Axel Nocom made an emphatic return to the United Arab Emirates with a standout performance at the opening round of the new two-round Champions of the Future Academy (COFTA) UAE. Held at Al Forsan International Sports Resort, the weekend saw Axel deliver one of his most commanding international outings to date—setting a new lap record, taking a crucial Sunday win, and emerging as the championship leader.
While Axel had raced at this venue before, the OK-N Junior grid featured local talents with far more experience on the 1.2 km circuit. And with only a single day of practice on Friday, Axel had to get up to speed quickly—a skill that’s essential for drivers competing internationally. Overseas events demand that competitors be on pace straight away, dialing in tire pressures, braking points, and racing lines from the very first session. Grip levels also evolve over the weekend, further complicating the learning curve.
Despite these variables, Axel made steady progress across four Free Practice sessions—consistently within the Top 4 and improving with every run.
Round 1 got underway on Saturday, where Axel immediately turned heads in Qualifying by taking pole position—edging out local standout Jain Mitansh by just 0.016 secs. He converted that into a dominant lights-to-flag victory in Heat 1, controlling the race from the front and finishing with a 0.680 secs margin. Heat 2 followed a similar script, with Axel extending his lead to over a second by the chequered flag.
Unfortunately, his momentum didn’t carry through to the Finals. After starting from pole, Axel was hit on lap 2 and dropped down the order to P8. He managed to keep the engine running and fought back through the field—salvaging 4th place in a gritty recovery drive on what could have been a perfect day.
Round 2 on Sunday gave Axel a shot at redemption. He again secured pole in Qualifying, this time with a blistering 55.055 secs lap that set a new all-time OK-N Junior track record at Al Forsan.
Heat 1, however, proved to be more of a fight. Axel found himself in a close battle with Kappen Nathan for the lead but held his ground to take the win. In Heat 2, a clash with Jain Mitansh forced him to concede and settle for 2nd. Still, the stage was set for the Finals.
Determined to finish the weekend on a high, Axel got his head down and pulled away cleanly from the start. He quickly established control at the front and was unchallenged for the full 15-lap distance, crossing the line a full second clear of Mitansh—capping off a commanding recovery drive to seal the win.
With this result, Axel now leads the OK-N Junior championship by 13 points heading into the final round on December 1/3. But there’s little time to celebrate, as he remains at Al Forsan this weekend to take on a stacked 30-kart grid in Round 2 of the Rotax Max Challenge UAE—one of his biggest challenges yet.
Axel Nocom is supported by Mercedes Driver Development, 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.
