Noah Monteiro wins his first international race in a bittersweet weekend

Skywalker Young Gun driver Noah Monteiro started the second round of the FIA Karting Academy Trophy in the best possible way last weekend. On the Adria circuit in Italy, the young Portuguese driver stood out despite a grid of 50 extremely competitive and experienced competitors.

After securing an excellent 5th place in qualifying, Noah knew he had the pace to be at the forefront and he showed it in the first qualifying race, crossing the finish line 4th. Noah continued his ascent in the second qualifying race, grabbing 1st place quickly enough not to let go and saluted the checkered flag 5 seconds ahead of second place.

His first international victory, acquired with such a prestigious trophy, impressed observers and underlined the constant progress made by the young 11-year-old driver. Everything was going perfectly and even better than what Noah could have hoped for when he made his debut this year at the international level in the Junior category.

However, in the third leg, while struggling to take the lead, Noah was struck by an opponent who knocked him off the circuit. With the front wheel broken, he had no other choice than to retire.

Nevertheless, his excellent results enabled him to participate in the Grand Final. Starting 14th out of the 36 qualified drivers, Noah had high hopes, but he didn’t know that the worst was yet to come. The Skywalker Young Gun driver was unable to even start the race due to a disqualification for attempting, at the time of the accident, to unlock the wheel that was stuck in the front bumper. This gesture was interpreted as a violation of the trophy regulations.

“I can't even explain how sad I was to end the weekend like this. We were so competitive… I really thought I could have a good race. We have made massive progress over the weekend, and I learned a lot on the track. But then it all ends with a disqualification. I didn't know I wasn't allowed to try to fix the problem. I just wanted to unlock the steering wheel so I could get back into the race. It is a huge frustration. But there remains the satisfaction of having been at the forefront, of having won a race, and of having shown on the track that all the work so far this year bears fruit”, declared the young driver who is concentrating firmly on his career.

The next race to be held is on August 28 and 29 in Genk, which will host the season finale of the IAME Euro Series.