ACTIVE RECOVERY FOR MAXIME NOEPPEL IN SALBRIS

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Thirteen-year-old Maxime Noeppel has, quite unwittingly, delayed the start of the 2026 season. Having suffered a scaphoid fracture at La Conca in mid-January, he was in a cast until the beginning of March. It was therefore in the midst of his recovery and with very little training that he approached the first round of the French Junior Karting Championship at Salbris.

Maxime had just managed to take part in the second FFSA Academy seminar at the Le Mans circuit before beginning his rehabilitation. He was already showing good pace and confirmed this shortly afterwards during OK-Junior tests at Franciacorta with the Victory Lane team. Salbris therefore marked his true return to competition, with great motivation.

Having taken the collective reprimand from the FFSA Academy officials during Thursday’s free practice sessions to heart, Maxime remained somewhat reserved afterwards. He only really came into his own during Saturday morning’s qualifying session. He steadily improved his pace despite the traffic and, on the final lap, set the sixth-fastest time, less than a tenth of a second off pole position.

Unfortunately, the chaotic nature of the event did not work in his favour. Penalised for a detached front fairing in the first race through no fault of his own, Maxime found himself 16th in the provisional standings on Saturday evening. He went into the pre-final on the attack and made up five places to finish 11th. He got off to an excellent start in the final and was already back in the top 10, but a red flag wiped out his efforts. He fought bravely at the restart in a very chaotic field. He was eventually knocked out and did not finish the race.

Although there was a sense of disappointment at the end of the meeting, Maxime nonetheless demonstrated excellent speed whilst racing with respect for his rivals. He always managed to bounce back after the setbacks he had to endure. A fine display of resilience following his injury at the start of the season and, above all, a tenfold increase in motivation for the races to come. He is now ready to compete internationally in OK, starting with the Champions of the Future and the FIA Karting European Championship at La Conca, before returning to the French Junior Championship at Aunay-les-Bois from 24 to 26 April.

Maxime is proud to have been chosen by Minardi Management, which provides him with first-class mental support. He warmly thanks the partners who support his progress:

  • Pano Bar in Les 2 Alpes
  • CFCA Accountancy Firm
  • Sushis Restaurant in Saint-Louis
  • Noeppel Carpentry
  • Chalets Horizon Blanc in Les 2 Alpes

Autor: Frederic Billet