MEDIA INFORMATION
CHAMPIONS OF THE FUTURE WINTER SERIES
FRANCIACORTA KARTING TRACK, ITALY – February 24th-27th, 2022
For immediate release
Tuesday, February 22nd, 2022
YOUNG EMIRATI AL-AZHARI PREPARES FOR EUROPEAN KARTING CHALLENGE
DUBAI (UAE): Talented young Emirati racer Keanu Al-Azhari begins the next step in his career progression to becoming a future racing driver, when he competes at the Champions of the Future Winter Series race meeting at the Franciacorta Karting Track in Italy this weekend (February 24th-27th).
Heading into a crucial two years in his programme to reach the top step of motor racing and to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Jarno Trulli, the 14-year-old has become an official Tony Kart Racing team driver for 2022. Both Schumacher and Trulli came through the ranks of Tony Kart and Hamilton cut his teeth racing in the karting discipline from a very young age.
“This season, I am at the age of stepping up to one of the toughest and highest level categories in the world, OK Senior,” said Keanu. “Throughout the season my aim will be to improve as a driver and to bring myself to the front of the field and show consistency and prove myself to be a strong driver.
“These are the most important two years of the karting stage of Keanu’s motor sport career,” added his father Karim, himself a regular competitor on motor racing circuits. “He will compete in the OK category with Tony Kart Racing. He is well prepared for this journey and has been following a set path for the last seven years, the same path that all Formula One drivers took.”
Moving into the OK category, he will race alongside team-mate Tuukka Taponen, the current FIA World Champion in the OK category, and ex-World Champion Joe Turney.
“The field this year is very tough,” added Keanu. “But that also means I will be able to push myself harder in order to show results. I am looking forward to what the season has to offer for me and my career and I am excited to have this opportunity with a team like Tony Kart. I am very proud to drive for them.”
The youngster has already achieved considerable success on the junior karting scene and has become one of the world’s most talented young drivers. He raced in the OK Junior category last season and qualified in P4 for the final of the 2021 FIA World Championship. For the first part of the new season, he will learn the racing technique required to compete against the top 100 in the world, before hoping to challenge them for outright success towards the end of the season and into 2023.
Many of his competitors are based in Europe and have the additional advantage of pre-race testing at the circuits that host the top championships, including both the FIA World and European series and the Champions of the Future. Keanu arrives in Europe for the races and has still stood out as being one of the fastest youngsters over race weekends.
Keanu return to the UAE between races, where he studies at the Dubai American Academy and competes as a multiple champion in the UAE Karting Championship. Last year he was crowned Middle East IAME Cup Champion and UAE IAME X30 Junior Champion.
The Franciacorta Karting Track will host this weekend’s Champions of the Future Winter Series. It is a new outdoor facility, based at Castrezzato, near Brescia, in northern Italy. The 1,300-metre circuit offers both fast and technical sections and has slope variations.
Ends
For further information:
Firas Nimri, Tel: + 962 7 7728 2000, E-mail: firas@nimri.com.
www.tonykart.com
Franciacorta Karting Track – Live timing centro karting | Da Apex Timing (apex-timing.com)