Taking part in the FIA Academy Trophy was a defining experience for me, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity. I had the honour of representing Switzerland in three rounds of the European Championship – and I learned a lot along the way.
Race 1 – Portimão (Portugal)
The first race in Portimão was challenging, but full of lessons. On a dry track, we were among the fastest in the practice sessions, regularly placing in the Top Ten. But then the rain started, and during one session, our engine was damaged. That meant we couldn’t practice in the wet before qualifying. Fortunately, we received a replacement engine in time. With it, I managed to qualify in fifth place.
In the heats, we had more engine issues. In one race where the engine worked, I collided with the race leader. That resulted in a five-second penalty and a loss of positions. I started the final from P8. The engine problems worsened, but I fought hard and defended my position to the finish – ending up ninth. I was disappointed because we had the potential for more, but I quickly shifted my focus to the second race in Viterbo.
Race 2 – Viterbo (Italy)
Viterbo turned out to be the toughest and most frustrating round of the championship. With a working engine, the pace in practice was strong – I was consistently among the fastest. But in qualifying, I got a bad set of Maxxis tyres, which left me stuck in the midfield.
In the heats, I gained some positions with good starts, but I was also unlucky with a few crashes. In the final, I had to start from P28. Again, I made up ground, but then the spark plug failed, which cost us around 8 km/h on the straights. Later, we discovered the tyres were part of a faulty production batch – they had cracks and started falling apart during the race. Despite all that, I still made up 11 positions. Mentally, that weekend was incredibly tough. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. But I didn’t give up and set my sights on the next race in Denmark.
Race 3 – Rødby (Denmark)
Rødby was another “what could have been.” In warm-up, I was among the fastest – often P1 or P2 – and the engine worked well. We were ready for qualifying. But on my fastest lap, I made a mistake, ran wide with one wheel on the grass and lost time due to oversteer. In the end, I missed pole by just one tenth of a second. My team, my coach, and I were all disappointed – the potential was there.
In the heats, I showed my pace. After contact at the start, I had to fight back from P7 to P5, setting the fastest laps over several laps. I closed the gap to P4 and pulled off one of my best overtakes – but lost the position again in a hard-fought battle. We should have started the final from P3. But then came the setback: disqualification for working on the kart in parc fermé. My mechanic had only clipped the air filter back into place – but the stewards showed no leniency.
Despite the DSQ, I was allowed to start the final from P9. I moved up to P5 early on. But when the rain eased, our tyre pressure was too high, and I dropped back to P9 – where I eventually crossed the line. Another frustrating result.
Final Thoughts
We didn’t get the results we deserved – but the amount I learned was huge. And that’s part of the journey. I’m convinced: my time will come. I won’t stop working hard.
Big thanks to Auto Sport Switzerland for giving me the chance to prove myself on the international stage. Thanks also to my coach Victor Bernier, to my mechanics, and to the entire Victory Lane team for their support – both on and off the track. And of course, to my family and everyone who makes this possible.
Thank you!