2 August 2023

My first FIA CIK European OKJ Championship weekend was an experience I will never forget. I am so pleased with my results, finishing inside the top 10 for all my qualifying heats and P19 in the Final. But my weekend in Cremona was about so much more than results for me.

The feeling at a European Championship round is special. For us in karting, it feels the same as a World Championship. The passion in the pack is amazing and you see drivers fighting hard to make up positions during the entire weekend. And off the track, there are so many people behind the scenes making it all happen. It’s amazing to see how hard they work.

I loved getting to battle with the other drivers on the track – even with my friends. On-track, friendships are the last thing you think about when trying to overtake and gain positions. Everyone is your opponent.

Before qualifying, I was nervous because I know it has such a big influence on the race weekend. Qualifying for the Final meant everything to me. I was lucky I could make another lap, I was sat in P12 but in that last lap I made a very nice sector and finished two tenths faster.

In the European Championship, two tenths can be close to a 20-position difference, so I felt happy to make an improvement and it was a moment I will always remember. It was made even more special by my family being in Italy with me. Achieving that kind of success with my mom, dad, brother and grandparents watching was incredible.

After the heats, I was a little less nervous. I’m not fighting for a championship – yet – so I tried to just focus on my plan. This experience has only made me more motivated to compete more next year and work harder to be able to fight for championships in the future.

I’m always keen to improve and develop, and I think there are a lot of learnings to take away as I reflect on my performance in Cremona and look forward to the rest of my season. One of my targets is to be more aggressive at the start of my races to hold and gain positions. If I can do this, I can start to battle more at the front.

I am now preparing for the Swiss OKJ Championship round at Levier in France. My goal is to take my positive European Championship experience and build on it there.