Portimao – The engines are running, the paddock is buzzing, and the action has finally begun! Following an exciting opening weekend, the 2026 Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals officially kicked off its on-track programme today with the first Non-Qualifying Practice sessions at the Kartódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão.
All 424 karts had their first opportunity to take to the circuit, as drivers began familiarising themselves with the track, testing their equipment and preparing for the competitive days ahead.
A Wet Start to the Week
The weather added an extra challenge to the opening practice day. Following heavy overnight and early-morning rain, the event started under wet-track conditions, with intermittent showers keeping drivers and teams on their toes throughout the day.
With changing grip levels and a demanding circuit, the first sessions provided a valuable opportunity for the competitors to adapt to the conditions, find their rhythm and gain confidence behind the wheel.
But the rain certainly couldn't dampen the spirits of the Rotax racing community! The atmosphere throughout the paddock remained fantastic, with enthusiastic drivers, busy mechanics and excited supporters all looking forward to the racing action ahead.
A New Chapter – E10 Mini Makes Its Grand Finals Debut
One of today's special highlights was the first appearance of the 36 E10 Mini drivers on track at the RMC Grand Finals. For the first time in the history of the event, the all-electric E10 Mini category joins the official Grand Finals programme, marking another important milestone in the development of electric kart racing within the Rotax family.
Preparations Continue – The Excitement Builds
With the first practice sessions completed, drivers and teams now have valuable track experience under their belts. Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 10, the programme continues with the second day of Non-Qualifying Practice, giving everyone another opportunity to fine-tune their preparations before the competition gets serious. The anticipation is growing throughout the paddock, and one thing is already clear: everyone is eager to get racing! But let’s talk about the action on the track of today’s first non-qualifying practice sessions:
Micro MAX
The youngest competitors were among the first to take to the circuit, with 36 drivers beginning their Grand Finals campaigns in Micro MAX. The opening session saw Vladislav Richa Chekulaev (Russia) set the benchmark, narrowly ahead of Nico Thomasen (New Zealand). The second practice brought a different name to the front as Agustin Perchivatti (Argentina) topped the classification.
By the final session of the day, Amesio Zani (Netherlands), entered by BOUVIN POWER, had moved to the top of the timesheets. His lap of 1:08.091 placed him 0.132 seconds ahead of Arthur Bowers (United Kingdom), with Albert Sagner (Czech Republic) completing the top three.
Thomasen also enjoyed a promising start, featuring inside the top five in all three practice sessions. With different drivers leading throughout the day, Micro MAX looks set to deliver an intriguing contest as preparations continue.
Mini MAX
With 72 competitors divided into ODD and EVEN groups, Mini MAX produced some of the closest margins of the opening day. In the ODD group, Chinnaphat Vejabhuti (Thailand) led the first practice before August Lykkebo Lyngso (Denmark) took over at the front in the second session.
The final run belonged to Austin Oman (United Kingdom). The 11-year-old, who secured his Grand Finals ticket by winning the 2026 RMC International Trophy in Le Mans, posted a 1:04.367 to finish 0.173 seconds ahead of Teddy Murphy (United Kingdom). Oman is already familiar with the Grand Finals podium, having finished third in Micro MAX in 2024, and his opening performance suggests he could once again become a serious contender.
The EVEN group was equally competitive. Albi-Jay Stubbs (United Arab Emirates) topped the opening session, while Mathias Drexler (Austria) secured first place in NQP2 by the smallest of margins. Just 0.003 seconds separated Drexler from Jan Wozniak (Poland).
In the final EVEN session, Oscar Kenney (United Kingdom) emerged at the front with a 1:04.297, followed by Stubbs and Yousef Adi (Canada). Kenney, another 11-year-old, earned his Grand Finals opportunity through his second-place finish at the Euro Trophy event in Genk. With several drivers already showing competitive speed, the Mini MAX field promises one of the most closely fought battles of the week.
E10 Mini
The introduction of E10 Mini as a regular Grand Finals category marks another important milestone for electric kart racing within the Rotax programme. A full field of 36 young drivers is competing in the new category.
Local driver Martim Gomes (Portugal) made an encouraging start, topping the opening practice session with a time of 1:05.140. The 12-year-old arrives with valuable experience, having won the 2026 Portuguese E10 Mini competition in Bombarral and secured his opportunity to compete at the Grand Finals. The second practice saw Claudio Zacca (Lebanon) move to the front, just 0.043 seconds ahead of Rafael Guimaraes (Brazil), while Gomes followed closely in third.
Gomes returned to the top in the final session, recording a 1:09.288 to lead Kir Ivanov (United Arab Emirates) and Giulio Berlinguet (Canada). With noticeably different lap-time levels across the sessions, direct comparisons require caution, but the Portuguese youngster's two session-leading performances have certainly made him one of the early names to watch.
Junior MAX
The 72-driver Junior MAX field brought together established international competitors and ambitious newcomers, including the reigning Grand Finals winner. Majus Mazinas (Lithuania) immediately demonstrated why he remains a driver to watch. The 14-year-old, who won the Junior MAX Grand Finals in 2025, topped the opening ODD-group practice with a 1:00.831.
However, the second session produced a new leader. Mattia Padoan (Italy) moved ahead with a 1:00.663, followed by Finn Albert Jorgensen (Denmark) and Nikita Ljubimov (Estonia). Mazinas remained in contention with fourth place. In the EVEN group, Antoine Bazinet (Canada) set the early pace, narrowly ahead of Finlay Lines (United Kingdom) and Martin Soltys (Slovakia).
The second session brought a strong performance from Branislav Rentka (Slovakia). Representing KRK RACING as entrant, Rentka recorded a 1:00.380 to lead Duarte Alves (Portugal) by just 0.066 seconds, with Soltys completing the top three. With experienced competitors already encountering strong opposition from their international rivals, Junior MAX is shaping up for an exciting week.
Senior MAX
The Senior MAX category traditionally delivers some of the most competitive racing of the Grand Finals, and the opening practice sessions suggested another closely matched field. Lewis Gilbert (United Kingdom) topped the first ODD-group session with a 59.850, followed by Tino Sidler (Switzerland) and Sebastian Hedin (Sweden).
In the afternoon, Dovydas Gudelevicius (Lithuania) emerged as the new leader, recording a 59.705. Hedin followed in second place, 0.339 seconds behind, while Vince Vanderhallen (Belgium) completed the top three. The EVEN group also saw a change at the front. Vivien Guyonnet (France) led the opening practice, but the second session belonged to local favourite Martim Meneses (Portugal).
The 16-year-old Portuguese Senior MAX champion, who earned his Grand Finals qualification through his national championship success, recorded a 59.377 to lead Gianmarco Cortopassi (Italy) by just 0.077 seconds. Max Sadurski (Netherlands) followed in third. Meneses has therefore established himself among the early contenders, although the competition remains wide open with further practice sessions still to come.
E20 Senior
The electric E20 Senior category produced an interesting opening day, with several drivers sharing the leading positions across the three sessions. Lucas Pinheiro dos Sa (Portugal) topped the first practice, followed by Antoni Kugacz (Poland) and Akos Madaras (Hungary). The second session saw Anna Benedek (Hungary) move to the front, narrowly ahead of fellow Hungarian Adam Szabo (Hungary) and Marcos De Dios (Spain).
Szabo then delivered the fastest lap of the final session, setting a 1:00.913 and finishing just 0.098 seconds ahead of Pinheiro dos Sa. Madaras completed the top three. The 19-year-old Hungarian already has a strong international credential, having secured his E20 Senior Grand Finals ticket with a victory at the Euro Trophy event in Trinec earlier this year. With several drivers demonstrating front-running potential, the electric category is developing into another fascinating contest.
E20 Masters
Experience also played an important role in the opening day of E20 Masters, where 14 drivers began their preparations. Michel Aboissa (Brazil) set the pace in the first practice, closely followed by Leandro Iglesias (Argentina). The second session brought a new leader in Michele Burzese (Switzerland), who edged Tommy Kvakkesta Nordvang (Norway) by just 0.049 seconds.
The final session saw Carl Cleirbaut (Belgium) move to the top of the classification. The 55-year-old, who secured his Grand Finals ticket by winning the E20 Masters competition in Genk, posted a 1:01.687 to finish 0.125 seconds ahead of Burzese. Jorge Matos (Ecuador) completed the top three, while Roman Jager (Germany) secured fourth place.
Cleirbaut's experience and strong final-session performance make him an interesting contender, but the closely matched results suggest that several competitors could challenge for the leading positions.
MAX DD2
One of the standout stories of the opening day came from MAX DD2, where a familiar Grand Finals name immediately returned to the spotlight. Mark Kimber (United Kingdom) has already won the prestigious event three times, taking the Junior MAX title in 2016, Senior MAX honours in 2021 and MAX DD2 victory in 2022.
The 24-year-old secured his place at this year's event with victory at the 2026 RMC International Trophy in Le Mans and wasted little time demonstrating his intentions in Portimão. After Jakub Bezel (Czech Republic) led the opening ODD-group session, Kimber moved to the top in NQP2. His 58.863 proved just 0.028 seconds faster than Jamie Smith (South Africa), while Bezel followed only 0.069 seconds behind.
The EVEN group also produced close competition. Lenn Nijs (Belgium) topped the opening session before Kian Burnard (United Kingdom) took over in the afternoon. Burnard recorded a 59.103 to lead Steven Servant (France) by 0.062 seconds, with Maxime Geley (France) another 0.023 seconds behind in third. Kimber's experience and proven Grand Finals record make him one of the obvious early contenders, but the narrow margins underline the level of competition awaiting him.
MAX DD2 Masters
While several categories produced changing leaders, MAX DD2 Masters saw one driver remain at the front throughout Monday's programme. Matias Rodriguez (Argentina) topped both practice sessions, opening with a 59.282 before improving his benchmark to 59.182 in the second run.
The 39-year-old is no stranger to Grand Finals success. Having finished third in MAX DD2 Masters in 2023 and runner-up in 2024, Rodriguez arrives in Portugal with a clear ambition to add another strong result to his international record.
Jannik Nielsen (Denmark) finished the second session in second place, 0.150 seconds behind Rodriguez, while Nicolas Picot (France) followed in third. Rodriguez's double session-leading performance provides a promising starting point, although the established competition behind him will be looking to close the gap during Tuesday's remaining practice sessions.
Focus Turns to the Final Practice Sessions
With the first day of on-track action complete, the 2026 Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals have already delivered an intriguing mix of familiar champions, promising newcomers and remarkably close lap times. Tuesday will bring further non-qualifying practice across all nine categories, offering competitors another opportunity to refine their setups and build confidence ahead of Wednesday's qualifying sessions.
The heats will follow on Thursday and Friday, with the Pre-Finals also scheduled for Friday. The event will then reach its climax on Saturday, 14 November, when the winners of the 2026 Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals will be crowned. For now, the first benchmarks have been set. The battle for Grand Finals glory is only just beginning.