Dubai Kartdrome welcomes promising motorsport drivers

Dubai Kartdrome welcomed more than 100 promising motorsport drivers in the latest round of the Champions of the Future Academy (COTFA) – a new global series that aims to provide opportunities, increase female participation and inclusion in karting competitions.

This season’s series, in collaboration with F1 Academy, saw “Dubai Kartdrome”, host the fourth round and the first outside Europe, attracting a total of 102 karters from 32 countries.

Among those to test themselves against the international talent were some of Dubai Autodrome Karting Academy (DAKA) and junior series graduates including Britain’s Conor Clancy and Lebanon’s Mohammed Mneimneh, who represented the UAE with both triumphing in their Junior and Senior races, respectively.

Clancy, a former Dubai O Plate champion, was thrilled to come out on top. The 13-year-old said: “The competition was really good and I am pleased to have driven strongly to win the race here. It was a fantastic experience that will help me. This weekend, I learned how to get better race starts and accelerate at the right times and this experience is something I am grateful for in my development.”

Other DAKA graduates included Atiqa Mir. Earlier, she became the first female to win at the Rotax Max Challenge International Trophy at the Le Mans Kart International Circuit.

The nine-year-old enjoyed the opportunity of competing against other drivers at COTFA. She said: “It was a really good race and happy to have finished fifth and fourth. It’s a challenging series but I have learned a lot that will help in my development such as being more confident.

“Having started my karting career at “Dubai Kartdrome”, I know the track very well and learned a lot from my instructors. Racing in a competitive environment especially in a mixed grid was tough but one that I thoroughly enjoyed and proud to have given my best.”

Another young Dubai-based talent was Maxim Bobreshov. The 12-year-old has been karting for six years and was among the winners in the latest round of the series.

He said: “It was a fantastic opportunity to race against other promising drivers and even better to get a win. The “Dubai Kartdrome” has been a great place for me to learn, and to put this into practice in a competition such as this series is very pleasing as I feel more confident behind the wheel and better equipped mentally, which is crucial when it comes to these global events.”

Following previous races in Spain and Italy, the championship will conclude in the UAE with Al Ain and Al Forsan staging the fifth and sixth rounds. The event is not only opening doors for aspiring drivers but also expands karting to new markets, making the sport more accessible to enthusiasts worldwide with F1 Academy also supporting three female drivers in each of the three mixed-gender categories.