Young Emirati karter Keanu Al-Azhari joins more than 200 drivers from 49 nations in the OK Senior category at the Mondokart.com FIA Karting World Championship finale at Sarno in southern Italy this weekend.
The Tony Kart Racing Team rookie has already experienced the speed and competitiveness of OK Senior several times this season, running with the front-runners at other Italian races and at Portimão in Portugal.
This is my first World Championship season in the OK Senior category and I couldn’t be more excited. It’s the last race of the FIA Karting 2022 season and it’s what we have been preparing for the whole year. I am ready to push myself to the limit and fight for the best result possible and make the UAE and Tony Kart proud.
Keanu Al-Azhari
Last year I was able to show my true potential and speed, starting fourth in the final in the OK Junior category, and now I know that I can carry on that level at this race. I am really looking forward to the weekend and the unpredictable weather will be similar to what we experienced last year in Campillos. This was one of my strongest points and that makes me even more excited for this race.
Keanu Al-Azhari
My knowledge and driving technique in both the rain and the dry gives me strength for all conditions. I have an excellent mechanic working closely with me, Dominik Bartocha, and the fitness team from Formula Medicine keep me at top performance, both physically and mentally.
Keanu Al-Azhari
The competition is fierce, with a provisional 93-kart OK Senior entry that includes team-mate and defending OK World Champion Tuukka Taponen of Finland, fellow Tony Kart drivers Luigi Coluccio, Juho Valtanen and Joe Turney, and Japan’s European Champion Kean Nakamura-Berta.
Racing takes place on the demanding 1,550-metre Circuito Internazionale Napoli at Sarno, about 60km east of Naples, with Falcons Racing, partners of FIA Karting.
Timetable
Almost two hours of free practice begin at 08.00hrs on Friday morning, followed by two hours of qualifying practice and six hours of qualifying heats from 13.10hrs.
Saturday features an extended warm-up followed by more qualifying heats throughout the day. Sunday brings another warm-up, the all-important Super Heats between 10.10hrs and 11.45hrs, and the Finals from 13.20hrs.