Kicking off the 2025 season on a high note, Axel Nocom secured 10th place on his first outing at the Yas Marina Circuit. However, the weekend in the UAE Rotax Max Challenge was far from a walk in the park, as the 13-year-old encountered a few issues on Saturday before securing a Top 10 finish on Sunday.
The Filipino karter took the rare opportunity to race on a shortened version of the Formula 1 GP circuit, which is used for karting only twice a year. This meant that all competitors were on equal footing, with track familiarity not being an advantage. On the contrary, practice was limited, requiring all drivers to be on point each time they were out on track. Adding to the challenge, there was no warm-up session at the start of the day, meaning drivers were sent straight into official timed sessions.
Also new to Axel was the series’ qualifying format, where a three-lap average determines the starting positions. Unfortunately, he got bottled up behind traffic and couldn’t get a clean run, leaving him in P20 out of 28 runners. To make matters worse, Axel was caught out by the opening lap chaos and suffered a puncture, resulting in a DNF in the Saturday Heat.
Due to strict tire allocations, he was forced to use a worn-out tire from practice in the Pre-Finals. Despite all the setbacks and lack of grip, Axel made up for lost ground to finish in a strong 15th place. He then improved by one spot in the Finals, ending the first day of racing in 14th.
His fortunes turned on Sunday, starting the day with P10 in qualifying—just 0.327 seconds off pole. A valiant effort in the heat earned him 12th, followed by an impressive 8th place finish in the Pre-Final as he fought for a Top 5 spot. Determined to secure solid results, he played the long game in the all-important Finals and stayed out of trouble to take the chequered flag in 10th.
Axel’s results at the Yas Marina Circuit align with his goal of consistently finishing in the Top 10 this 2025 season. It also serves as a warm-up, as the races in the UAE closely compare to the level of competition in Europe—a far cry from Asia based on their experience. He now turns his focus to the Champions of the Future Academy (COTFA), which gets the green light at the end of February at the Kartódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal.
Axel Nocom is supported by the Mercedes Young Driver Development Philippines, Deseño MNL, Recaro Philippines, DENSO Spark Plugs, Ceramic Pro Philippines, Ravenol Philippines, AutoPlus Sports, DRIFT XAUST, DRIFT MOTOR Speedway, Ekartraceway, Kart Republic, New Era Cap Philippines, Skullcandy Philippines, Burlington Socks, Simagic, Cammus Philippines, Apex Racing Philippines, Monza Barcade, Pregame Motorsport Merchandise, and DG Budget Hotel.
Those interested in following in Axel’s footsteps to race competitively overseas can inquire at the Axel Motorsports page on Facebook.
