage of female drivers, the event was just as interesting and exciting to follow in this category as it was in the Mini and Junior classes. Before the rain started for Saturday's Final, Portugal's Gabi Santos Teixeira took pole position. Lithuania's Markas Silkunas went on to win both heats. The rain tyres came out for the Final, which Silkunas dominated from the first to the last lap. In pursuit, Switzerland's Chiara Battig retired, leaving her compatriot Marlon Bayer to lead the chase and eventually secure 2nd place ahead of Bruno Bidoli Guido, who enabled the Namibian flag to fly above the podium in this major international event. Once again, the Academy Program has demonstrated its accessibility to the world!

On Sunday, Chiara Battig took pole position. Silkunas regained the lead in the first heat and stayed there until the finish of the Final. Behind him, Poland's Wojciech Woda won his duel with Battig for 2nd place.

OK-N Junior (KR / IAME / Vega): Rajpold and Tamm share the wins
A lot happened in this category! In fact, none of the drivers in Saturday's top three managed to duplicate their results the following day. In addition to a few race incidents involving podium contenders, some of the riders were at ease in the rain during Saturday's Final, while others were more at ease on a dry track on Sunday. Lithuania's Vanesa Silkunaite took her first pole position of the season and won one heat, the other going to Poland's Kacper Rajpold. In the Final, victory was decided between Rajpold, Conor Clancy, the driver from the United Arab Emirates and the Dutchman Didier Kreeft. Rajpold finally made the difference, Kreeft dropped down to 5th place due to a penalty and it was Clancy who took 2nd place on the podium ahead of Frenchman Many Nuvolini, who had gained more than seven places since the start.

Lithuania certainly lived up to its billing, this time with Nojus Stasionis in pole position on Sunday. Once again, Rajpold demonstrated his talent by winning both heats. Leading for most of the Final, the Pole found himself under threat from Kreeft towards the end of the race. With three bends to go, Kreeft tried his luck, but the manoeuvre ended in a tangle. Nuvolini took advantage of the situation to move into the lead under the chequered flag, before receiving a penalty, as did Kreeft and Italian Enea Pezzutto, who finished 3rd. Switzerland's Albert Tamm took victory ahead of Stasionis, Italian-licensed Huifei Xie, Leonidas Peruzzi (United Arab Emirates) and Vanesa Silkunaite.

Mini 60 (Parolin / TM Kart / Vega): Niccolo Perico pulls off a double coup
On Saturday, no one was able to challenge the supremacy of Italy's Niccolo Perico in Timed Practice, the two heats and the Final. Once he had settled into 2nd place, Wynn Godschalk from the United States held on until the end, proving to be the best of the U10 drivers. There was an intense battle for 3rd place between Poland's Jan Gardzielik and Achilleas Peruzzi (UAE). Gardzielik had the last word! In the Mini U10s, Benjamin Karajkovic (UAE) and Bruno Miranda Pacheco (Chile) joined Godschalk on the podium in that order.

The following day, under clear skies, the races produced an incredible spectacle, with a festival of overtaking. Perico won again, but it wasn't so easy for the Italian, who had to retire in the first heat of the day. First it was Danila Verba (UAE) who took pole position, before Wynn Godschalk won Heat 1. Perico moved up to 8th on the grid for the Final by winning Heat 2. Never giving up hope, the Italian then embarked on a brilliant comeback. By the sixth lap of the Final, he found himself in the lead and extended his lead to triumph for the second time of the meeting. With five drivers battling for the podium on the last lap, three of them were forced to retire: Zayne Burgess and Wynn Godschalk, both from the United States, and Ava Lawrence (UAE). Frenchman Mattis Brageot, who had been at the front of the field since the start of the competition, was rewarded for his efforts with 2nd place ahead of Aaron Mason (UAE). Karajkovic won the U10 class ahead of Miranda Pacheco and South African Ronald Venter.

Provisional standings after Portimao

OK-N Senior
1 Silkunas Markas (LTU) 150 pts
2 Woda Wojciech (POL) 107 pts
3 Santos Teixera Gabi (POR) 90 pts
4 Bayer Marlon (SUI) 86 pts
5 Battig Chiara (SUI) 79 pts
6 Ornboll Signe Pejs (DEN) 53 pts
7 Comyn Louis (FRA) 53 pts
8 Galan Oskar (POL) 49 pts
9 Bidoli Guido Bruno (NAM) 47 pts
10 Nassar Georges (UAE) 43 pts
...

OK-N Junior
1 Stasionis Nojus (LTU) 115 pts
2 Rajpold Kacper (POL) 100 pts
3 Nuvolini Many (FRA) 85 pts
4 Silkunaite Vanesa (LTU) 85 pts
5 Tamm Albert (SUI) 84 pts
6 Clancy Conor (UAE) 78 pts
7 Kreeft Didier (NED) 57 pts
8 Xie Huifei (ITA) 52 pts
9 Peruzzi Leonidas (UAE) 37 pts
10 Pezzutto Enea (ITA) 33 pts
...

Mini 60
1 Perico Niccolo (ITA) 135 pts
2 Brageot Mattis (FRA) 93 pts
3 Godschalk Wynn (USA) 88 pts
4 Peruzzi Achilleas (UAE) 68 pts
5 Karajkovic Benjamin (UAE) 65 pts
6 Kostecki Jay (AUS) 61 pts
7 Pefrene Teo (POR) 58 pts
8 Gardzielik Jan (POL) 52 pts
9 Verba Danila (UAE) 48 pts
10 Mason Aaron (UAE) 45 pts
...

Mini U10
1 Karajkovic Benjamin (UAE) 132 pts
2 Godschalk Wynn (USA) 128 pts
3 Miranda Pacheco Bruno (CHI) 112 pts
4 Venter Ronald (RSA) 104 pts
5 Burgess Zayne (USA) 100 pts
6 Chopra Samar (UAE) 92 pts

 Press Release © Champions of the Future Academy Program