Champions of the Future Euro Series Wrapped Up

Last weekend in Sarno marked the conclusion of the Champions of the Future Euro Series. After a season filled with strong performances, impressive comebacks, podium finishes and a memorable first victory in OKJ, we look back at the five rounds of the championship.

La Conca

The Champions of the Future campaign got underway at La Conca, where Mika and Henry both secured their places in the final. In OKJ, Lenni led the way with a strong performance throughout the weekend.

While Henry was unfortunately forced to retire due to a technical issue, Mika produced an impressive charge through the field. Starting from further back on the grid, he gained no fewer than 16 positions on his way to the chequered flag, showcasing his pace and racecraft.

Valencia

A strong qualifying session and a competitive series of heats put Henry in a promising position heading into the final in Valencia. Unfortunately, not everything fell into place when it mattered most and he eventually crossed the line in 15th position.

Antonio narrowly missed out on a place in the final, but the Italian could nevertheless look back on an encouraging weekend in OK during his debut event with MP Kartracing Team.

Lenni also showed strong pace and execution throughout the heats. Despite his promising performances, he narrowly missed out on qualifying for the final.

Mülsen

The OKJ final at Mülsen turned into one of the most dramatic races of our Champions of the Future season.

At the initial start, Leonardo received contact under braking, causing him to lose control of his kart and triggering an accident in the opening corner.
The incident resulted in a red flag and a complete restart, with Leonardo once again lining up seventh on the grid.

What followed was an epic battle for the podium. Lap after lap, the leading drivers fought for position, with Leonardo firmly in contention.

A late slow zone added another twist to the race. The leader was handed a penalty for accelerating too early at the restart, which ultimately promoted Leonardo to victory.

It was a special moment for both Leonardo and the entire team, marking MP Kartracing Team's first-ever victory in the OKJ category.

Kristianstad

Kristianstad delivered another milestone for the team, with Henry securing a podium finish in the OK category.

After initially finishing fourth on track, a post-race penalty for Dean Hoogendoorn promoted Henry to third place,
adding another strong result to his Champions of the Future campaign.

Luuk also demonstrated his potential throughout qualifying and the heats. One of the highlights of his weekend came when he claimed his first-ever Champions of the Future heat victory in OK.

In OKJ, Leonardo was once again firmly in the fight at the front and looked capable of challenging for another podium. Unfortunately, a technical issue during the Super Heat complicated his chances and prevented him from converting his pace into the result he had been aiming for.

Sarno

The final round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series took place at the demanding and bumpy Sarno circuit. With temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius and high humidity throughout the weekend, conditions provided a serious physical challenge for both drivers and equipment.

Lenni immediately caught the eye in qualifying, taking fourth place in his OKJ group. Several MP Kartracing Team drivers went on to deliver strong performances in the heats, including Jef, who showed plenty of potential in his first Champions of the Future appearance for the team.

Alex did not achieve the results he had hoped for during the heats, but responded in impressive fashion during Saturday's OKJ final. He became one of the stars of the race, gaining an incredible 18 positions from his starting spot.

In the OK final, however, most eyes were on Henry. Starting from third on the grid, the Brit immediately showed that he had the pace to fight at the front. Around the halfway point, Henry took the race lead from Noah Baglin and managed to open up a small gap over the chasing pack.

Unfortunately, he was unable to hold onto the lead until the chequered flag and eventually crossed the line in second position.

After the race, it became clear that contact with Baglin earlier in the final had resulted in an unfortunate front-fairing infringement and subsequent penalty for Henry. It was a particularly painful outcome, as the penalty not only cost him the podium in Sarno but also third place in the final championship standings.

Nevertheless, Henry's performance once again underlined the progress made throughout the season and showed that both driver and team had the speed to compete at the very front.

Focus Shifts to WSK and the World Championship

Throughout the Champions of the Future Euro Series, MP Kartracing Team showed a clear upward trajectory. From strong individual performances and impressive recovery drives to podium finishes and our first OKJ victory, the championship provided plenty of positives as the season progressed.

With the Champions of the Future campaign now behind us, attention turns towards the biggest challenge still to come.

Our OK and OKJ drivers will now begin preparations for the FIA Karting World Championship at La Conca in early November. As part of those preparations, a selection of MP Kartracing Team drivers will also compete in rounds of the WSK Final Cup.

The Champions of the Future season may be over, but there is still plenty to fight for.