Summarize

2020 South African Rotax Mini Max karting champion, Mozambican Ghazi Motlekar is revelling in a great learning season in European high school Junior Max races across the continent this year. Motlekar last weekend enjoyed a strong weekend of progress in the Rotax Junior Max International Trophy at Le Mans in France, while his podium attack remains right on track in his rookie Italian Rotax Junior Max championship season.

Ghazi fought a tough battle as his form improved throughout the Le Mans weekend. “Qualifying went well enough and I ended up 18th on the grid on Thursday while still learning the track. “It’s tough in the middle of the pack so I concentrated on finding better pace through the three qualifying races and ended 24th. “I had a good run to 16th on Friday morning, but dropped to 21st in the third race in the afternoon, to qualify 20th.

“Our plan was to try to keep out of trouble in that wild midfield and that worked out well for me! “I had a great pre-final, climbing from 20th to 15th by the flag and I found another three places through the final to end up twelfth. “So my best result of the weekend came where it mattered most! “My lap times were also far more competitive by the end of the 4-day meeting, which proved a brilliant learning experience and brought better results that I’d ever expected after qualifying.”

Ghazi has also had a strong run in his rookie season in Italian Rotax Max, where he backed his win last time out at Ala up with a hard-fought third overall at Siena a week prior. “Siena was a busy weekend — I managed a couple of fourth places in two hard-fought races to bring it home third for the day. “Best of all is that we left Tuscany tied in second in the Junior Max championship chase, so it’s all to play for, for a rookie Junior max title podium in Italy!”  

“I have so much to thank Luca and the Munaretto Performance team, as well as my folks, for all their efforts to see me living this incredible European kart racing dream — it’s been a brilliant rookie season here so far. “Now I cannot wait to keep on improving so we are 100% ready for next year!” Ghazi’s next two races are both FIA-CIK Academy rounds, the first being his home round at Adria in Italy.