Published on Sunday, May 17, 2026

Radcliffe, Batch and Whitticombe prevail through dramatic Race Day 1 in the Champions of the Future Academy UK

After Friday’s free practice sessions gave drivers their first opportunity to attack one of the UK’s fastest and most demanding karting circuits, Race Day 1 of Round 2 in the 2026 Champions of the Future Academy Program UK delivered great racing throughout Saturday at PF International Kart Circuit. While conditions remained mostly dry across the day, occasional drops of rain briefly affected grip levels and lap times without forcing the field onto wet tyres, adding another challenge to an already fiercely competitive weekend.

Radcliffe Charges To Junior Victory After Intense Battles

Harley Musk opened the day by securing pole position in OK-N Junior ahead of Freddie Wood and Sukhmani Khera after a tightly contested qualifying session with less than a second covering the leading drivers.

The heats then reshuffled the order as Khera emerged on top of the combined standings after taking a win in the final heat to secure provisional pole position for the final.

But the final itself produced one of the races of the day. After a spectacular and action-filled contest with constant battles throughout the field, Louis Radcliffe came through to take victory on Race Day 1 ahead of the chasing pack in a thrilling finish.

Batch storms through to win

Chester Forkes led the way in Mini 60 qualifying after edging Noah Cronje and Alfie Davidson in another ultra-close session to start the day.

Forkes continued his momentum through the heats to secure provisional pole position for the final, although Davidson struck back with victory in the second heat while Max Zvarich also impressed throughout the afternoon.

The final delivered another dramatic showdown. Forkes and Davidson traded the lead before Bodhi Batch surged through in the closing stages to claim victory after a superb drive. Davidson crossed the line second ahead of Cronje, while Forkes narrowly missed the podium after leading much of the race.

In U10, Batch’s overall victory was followed by Max Zvarich, Oliver Woodhall, Jayan Prakash and Benjamin Sljivar in the category order.

Whitticombe dominates Senior action

Harrison Whitticombe started Race Day 1 in dominant fashion by taking pole position in OK-N Senior ahead of Eva Morris and Emma Rose Dowling. The pace continued through the heats as Whitticombe completed a clean sweep to secure provisional pole position for the final.

In the final, Whitticombe converted that advantage into victory with another commanding performance. Morris kept the pressure on throughout to finish second, while Benjamin Baker completed the podium after an intense battle behind the leaders.

Race day 2 ahead at PF International

With Race Day 1 complete, attention now turns to Sunday’s action at PF International, where the grids reset, and a new fight begins across all three categories in Round 2 of the 2026 Champions of the Future Academy Program UK.