Asian Drivers Shine with Wins and Major Comebacks at Champions of the Future Academy and Rotax MAX Grand Finals

Asian karting talent delivered a series of standout results to close the 2025 season, with competitive performances across two major events: the Champions of the Future Academy round at Al Forsan and the Rotax MAX Grand Finals in Bahrain. From race wins to major recovery drives, the final weekend of the year showcased the depth of emerging drivers from the region.

Champions of the Future Academy

Axel Nocom

At Al Forsan, the Philippines’ Axel Nocom completed his Champions of the Future Academy campaign with a strong two-day performance. On Day 1, he qualified P4, finished P5 in Heat 1, topped Heat 2, and won the final by more than five seconds. Day 2 brought mixed results with a pole position and Heat 1 win, followed by a disqualification in Heat 2. He responded with a P6 finish in the final, securing P7 in the overall standings with 269 points.

Atiqa Mir

India’s Atiqa Mir ended her Academy season with one of her most composed weekends. She qualified P13 on Day 1, progressed steadily through the heats, and finished P8 in the final. On Day 2, she climbed from P23 in qualifying to P13 in the final. Her season-long consistency placed her P10 overall with 198 points.

RMC Grand Finals - Bahrain

Rivaan Dev Preetham

India’s Rivaan Dev Preetham closed his Mini MAX season with a well-managed and steady performance. Through the heats, he delivered P13, P12, and P13, giving him a favourable starting position for the pre-final where he finished P6. That result placed him P18 on the grid for the final, and Preetham approached the race with clear racecraft and composure. He gained nine positions across the 14-lap run to finish P9, securing a top-ten conclusion to his debut appearance at the Rotax MAX Grand Finals. His controlled pace and ability to move through traffic marked one of his strongest weekends of the season.

Naoshige Inose

At the Rotax MAX Grand Finals, Japan’s Naoshige Inose produced one of the standout drives of the Micro MAX category. Starting the weekend with a difficult P35 in qualifying, he gained 14 positions in Heat 1, continued to climb through the pre-finals, and advanced 19 places in the final to finish P9.

Eason Tseng

Chinese Taipei’s Eason Tseng delivered an even more dramatic turnaround in Junior MAX. After qualifying P22, he recovered to P12 in Heat 1, was pushed to P32 by a penalty in Heat 2, and rebounded with P10 in Heat 3. A P14 finish in the pre-final put him P28 on the grid for the final. From there, Tseng produced one of the drives of the event, gaining 26 positions through measured overtakes and consistent pace to finish P8. His run was widely regarded among teams as one of the cleanest recovery drives in the Junior MAX field.