Report

Improving with every lap: Champions of the Future Academy International Round 3 Recap

13 July 2026

Our F1 ACADEMY DISCOVER YOUR DRIVE karters continued to go from strength to strength as they headed to Italy for Round 3 of the 2026 Champions of the Future Academy International Series.

The Leopard Circuit Viterbo played host to the halfway point in the season, with Anna Makolm taking another step forward by delivering back-to-back podiums in the Mini 60 Under 10s category.

KHLOE MCGILL (MINI 60)

It was a tough beginning for the Mini 60 trio, with Khloe McGill leading the way in Time Qualifying on Day 1. Initially qualifying in P11, the Briton was unable to climb up the order in either Heat, landing her in P11 once again for the Final. Engaging in plenty of battles, McGill couldn’t move forward and classified in P13.

The challenges continued into Day 2, as McGill qualified towards the tail end of the timesheets in P34. Undeterred, she bounced back in the Heats, moving up an impressive 24 places in total, which helped her secure 20th on the grid for the Final. Unfortunately, McGill’s race would come to a premature end on the opening lap.

Makolm was the strongest of the Minis, achieving a Under 10s victory and podium

ANNA MAKOLM (MINI 60)

Despite qualifying in P17, Anna Makolm showed she had the pace to fight her way through the pack after gaining five places in the first Heat of the weekend. However, Heat 2 saw a setback for the Austrian, who received a 10-second penalty for causing an incident which dropped her down to P33.

Lining up in P22, she started fifth amongst the Under 10s for the Final. Gaining seven places, Makolm’s efforts were rewarded with a third-place finish in the Under 10s.

Spurred on by that result, Makolm got Day 2 off to a much more promising start, qualifying inside the top seven and first amongst the Under 10s. That pace held firm in the Heats, as she secured a spot on the fourth row for the Final. Making the most of her grid position, Makolm drove off to win the Under 10s category, finishing sixth overall and helping her into second place in the Under 10s Standings.

SOFIA RUDENKO (MINI 60)

Sofia Rudenko also struggled in Qualifying on the opening day, only managing to record a time worthy of P28. Gaining 11 places across the Heats, she made progress from 23rd on the grid to finish inside the top 20 in the Final.

The American’s second day began in an encouraging fashion, as she qualified in P9. However, she lost ground in both Heats, which demoted her to P15 on the Final grid. Rudenko couldn’t regain any places in the Final, ending her weekend in P21.

Angelard put together another strong weekend, coming close to a podium on Day 2 at the Italian track

JULIA ANGELARD (OK-N JUNIOR)

Julia Angelard kicked off Round 3 in fine form, breaking into the top five in Qualifying, only 0.166s off pole. Classifying fifth and sixth in the Heats allowed the Polish karter to claim the fourth-placed spot on the Day 1 Final grid. Despite her best efforts, Angelard couldn’t carve out a place on the podium and had to be content with fourth.

It was another impressive start by Angelard, who qualified in P5 on Day 2. Frustratingly for her, Heat 1 ended with a P18 finish after a five-second penalty for an incorrectly installed or positioned front fairing cost her a top 10 result. She shook off the disappointment in Heat 2, finishing in P2.

Starting seventh for the Final, Angelard tried her best, just missing out on a podium in fourth. This leaves the Pole sixth in the OK-N Junior Standings with three rounds remaining.

MIA ZANKI (OK-N JUNIOR)

It was an unlucky start for Mia Zanki on Day 1. Forced to slow for yellow flags on her best lap, the Austrian karter could only manage to qualify in P15. Finishing where she started in both Heats, Zanki lost time battling back and forth in the Final, eventually classifying in P15 once again.

Day 2 initially got off to a much better start for Zanki, who qualified in P10 despite a small error. A mistake on the opening lap in Heat 1 cost her three places and she was pushed on to the grass in Heat 2, relegating her down to P22. The Final would prove to be another difficult run, with Zanki ultimately ending up in P20.

Stewart brought home more points on Day 2

“This weekend taught me that my pace is good enough to fight for the podium, but I still have a lot to learn about racecraft in the middle of the field,” she noted. “I also want to understand these engines and carburettors much better because they are very different from what I raced before.

“Every weekend I feel like I learn something new. My goal is to fight consistently in the top five and hopefully for a podium. I know I have the speed, so now I want to put everything together and turn that speed into strong results.”

ANDIE STEWART (OK-N JUNIOR)

Andie Stewart would have a fightback on her hands on Day 1 after she qualified down in P19. Her quest was not helped after she was forced to retire from Heat 1 two laps before the chequered flag and was subsequently disqualified from Heat 2 for working on the pre-grid. As a result, the Briton lined up last on the grid for the Final, but pushed on, gaining 12 places to finish in P19.

The second day saw Stewart start firmly in the midfield, as she qualified just behind Zanki in P11. Delivering two solid performances in the Heats allowed Stewart to assume the P11 spot once again, this time for the Final. Making another slight inroad, the Briton concluded her weekend inside the top eight.

“I feel like I made really good progress all weekend on this track against drivers who have a lot of experience here so I'm really proud of that,” said Stewart. “(My biggest challenge was) Keeping my confidence high when it felt tough. It was so hot. I was reminded how important it is to put a bad session behind me and focus on the next one and that there are always lessons!”

Wyszomirska and Simons Torres both qualified inside the top 15 on Day 1

ANGELINA SIMONS TORRES (OK-N SENIOR)

Angelina Simons Torres was the quickest of the Senior trio out of the blocks on Day 1. Qualifying in P8, she showed strong pace by finishing the Heats in P6 and P5. Starting from the third row, the Spaniard had a solid getaway but was involved in contact that dropped her down the order, eventually recovering to P9.

Day 2 commenced in a similar fashion after Simons Torres qualified in P9. Finishing fourth in the first Heat was a boost to her chances until she spun out at Turn 1 in the second Heat. Starting the Final from P12, she battled her way through the field to end Round 3 firmly inside the top four and she now sits sixth in the Standings.

“The biggest challenge was dealing with incidents that were out of my control,” she admitted. “Both the contact in Saturday’s Final and the spin on Sunday made it difficult, but staying focused and recovering positions was important. I learnt the importance of staying calm after setbacks and continuing to push until the end. Every position matters, especially for the championship.”

AMELIA WYSZOMIRSKA (OK-N SENIOR)

Amelia Wyszomirska had her work cut out for her on Day 1 after qualifying in P14. The Polish karter didn’t make any major inroads in the Heats, finishing in P15 and P13, which left her on the seventh row for the Final. A decent drive saw her steer clear of trouble to take the chequered flag in 13th.

Day 2 saw Wyszomirska experience another tricky Qualifying in P14. After finishing Heat 1 in P17, she experienced a bigger setback in Heat 2, which came to an end after contact on the opening lap. Yet the weekend ended on a more upbeat note as Wyszomirska made up nine places to finish P19 in the Final.

Silkunaite moved up from P20 to P8 on the first day's running

“My pace was good all weekend,” she said. “I had the speed to fight for the top five to seven positions. I had to start every race from the outside again. It has been the same for a few rounds now, and this track made overtaking very difficult. I learnt that we can't control everything, so I need to stay focused on the things I can do.”

VANESA SILKUNAITE (OK-N SENIOR)

Round 3 was an uphill battle for Vanesa Silkunaite after she qualified in P20 on Day 1. Gaining 10 places in Heat 1 was a much needed boost, helping her to move up slightly to P17 for the Final. Another charge ensued, with Silkunaite improving by nine places to finish in P8.

The Lithuanian struggled once more on Day 2, qualifying in P19. However, her race pace showed no such issues as Silkunaite improved by 14 places across both Heats. She tried to carry that energy into the Final but slipped back three places to classify in P14. As a consequence, she sits seventh in the Standings, one place behind Simons Torres.

Round 4 of the 2026 COTFA season sees the field head to the Aspar Circuit in Valencia, Spain from September 4-6. To see the full list of results from Round 3 and to view the remaining rounds on the calendar, visit the COTFA website here.