The 2025 Champions of the Future Academy Program has just reached the halfway point of the season and continues to produce exciting and thrilling racing. The illustrious Jesolo circuit hosted lively races and confirmed the legitimacy of the "arrive and drive" system promoted by RGMMC. In Italy, several new drivers, both male and female, celebrated their first podium finishes in the series. The next three events, to be held in Europe and the United Arab Emirates, promise to be wide open.

Mini 60: After Burgess, Perico returns to the top step

The young drivers competing in the "Under 10" category are not only focused on their own rankings, they remain determined to battle it out with all their opponents, even the oldest in the Mini 60 category. After Wynn Godschalk (USA) won in Valencia, Spain, it was Zayne Burgess, another U10 driver from the United States, who took the win in Jesolo. On Saturday, he had a perfect day, taking pole position, finishing first in both heats and winning Final 1. It wasn't easy, as Niccolo Perico (ITA) led the Final for a long time. But on the last lap, Burgess found an opening and claimed his first victory in the Mini 60 series, while also setting the fastest lap. Lorenzo Zucchetto (SUI) and Mattis Brageot (FRA) took advantage of this final battle to overtake Perico and climb onto the podium in that order.
 

Still leading the overall standings, Perico took his revenge the next day: pole position, victory in both heats and clear domination in the Final with the fastest lap. Brageot finished his excellent weekend in 2nd place ahead of Zucchetto. Vicente Capela (POR) initially finished 3rd, before being demoted a place due to a five-second sporting penalty. Ranked 2nd in Mini U10 on Saturday, Guido Ebergenyi (ITA) won this category ahead of Burgess, who lost his win after being penalised by the race officials.

Overall standings after Jesolo
1 Niccolo Perico (ITA) 381 pts
2 Mattis Brageot (FRA) 244 pts
3 Vicente Capela (POR) 216 pts
4 Zayne Burgess (USA) 210 pts, 1st U10
5 Lorenzo Zucchetto (SUI) 205 pts
6 Wynn Godschalk (USA) 196 pts, 2nd U10
7 Achilleas Peruzzi (UAE) 169 pts
8 Ava Lawrence (UAE) 160 pts
9 Jan Gardzielik (POL) 143 pts
10 Teo Pelfrene (POR) 141 pts
14 Benjamin Karajkovic (UAE), 4th U10
30 Samar Chopra (UAE) 2 pts, 3rd U10
33 Ronald Venter (RSA), 5th U10

Equipment: Parolin / TM Kart

OK-N Junior: Connor Clancy the winner and new leader

On Saturday, the fifth Final of the season saw the fifth different driver take the top step of the podium. Very fast in Jesolo, as evidenced by his pole position on Saturday, Didier Kreeft (NED) narrowly lost to Connor Clancy (UAE) in the first heat, but then went on to achieve a flawless performance. Winner of the second heat, he pulled away throughout the Final to triumph over Clancy. Starting in 6th place, Angelina Simons Torres (ESP) put in a magnificent attacking performance to complete the podium. Just before the finish line, she won her duel with Many Nuvolini (FRA), taking Jan Michaleczko (POL), Benjamin Westwood (MLT) and Victoria Farfus (BRA) with her, relegating Nuvolini to 7th place.

Clancy, Simons Torres and Nuvolini were back on the front two rows of the starting grid for Final 2, but this time with Julia Angelard (POL) in pole position. Angelard made a strong start to the race, before Clancy pulled off an unstoppable overtaking manoeuvre on lap 3. The female driver saw Kacper Rajpold (POL) close in on her, but she held on to 2nd place until the end. Simons Torres scored significant points in the overall standings by finishing 4th ahead of Nathan Kappen (UAE) and Nojus Stasionis (LTU). Clancy is the new leader of the Champions of the Future Academy Program in OK-N Junior.

Overall standings after Jesolo
1 Conor Clancy (UAE) 310 pts
2 Many Nuvolini (FRA) 263 pts
3 Kacper Rajpold (POL) 231 pts
4 Nojus Stasionis (LTU) 211 pts
5 Leonidas Peruzzi (UAE) 185 pts
6 Didier Kreeft (NED) 182 pts
7 Angelina Simons Torres (ESP) 165 pts
8 Vanesa Silkunaite (LTU) 144 pts
9 Victoria Farfus (BRA) 141 pts
10 Huifei Xie (CHN) 115 pts

Equipment: KR / IAME

OK-N Senior: Woda and Micallef take the lead

Champion of the category in 2024, Luna Fluxa Cross has inspired other female drivers this year with the colours of the "F1 Academy Discover your Drive" programme. On Saturday, at the end of the Qualifying Heats, three of them were in the top four, with Ella Hakkinen (MON), Klara Kowalczyk (POL) and Chiara Bättig (SUI) behind Wojciech Woda (POL). In the end, the battle for victory was between Woda and Jacob Micallef (MLT) in Final 1. Micallef spent many laps in the lead, but Woda had the last word. Forced to retire in one race, Markas Silkunas (LTU) gradually made his way back up through the chasing pack to finish 3rd on the podium ahead of Hakkinen, Kowalczyk and Sebastian Ng Degracia.

Competing in the Academy Program for the first time, Jacob Micallef went from strength to strength on Sunday. Beaten by Wojciech Woda in Qualifying and then by Klara Kowalczyk in the first heat, he won the second heat and then the Final despite Kowalczyk's superb resistance. As in Valencia, Chiara Bättig made it onto the podium after overtaking Guido Bruno Bidoli at the very end of the race. Silkunas could only manage 7th place, but remains a solid leader in the overall standings.

Overall standings after Jesolo
1 Markas Silkunas (LTU) 375 pts
2 Wojciech Woda (POL) 279 pts
3 Chiara Battig (SUI) 276 pts
4 Klara Kowalczyk (POL) 232 pts
5 Marlon Bayer (SUI) 177 pts
6 Ella Hakkinen (MON) 156 pts
7 Martim Barros Meneses (POR) 139 pts
8 Micallef Jacob (MLT) 132 pts
9 Gabi Santos Teixera (POR) 130 pts
10 Oskar Galan (POL) 124 pts

Equipment: KR / IAME
 

Next rounds:
19th-21st September: Slovakia Ring
24th-26th November: Al Ain – UAE
1st-3rd December: Al Forsan – UAE