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Champions of the Future Academy Round 6 Recap: One last chance to shine
After a season of intense battles, our nine F1 ACADEMY DISCOVER YOUR DRIVE karters were determined to finish on a high in the final round of the 2025 Champions of the Future Academy Program at the Al Forsan International Sports Resort.
A successful weekend for both the Juniors and Seniors saw Angelina Simons and Chiara Bättig stand on the top step of the podium for the first time this season, alongside securing P3 and P2 in their respective Drivers’ Standings.
Minis (ages 8-11)
Ava Lawrence’s pace looked promising from the outset, with the UAE racer qualifying in fifth on Day 1. Despite dropping down to P10 by the halfway point in Heat 1, Lawrence finished in P6 and looked set for a P3 finish in Heat 2, but a wide moment on the penultimate lap wiped out her progress. Taking the chequered flag in P11, she lined up in P8 for the Final, four places ahead of Atiqa Mir.
However, it would be Mir who led the Mini trio across the line. Although the Indian racer lost four places on the opening lap, she kept up the fight to eventually finish in P8, whilst Lawrence slipped back to P16 in the latter stages.
The second day saw another strong Qualifying from Lawrence, who secured the fourth-fastest time — only 0.096s off pole. Two consistent P6 and P3 finishes across the Heats earned her a second row start for the Final. Although she lost four places on the opening lap, Lawrence didn’t give up and ended the season with a P5 finish.
A P23 result in Qualifying was a rocky start for Mir, but she steadily managed to climb her way up the order. Making up 11 places across both Heats, she turned her P17 spot on the grid into points-scoring finish in P13.
Alba Cueva had an uphill battle across Round 6. Qualifying in P16 on the opening day, she was unable to make progress in the Heats. Lining up in P19 for the Final, she eventually classified in P22 after receiving a five-second penalty for not respecting flag signals.
It was an unlucky Day 2 for the Spaniard. After qualifying in P18, she received a penalty for a technical infringement in Heat 1 and was forced to park up on the formation lap of Heat 2 after an issue. Starting down in P30, Cueva put her racecraft to work to make up eight places in the Final.
Juniors (ages 11-14)
After losing out on the Final win in Round 5, Angelina Simons was on a mission to bring home some silverware. Qualifying in seventh, she made some decisive moves to score the P3 spot on the Final grid. Although the Spaniard slipped down to P5 at one point, Simons kept her cool to make it back up to third and score her second podium of the season.
Despite the win eluding her, Simons wouldn’t have to wait long on Day 2. Going from P6 to P3 by the end of the opening lap in Heat 1 and later regaining third with a bold move at the final corner, Simons followed it up with a P2 finish in Heat 2, giving her pole for the Final.
Executing a perfect start, she opened up an eight-tenths lead by the end of Lap 1. In complete control despite the pressure of final lap sprint to the line, Simons triumphed by 0.098s in a lights-to-flag victory, helping her to secure third in the Standings.
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There were mixed fortunes for Victoria Farfus at Al Forsan, as the Brazilian could only manage P19 in Day 1’s Time Qualifying session. Improving up to P13 for the Final grid, the Iron Dames-backed karter ended the day in 11th.
Day 2 got off to a stronger start, with a P5 in Qualifying being followed up with a P9 in Heat 1. However, Heat 2 would put Farfus on the backfoot as she was disqualified for a bad manoeuvre after getting caught up in a multi-kart incident on the opening lap. Forced to start down in P19, she fought back to finish in P16.
Seniors (ages 14-17)
As she progresses into single-seaters, Chiara Bättig had one final opportunity to cover herself in glory. The podium was within reach from the start as the Red Bull Junior qualified in second and after two defensive Heats, she lined up in fourth. Unable to close in on third, she had a lonely race in fourth, pulling a comfortable gap to fifth.
Undeterred, Bättig was back with a vengeance on Day 2. Promoted to P1 in Qualifying by 0.046s after a track limits deletion ahead, she couldn’t hold the lead throughout both Heats but ensured she’d line up on the front row for the Final.
Dropping down to P3 on the first lap, Bättig bided her time watching the battle for the lead. Her moment came on the final lap, as the Swiss racer stormed from third to first. Slipping past the pair and storming 1.5s clear of the pack, she capped off the season with a long-awaited victory.
The rest of the quartet would be firmly in the mix for points. A strong Qualifying and Heats for Vanesa Silkunaite on Day 1 saw the Lithuanian line up in fifth for the Final. A tough opening phase saw her lose five places in the first three laps, before she had to retire early on Lap 8.
Ella Häkkinen and Klara Kowalczyk weren’t far behind after qualifying in P9 and P11, respectively. Neither made big inroads across the Heats but did capitalise on an action-packed Final to secure points in P7 and P11.
Silkunaite once again looked quick on Day 2, qualifying in P7, one place ahead of Häkkinen. Both held firm in the Heats, lining up in the same spots for the last Final of the year. A rapid opening lap saw Silkunaite climb up as high as fourth, but she couldn’t quite match the pace of the leading trio, losing a handful of places to classify in P8. Meanwhile, Häkkinen had to be sharp on the attack in the mid-pack and eventually had to settle for P13, securing the Monégasque fifth-place in the Standings.
Kowalczyk ended the final day better than she started. A P20 result in Qualifying left her with work to do in the Heats, with the Polish racer moving up 14 places across the two 12-lap races. Starting in P12, she was able to bring home P10 but dropped behind Häkkinen to finish sixth in the Standings.
That brings the 2025 COTFA season to a close and to see the full list of results from Round 6, visit the COTFA website here. Mir, Silkunaite and Häkkinen will be back in action alongside four new F1 ACADEMY DISCOVER YOUR DRIVE-supported karters for Round 2 of the Champions of the Future Academy Program UAE on February 20-22, 2026.