Born in León, Mexico, Emiliano Hernandez Marun did not take the conventional route straight to the paddock: his earliest sporting battles were fought with a tennis racket in hand. At age eight, a first lap behind the wheel at the local Kartódromo de León changed everything. Six years on, the 14-year-old, known in the paddock as “Emil”, is contesting his fourth season in Italy and his first in the premier OK-Senior category under the colors of Spanish Team DPK Racing, while actively preparing his transition to single-seaters. A closer look at the trajectory of one of Mexico’s most promising and fiercely determined young talents.
Between 2020 and 2024, the young Mexican learned his craft in the Mini category across both Mexico and Italy. After clinching a national championship title in 2023 and two runner-up finishes, his international breakthrough accelerated in Italy with pole positions and several heat victories across 2023 and 2024. In late 2024, he stepped up to OKN-Junior to represent Mexico at the WSK Final Cup in Lonato and Cremona, securing top-10 finishes in both events.
In January 2025, Hernandez made his debut in the international OK-Junior category at the WSK Super Master Series in La Conca, quickly backing it up with front-running performances: pole position at WSK Sarno, alongside heat and Super Heat victories in the Champions of the Future Euro Series. His potential did not go unnoticed. In July 2025, DPK Racing, the Spanish Team and two-time CIK-FIA World Champion (2022–2023), signed him to complete the international junior season on FA Kart / IAME machinery. He made an immediate impression at the 2025 FIA Karting World Championship, taking pole position in his qualifying group, securing 2nd overall out of 109 entries, earning front-row starts for all seven qualifying heats, and clocking multiple fastest laps.
A decisive milestone arrived in February 2026 when he joined Escudería Telmex Telcel, the prestigious driver development program founded by Carlos Slim that propelled Sergio “Checo” Pérez and Esteban Gutiérrez into Formula 1, to back his rookie campaign in the OK-Senior category as one of its standout prospects.
Right from his senior debut in 2026, despite being a rookie in karting’s most demanding class, Hernandez consistently matched the pace of the established front-runners. His mid-season appearances at the Åsum Ring in Kristianstad, Sweden, underscored this upward momentum. Across both the Champions of the Future Euro Series and the FIA Karting European Championship, he proved his outright speed in an 88-driver field: securing top-5 times in qualifying heats, scoring multiple top-3 heat finishes, highlighted by a strong 2nd place, and demonstrating remarkable consistency by regularly launching his finals from the front half of the grid.
“These race weekends at the highest level have taught me a great deal, especially regarding race management under extreme pressure and identifying the areas where I must keep refining my approach,” said Emiliano Hernandez. “Karting has given me an essential foundation for the future: discipline, racecraft, teamwork, and the mental resilience to bounce back from setbacks. Those are the exact qualities I want to take into single-seaters. I want to warmly thank my coach Jonathan Thonon, the entire DPK Racing team, Diego, Pablo, Alfonso, and my mechanic Roger, as well as Davide, Simone, and the Formula Medicine team for their physical and mental preparation.”
The 2026 season marks his final campaign in international karting. The Mexican prospect is already logging private test days in European Formula 4 with Escudería Telmex Telcel support, targeting a full-time F4 race debut in 2027. The final choice of championship and team will be confirmed by the end of September.
From the tennis courts to the brink of European Formula 4, Emiliano Hernandez’s progression has been built on method, rigorous work ethic, humility, and raw speed. Far more than just a training ground, his karting years have shaped a complete, battle-tested driver ready to take on the challenge of single-seaters.