Max Walton came perilously close to finishing on the podium at the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in the Kingdom of Bahrain, running as high as second before being shuffled down the order in two incidents.

Despite timed qualifying seeing him in 53rd position, the FIA Academy Trophy podium getter was able to fight his way through the heats into a 16th spot final starting position and was making every post a winner.

The incidents dropped him down to the mid pack before fighting back to finish seventh. The rough and tumble of the race saw him hit with a post race bodywork infringement penalty which saw him awarded 10th.

Scott Howard made the DD2 Masters Final on his fifth visit to the event, which coincided with his birthday. It wasn’t a happy birthday for Howard though, the Queensland concreting contractor immediately recognising a lack of power from the direct drive, two speed engine. Battling through down on power and a misfire, he was able to finish 19th.

As for the other Australians, they were unable to advance past their dual pre-finals. Harrison Hoey finished 20th in DD2 Pre-Final A, Jack Webster 25th in Senior Max Pre-Final A and Corey Carson 29th in Mini-Max Pre-Final B.