After a three-month break since the last round in Spain, Axel Nocom returned to action for Round 3 of the Champions of the Future Academy (COTFA) at the historic Pista Azzurra Jesolo in Italy. Despite it being his first time on the 1.045 km circuit, the lone Filipino karter on the OK-N Junior grid delivered a strong performance to secure back-to-back Top 10 finishes.
Built in 1964, Jesolo has seen legends like Senna, Prost, Schumacher, and Hamilton race there during their early karting days. Today, the layout remains largely unchanged—narrow and technical, but renowned for its overtaking opportunities and close racing.
Although unfamiliar with the circuit, Axel quickly found his rhythm—breaking into the Top 10 early in Free Practice and ending the day 11th fastest out of 34 drivers. It was a solid start that gave him confidence heading into the race weekend.
Saturday began on a strong note, with Axel qualifying P11—just 0.302 secs off pole. He carried that pace into the Heats, climbing steadily through the field in Heat 1 and reaching P6 by the end of lap 6. The 13-year-old then held position to the flag to secure a 6th place finish.
Heat 2 saw another quick getaway, with Axel surging as high as P4 in the early laps. He was running solidly in P6 when contact with another karter earned him a post-race penalty, dropping him to 11th. Despite the setback, his combined Heat results were enough to place him P7 on the grid for the Finals.
Axel made the most of his starting position, climbing to P4 in the opening laps. By lap 4, he had worked his way up to 2nd and held the position for most of the race. But in the closing stages, he came under heavy pressure and lost momentum—slipping down the order to finish 10th.
Sunday’s sessions proved more difficult, with early setbacks putting Axel on the back foot. He got caught in traffic during Qualifying and was unable to put together a clean lap, leaving him down in P22.
Undeterred, he put his head down and fought back in the Heats. With a clean run and a bit of luck, Axel gained 6 positions in Heat 1 to finish 16th. He improved again in Heat 2, climbing to 15th after post-race penalties were applied.
Starting P12 in the Finals, Axel made early gains to reach P10 by lap 2 and spent the rest of the 17-lap race locked in a tense midfield battle. He kept his nose clean, avoided incidents, and brought home another Top 10 finish.
Jesolo marked an important milestone in Axel’s COTFA campaign. Compared to previous rounds where his best results came from strong starting positions, this time he proved that he could bring the fight to the front. It was also the first time he scored points in all sessions across both race days.
With the season now at its halfway mark, Axel holds 13th in the OK-N Junior Championship, with Round 4 taking place in September at the Slovak Karting Center in Slovakia.
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.
