Back on track, this time in Viterbo, with our drivers ready to compete in the WSK Super Master Series, one of the most competitive and prestigious events in international karting. Here’s how the weekend went for each driver.

Tariq Soofi – P48 – WSK Super Master Series, Viterbo (Italy), Mini GR3 Category
Tariq Soofi returned to the track, this time competing in the WSK Super Master Series at Viterbo. The weekend proved challenging due to adverse weather conditions, which made the on-track work more complex, without affecting his determination or the quality of his commitment.
Tariq leaves Viterbo with valuable experience and important lessons learned. The Bahraini driver is racing on several European tracks for the first time and, considering the highly competitive context, the progress shown is extremely encouraging. His approach remains very positive and professional: despite his championship debut, new conditions, and unfamiliar circuits, Tariq continues to demonstrate growth, motivation, and excellent potential for the rest of the season.

Julia Angelard – P70 – WSK Super Master Series, Viterbo (Italy), OK Junior Category
A demanding but insightful weekend for Julia, also on track in Viterbo. The young Polish driver faced a very competitive field, encountering some difficulties due to both the high level of her rivals and the technical characteristics of the circuit. Despite this, Julia gave her all in every session, once again proving to be extremely determined, combative, and unwilling to give up.
For Julia, this was valuable preparation ahead of the upcoming Champions of the Future Academy Program starting next weekend, the main championship she is focusing on this season. Races like this are a key step in her development: every kilometer on track helps strengthen her experience, awareness, and preparation—elements that will be crucial for the next events.

Vladimir Ivannikov – P15 – WSK Super Master Series, Viterbo (Italy), OK Category
Great work from Vladimir, also racing in Viterbo. After a very positive start, he fought with determination throughout the weekend, standing out in the Pre-Finals, which he finished in an excellent P6. In the final, he gave everything, battling until the last lap and maximizing the result, finishing P15.
Vladimir therefore concludes the Viterbo weekend on a positive note, showing consistency, grit, and a strong racing attitude. The performances displayed—especially in the early stages and Pre-Finals—confirm his potential and ability to be competitive in a very tough field. The experience gained this weekend represents an important step in his development path.

Nefeli Kosmopoulou – P58 – WSK Super Master Series, Viterbo (Italy), OK Category
A good weekend for Nefeli, in her second race in the OK category, on a completely new track for her in Viterbo. The young Greek driver did excellent work in the heats, standing out for her determination and speed, including an extraordinary 18 positions comeback in a single session—a clear sign of her competitiveness and adaptability. On the final day she faced a few more difficulties but continued to fight with conviction, without ever stopping.
Nefeli closes a very positive weekend, with a particularly strong Saturday confirming her potential. Despite her debut on this track and still adapting to the new category, she maintained a very mature and proactive attitude, approaching each session with focus and a constructive mindset. Experiences like this are fundamental in her growth path and further strengthen her confidence ahead of upcoming races.

Jason Kosmopoulou – P50 – WSK Super Master Series, Viterbo (Italy), OK Junior Category
First time in Viterbo for Jason, who delivered a very encouraging weekend. He stood out from the heats with solid performances and continued improving in the Pre-Final, where he completed excellent work by gaining nine positions.
Despite his effort and the quality shown on track, he did not manage to secure a place in the final—a result that does not fully reflect what he demonstrated during the weekend. Jason worked extremely well, showing a very positive attitude, determination, and great professionalism in every session. His performances confirm a strong competitive foundation.

Benjamin Westwood – P24 – WSK Super Master Series, Viterbo (Italy), OK Junior Category
One of Benjamin’s best weekends, also in Viterbo. In qualifying he showed his full potential by taking P2 in his group, P6 overall. In the heats he consistently stayed among the front runners, also achieving his first WSK heat victory, a result that confirms his competitiveness and the significant step forward shown throughout the weekend. Unfortunately, a contact in the Pre-Final prevented him from starting from the positions he deserved, compromising his chance to fight for a result in line with his real potential.
The direction Benjamin is taking is undoubtedly the right one. The speed, consistency, and attitude seen this weekend are extremely positive signs and confirm the quality of the work being done. Continuing on this path, with the same determination and performance level, Westwood has everything it takes to achieve major results during the season.

Zack Zhu – P17 – WSK Super Master Series, Viterbo (Italy), OK Junior Category
Last driver on track was Zack Zhu, also in Viterbo. The Chinese driver showed excellent speed throughout the weekend but was unable to collect the results he had hoped for and deserved. He started very strongly with P1 in free practice, immediately confirming great potential. In the Pre-Final he staged a strong comeback, gaining eight positions to finish P7. In the final, despite another hard fought race and six positions gained, he finished P17, unable to fully capitalize on the work done.
Zack’s weekend still remains positive and full of encouraging signs, even if the final result does not fully reflect his on-track value. The speed he demonstrated, combined with his comeback ability and determined attitude, confirms very high expectations for him. His potential is clear and, continuing on this path, he will soon be able to turn these strong performances into increasingly important results.

Author: Gabriele Bovio

MOTORSPORT – BAHRAINI karting sensation Tariq Soofi is “motivated to keep working hard” following his historic debut in the WSK Euro Series 2026 last week in the championship’s opening round at Leopard Circuit Viterbo in Italy.

The recently turned 11-year-old, who is a two-time national champion, competed amongst some of the world’s best in grassroots motorsport, suited up with Lenovo Kali Kart Team.

Tariq took to the track in the Mini GR3 category, which featured a stacked grid of more than 50 karters of various nationalities, and made tremendous progress each time he hit the tarmac. He started the weekend off with a best lap of one minute 15.327 seconds in his first practice session in wet conditions, which he improved to 1:13.794 in his pre-final.

“Last weekend was my first time racing in the WSK at the Viterbo track in rainy conditions – it was really challenging but I felt I was getting better every time I went out on track,” Tariq told the GDN yesterday from Italy.

“Overall, it was a big learning experience for me and I’m happy with the progress I made during the races.”

Tariq, who is also a part of Bahrain-based NorthStar Racing which competes at Bahrain International Karting Circuit (BIKC), highlighted that he is constantly learning in his European campaign thanks to the guidance of his teammates at Lenovo Kali Kart.

“I’m learning a lot with my team Lenovo Kali Kart and from [technical manager] Mariano [De Faveri] and [Mini category coordinator] Roberto [Musio], especially when we look at the telemetry together,” Tariq explained. “My mechanic Federico keeps pushing me and teaching me many things about the mechanical parts of the kart.

“I’ve built a great relationship with my team and I really enjoy working with them. The team was very impressed with my performance and progress last weekend, and they believe I have even more potential to improve.

“That makes me feel proud and motivated to keep working hard.”

Tariq is next set to compete in the third round of the 2026 WSK Super Masters Series, starting from tomorrow and to be held until Sunday at the same 1.3-kilometre Viterbo track. He will once again be racing in the Mini GR3 class, which will feature over 50 drivers.

“This coming weekend, I’m aiming for more progress and stronger results by pushing myself even more and doing my best on track,” Tariq told the GDN.

During the past weekend in the WSK Euro Series, Tariq had the opportunity to meet Mercedes’s Formula One team principal Toto Wolff, whose son Jack was racing in the Mini U10 category.

Aside from the WSK championships, Tariq is also lined up to compete in the ACI Italian Karting Championship.

The back-to-back Micro MAX champion of the Bahrain Rotax MAX Challenge at BIKC is being guided in his motorsport journey by Minardi Management – a leading driver-management company in Italy established in 2003 by Giovanni Minardi, son of Gian Carlo Minardi, the founder of the historic Minardi Formula One team that bears their family name.

Minardi have planned a full-time programme for him in Italy for the 2026 season. Kalì Kart is a brand of CRG Srl, one of the most prestigious companies in the world of karting.

patrick@gdnmedia.bh

Rivaan Dev Preetham officially joins the Minardi Management powered by DAG LTD family, becoming the first Indian driver to be part of our agency. Born in 2013, Rivaan enjoyed an outstanding last season, taking part in multiple championships and collecting victories and podium finishes that did not go unnoticed. In such a short time, he has shown natural talent and an uncommon competitive maturity, making him one of the most promising prospects in the global motorsport scene.

We are honored and delighted to welcome him into our journey. From today, we will be by his side as he grows through the various categories, with the goal of enhancing his potential and accompanying him through every new challenge. The passion, commitment, and determination Rivaan brings with him represent the true essence of this sport. We cannot wait to write the next chapters of his story together.

Dorothea Schulz: “I am very happy to welcome Rivaan Dev Preetham to our agency. Rivaan is a talented young driver with strong dedication, passion, and a clear desire to grow both on and off the track. From our first conversations, it was clear that he and his family share values that are very important to us: professionalism, long-term vision, and continuous development. We are excited to support Rivaan in this new chapter of his journey and to work closely together to build a solid and structured path for his future in motorsport.”

Giovanni Minardi: “I am extremely pleased that a driver like Rivaan and his family have chosen our agency as the gateway from distant India to Europe. Rivaan is the first driver from India to join the Agency. With his arrival, we have further expanded the number of nationalities represented within our roster. I am certain that thanks to his speed and many other qualities, Rivaan will have the opportunity to achieve great results. I look forward to working closely with him, sharing my experience, helping him grow, and guiding him toward his ultimate goal.”

Rivaan Dev Preetham: ““When I hear the name Minardi, I immediately think of my hero Fernando Alonso, which makes this even more special for me. Minardi represents everything I love about motorsport—hard work, trust, and believing in young drivers. It is a huge honour to be represented by Minardi Management at this early stage of my career. Their belief in me means a lot and pushes me to work harder every single day. I’m really excited to start this new journey with Minardi and can’t wait to build something special together.”

Author: Gabriele Bovio

• The second round of the WSK Super Master Series, which took place last weekend, showed that Julia Angelard has made progress from round to round.
• Another successful qualifying session underpinned the morale of the teenage competitor, who this time also took part in the semi-final race, but had no chance of advancing to the final race in Sarno.
• As the ORLEN Motorsport Academy representative emphasizes, at this stage of the season, every kilometer on the track allows you to better understand the kart and, together with the engineer and mechanics, make adjustments that will bear fruit in the future.

Last weekend provided another opportunity for some karting drivers to compete on the track. It was the second round of the WSK Super Master Series, held in Sarno, Italy, at the International Circuit Napoli from February 5-8, 2026. Among the small group of female competitors was 13-year-old Julia Angelard. Unlike the first round of the series, this time the Polish teenager advanced to the semifinals, racking up kilometers on the karting track, bringing her closer to ever-improving results.

Successful qualifying, difficulties in heats
From Julia Angelard’s perspective, the race weekend started off quite well, with a successful qualifying session. Despite struggling with her kart, the teenage racer finished 22nd in her qualifying session, just 1.017 seconds behind the fastest driver on the track. Unfortunately, the first heat of the qualifying heat dampened her enthusiasm, as Julia Angelard was eliminated prematurely following a collision on the first lap. In subsequent heats, the 13-year-old Pole reached the finish line, but in distant positions.

Positive news arrived on Sunday morning during the warm-up session before the prefinal. Once again this weekend, Julia Angelard showed solid pace over a single lap, finishing 19th, again just over a second behind the fastest driver. Unfortunately, the prefinal wasn’t without its challenges, resulting in the end of the fight at that stage of the round in Sarno, Italy.

Julia Angelard: Every track activity matters
“From the perspective of the start of the season and joining a new team, every track activity is important. I’m glad that during the second round of the WSK Super Master Series, I took part not only in the qualifying heats but also in the prefinal. Although this one didn’t go as I expected, every kilometer behind the wheel of the Birel ART kart brings me closer to a better understanding of the machine, and the feedback I and my teammates provide helps the engineers and mechanics ensure we become competitive as quickly as possible,” emphasizes the driver of Minardi Management powered by Dag Ltd.

Another opportunity to gain experience on the track is in less than two weeks – the third round of the WSK Super Master Series will be held in Viterbo, Italy, from 18th to 22nd February 2026.