Rashid Al Dhaheri, the UAE’s most exciting young karting talent, took the top spot in the Rookie class of the 2016 Parolin Championkart Academy Series for a third race in a row, this time at the Circuito Internazionale del Friuli Venezia Giulia in Lignano, Italy.
The eight-year-old Abu Dhabi schoolboy, one of the youngest in the field, finished fourth in the Final in changing weather, which put him first in the Rookie class again.
Despite storms and showers, he completed 40 sessions on the tricky 1.2 km track before the race. The rain returned during Sunday warm-up before the track dried for qualifying and the afternoon races.
He qualified fourth despite reporting a loss of power on corner exits, with the front-runners separated by a tenth of a second.
A chaotic start in the Pre-Final dropped him to sixth as he avoided trouble. He fought back to fourth, edging into third on the last lap after a wheel-to-wheel battle with one of the most experienced drivers in the field, but could not hold on and finished fourth.
In a tense Final, Al Dhaheri stayed calm and consistent to secure the Rookie win.