FIA Member Clubs from around the world are giving aspiring racing drivers the chance to fly their national flags in the FIA Motorsport Games by entering them in Karting.
The Polish Automobile and Motorcycle Federation is one of 36 FIA Member Clubs with an entry in Karting Sprint Junior. It’s counting on the emerging talent of Klara Kowalczyk, who is making her FIA Motorsport Games debut in Valencia this week.
“I was actually in Marseille two years ago doing interviews with some of the Polish competitors,” 13-year-old Kowalczyk (pictured below) said. “Now to be competing makes me very proud because I know there were many people who wanted to represent our country. If you represent your country anyone would be proud because it’s a huge thing.”
Kowalczyk, who normally competes in the OK-J category at European and world championship level, has set a clear target for the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games. “The target is to have fun, meet as many new people as I can and represent my country proudly, give my best and obviously try to fight for the top spots. I want to drive in Senior karting one day and I hope to progress as much as I can.”
Muhammad Ahmad was new to karting at the start of 2024 having raced online previously. He explained his participation in the inaugural FIA African Karting Cup, held in South Africa in February, put him on the road to the FIA Motorsport Games where he will compete for newcomer Team Botswana as part of the delegation from Botswana Motor Sports.
“My uncle saw something about the African Karting Cup on Facebook and said, ‘okay, why don’t we try to enter’,” Ahmad (pictured above) explained. “We want to build up motor sport in Botswana so we decided to go into that route. We went there to participate but it went better than expected. With four days of experience I came 12th out of 20. I’m truly honoured to represent my country in karting and we, as a country, are really honoured to be participating in the FIA Motorsport Games.”
Ahmad continued: “We don’t have any karting tracks in Botswana so I am traveling about four to five hours to South Africa to do my training. Hopefully I can do well and represent my country as best as possible.”
Federacao Portuguesa de Automobilismo e Karting (FPAK) has entered Margarida Furtado, Matilde Magalhães and Francisca Queiroz as an all-female line-up in Karting Endurance.
FPAK president Ni Amorim said: “Since the Karting Endurance became a FIA Motorsport Games category, the Portuguese ASN has made a point of having an all-female team. This is because we work hard to encourage female participation in motor sport in Portugal and because we believe in gender equality. Motor sport is a mostly male sport, but we want to show that women are equally good drivers and can compete on equal terms. We wish our three drivers success.”
The Danish Automobile Sports Union is represented in Karting Sprint Senior, Karting Sprint Junior and Karting Sprint Mini. Luca Magnussen (pictured below) is its medal hope in the Karting Sprint Senior. The younger brother of Haas Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen and son of four-time Le Mans 24 Hours class winner Jan Magnussen said: “The FIA Motorsport Games can really show what I can do – to show what I have learned from my dad, my brother and the people around me throughout the years.”
Source : Fia
