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South Africa’s finest karters are locked and loaded to take on the best in the world when the 24th annual ‘Rotax Max Olympics of Karting’ Grand Finals go down at the Circuito Internazionale di Napoli in Sarno, Italy from the 19th to the 26th of October.

Comprising South African and African champions, the twelve-man South African Rotax Grand Finals Team will take on 388 rivals from over sixty countries across the six Rotax classes. The racing will effectively crown the 2024 Rotax Max World Champions in each class.

Team South Africa is headed by four drivers in the top direct-drive two-speed DD2 class. National champion Bradley Liebenberg from Johannesburg is backed by Cape Town African Open winner Sebastian Boyd, Namibian Zain Beuthin and Mozambican driver Cristian Bouche. Gauteng driver, Bjorn Roos will fly the green and gold in the over-31 DD2 Masters. 

Another most exciting prospect, Capetonian African Open champion Charl Visser once again returns to the Grand Finals to represent South Africa in open chain-drive Rotax Senior Max alongside Gauteng lad Kent Swartz. Another Cape lad, William Marshall and Luke Hill from Johannesburg are Team South Africa’s high school Rotax Junior Max representatives. 

Johannesburg under-13 karting champion Tshepang Shisinwana and Aaryan Singh, a South African lad who lives in Dubai, and came home to steal the African Open crown and claim his Grand Finals seat, will race in Rotax Mini Max. And Jozi kid Matthew Shuttleworth heads to Italy as South Africa’s under-11 Rotax Micro Max driver.

South Africans have won fourteen Grand Finals since the ‘Olympics of Karting’ began in the year 2000. Durban here Cristiano Morgado remains the only driver ever to win five Rotax Max Grand Finals. South African Rotax Max Grand Finals success goes far deeper. Gavin Cronje won the first Finals in Puerto Rico, before Claudio Piazza-Musso followed up in 2001.

Mark Cronje then won at home at Zwartkops in 2003, before Wesleigh Orr took back-to-back RM1 titles to complete a stunning South African six in a row in 2004 and 2005. Leeroy Poulter was back on top in DD2 in ‘08, Caleb Williams won in 2010, and Mini Max lad Jayden Els was South Africa's youngest winner 2016. South Africa also won the Nations Cup in 2014.

Plausibly the fairest and most driver-oriented racing anywhere, the Rotax Max Grand Finals hands each driver an identical brand new kart, a Rotax Max race engine, tyres and fuel. Teams and drivers have limited sessions to set their karts up, before a gruelling series of ruthless heats and semis, which see only the top 33 qualifying for each class final.

“Team South Africa is locked and loaded for the 2024 Rotax Max Grand Finals,” Rotax Max SA boss Ed Murray confirmed. “Our strong team of Southern Africa’s twelve finest karters is ready to build on that great South African Rotax Max Grand Final legend, at the same time as making new friends and creating Italian memories they will cherish forever.”

The Rotax Max Grand Finals commence with the equipment handover. Track action starts with practice on Wednesday 6 October before qualifying and the heats. The Grand Final in each class race on Saturday 26 October. Catch the live stream at www.kart.co.za