After four months without touching a kart, lining up with a new chassis, a new engine, and returning to the demanding and technical Valencia circuit—competing against around thirty talented international drivers aged 14 to 17—was a unique and exhilarating challenge.
It started with a stroke of bad luck. After two days of bedding in the equipment and getting back into rhythm, a strong warm-up session suggested a promising qualifying. Then—bang—an accident at the pit exit disqualified me from Saturday’s first qualifying session and bent my brand-new kart. There was no driving error on my part—just pure misfortune: the driver ahead of me spun while warming up his tyres.
The rest of the day was spent wrestling with a kart that had become unstable after the impact, and the results reflected that. We decided to switch to a brand-new chassis for Sunday—and that decision paid off. Although qualifying didn’t go as planned, a strong first heat gave me hope for the rest of the day.
Then came a heavy crash at the start of the second heat on the opening lap. I injured my hand and leg, and the kart was slightly damaged again. After a quick visit to the medical center and some painkillers, I still lined up for the final determined to give it everything.
And the final delivered. Despite sharp pain in my hand, the race was controlled and focused. I gained twelve positions, found a strong rhythm, and most importantly, rediscovered pure racing pleasure. Lap after lap, the pain faded. The kart felt good despite a slight rear issue from the earlier crash, and the lap times were competitive—enough to fight back and finish 14th overall.
With a cleaner second heat, a Top 10 finish was clearly within reach based on my pace. I leave these two days proud of my performance despite two racing incidents. On top of that, the organization was flawless, the people were fantastic, and the sporting atmosphere was exceptional—with arguably the best drivers of my generation on track.
Now, I can’t wait for Greece and the second round.
