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The Australian flag will be hard to miss at this weekend’s first round of the Champions of the Future Academy Program in Cremona, Italy with 12 drivers entered across the three categories.
Australia will have five competitors in the OK-N Senior class, headed up by reigning Australian KA3 Junior Champion, Pip Casabene.
After securing his first Australian Title for Pro Karting last year, Casabene transitioned to Seniors at the Academy’s pilot event in Abu Dhabi. He tells Speedcafe.com his aim is for at least one final win in the upcoming six-round, 12-race season, building on his top 20 finish in Abu Dhabi.
“I did reasonably well in Abu Dhabi last year. I entered the full Series this year as it is a great opportunity to race drivers from across the world with the same chassis and equal engines,” Casabene told Speedcafe.com. “[That format] should lead to close racing.
“My hopes for this season are that I can get a final win and do my best to get a placing in the overall Championship come the end of round six.”
Queenslander, Charlotte Page lines up as an F1 Academy scholarship holder in the senior category. The program is backed by the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team and is also backed by Susie Wolff as the F1 Academy Series’ Managing Director.
Joining Casabene and Page will be Romeo Nasr and Isaac Demellweek; while Loclan Hennock is one of a two driver Wash It Australia-backed effort.
Lochlan’s brother, Oskar, will be one of four Australians in the Mini 60 category.
Another pair of brothers, in Koda and Oscar Singh will join Hennock in Mini 60 – as well as Hudson Petta – who has been racing regularly in Europe in 2024 already.
Three Australians will contest OK-N Junior. James Anagnostiadis – who won the pilot event in Abu Dhabi last year – has been entered under an Italian flag, while sisters, Sujana and Sanjana Dandu will race under the Australian flag in the Junior category.
They started their Australian racing careers this year with Sunshine Coast-based CX-R Racing at Ipswich’s opening club day and the opening round of the Australian Kart Championship in Adelaide, however, they have been regular front runners in Asian competitions over recent years.
Notable non-Australian entries include Victoria Farfus and Ella Hakkinen in OK-N Junior. Farfus is the daughter of well known Brazilian touring car and GT racer, Augusto and Hakkinen – the daughter of double Formula 1 World Champion, Mika. Farfus Senior has raced at multiple Bathurst 12 Hours, including last year with Valentino Rossi – and in 2011 – joined Garry Rogers Motorsport for the Gold Coast 600.
The winners of the two Mini categories from the Andrea Margutti Trophy two weekends ago – American, Alessandro Truchot and Italian, Niccolo Perico – will square off in Mini 60.
The Champions of the Future Academy Series has now spread to six rounds between Europe and the Middle East. Anagnostiadis will be looking to keep his winning streak going after winning in Abu Dhabi. He’s the only one of the five Australians that took part in last weekend’s European Championships to back up to the Academy after driving in Valencia for PREMA Racing.
The new concept is a pure arrive and drive situation with karts, engines and consumables provided. The entry fee for the six rounds is all-inclusive at €23,000 for Mini 60 and €29,000 for Junior and Senior, which includes usage of the Parolin chassis and TM engine in Mini; KR chassis and IAME engine in Junior and Senior with VEGA tyres. Those materials are centrally managed by promoter, RGMMC (who also promote European and World Championships, Champions of the Future and IAME international events).
The Academy issues drivers with the control chassis and engine via ballot. Teams are unable to make major modifications to the machinery, sticking to manufacturer settings as mandated by organisers.
Saturday and Sunday run as two separate race meetings comprising practice, qualifying, two heats and a final with a set of tyres available each day.
Entry numbers are limited and there are drivers from 25 nations that have entered across all three categories.
Practice for this round starts on Thursday before more practice Friday, then the two race events Saturday and Sunday. Qualifying on both race days begins at 7:45pm AEDT with heat racing from 9pm and finals from 12:30am that night.
VIDEO: Preview – Champions of the Future Academy Program:
