Axel Nocom was back on the podium at Round 3 of the Champions of the Future Academy (COTFA), securing a 2nd place finish at the Leopard Circuit in Viterbo, Italy. The result came after the young Filipino went wheel-to-wheel with WSK World Champion and Mercedes Formula 1 Junior driver Niccolò Perico.
Arriving 10 days before the event, Axel focused on learning the circuit for what would prove to be one of the most competitive grids of the season. His confidence grew after Friday’s practice sessions where Axel was 4th fastest among 31 drivers, showing immediate pace at the front despite it being his first visit to Viterbo.
Saturday, however, began with frustration. Axel was on course for a strong qualifying result before another driver spun ahead of him during his final flying lap. The incident left him only P9 on the grid and faced another recovery drive.
He responded well in the Heats. Heat 1 saw him climb to 7th after gaining positions during the race, while Heat 2 produced an even stronger drive as he charged from P7 on the opening lap to finish 5th. The combined results promoted him to P6 for Saturday’s Final.
Unfortunately, bad luck struck just as the lights went out. An engine issue on his #54 kart immediately left Axel short on pace and unable to fight with the leaders. He gradually slipped backwards before finishing 9th, 8.933 secs behind race winner Perico.
The team solved the engine problem overnight, allowing Axel to return to full pace on Sunday. He immediately demonstrated that by qualifying P2, just 0.162 secs behind Perico.
Heat 1 developed into a straight fight between the pair, with Axel shadowing the young Italian from start to finish to secure 2nd. Heat 2 proved slightly more difficult after a slow getaway dropped him to P4. Although he recovered to 3rd, he was unable to find a way past Poland’s Julia Angelard and settled for another solid finish.
Starting alongside Perico on the front row for the Final, Axel once again showed he belonged at the front. The pair immediately broke away from the rest of the field, opening a gap of more than 6 secs as they battled for victory.
However, the Leopard Circuit is known for being particularly demanding on tires, rewarding drivers who carefully manage degradation over the race distance. Pushing hard in the early laps eventually caught up with Axel as his tires began to fade, allowing Perico to gradually edge away. Axel crossed the finish line 1.753 secs behind the Italian, while finishing 6.083 secs ahead of 3rd.
Although victory narrowly escaped him, the weekend marked another important milestone in Axel’s development. Going toe-to-toe with one of Europe’s top young drivers on his home circuit reinforced just how much the 14-year-old Filipino has progressed over the past year.
The podium finish in Italy moves Axel back up to 2nd overall in the OK-N Junior championship standings, now 32 points behind leader Zoltan Coigny as the 2026 season reaches its halfway mark. He will next return to Spain for Round 4 of the Champions of the Future Academy at the Aspar Circuit on September 4/6.
Axel Nocom is supported by Mercedes Driver Development, Deseño MNL, Recaro Philippines, Ceramic Pro Philippines, DRIFT XAUST, DRIFT MOTOR Speedway, Ekartraceway, Kart Republic, Oasis Tech HK, Dri Plus Ph, Simagic, 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.
