Fresh off his COTFA outing in Valencia, Axel Nocom headed straight to the Middle East for a short testing program. But a sandstorm in Qatar cut the trip short, limiting him to just a single day of running. A last-minute decision was then made to enter Round 4 of the UAE Rotax Max Challenge (RMC) at Al Ain Raceway, Abu Dhabi to give the 13-year-old more track time.
Despite being a last-minute entry, Axel was on pace right from the start—topping one of the Free Practice sessions. But a small oversight in Qualifying, forgetting the series’ three-lap average format, saw him end up in 5th.
It was only a slight setback for the Filipino karter, who bounced back in the Heat with a strong drive to 4th place. However, post-race checks revealed that an incorrect ECU had been installed on his #221 kart—an administrative error unrelated to performance—which led to his disqualification.
Undeterred, Axel returned to the grid for the Pre-Finals with renewed determination. A clean and focused run saw him cross the line in P4, and he was later promoted to 3rd after a fellow competitor was disqualified—finishing just behind championship contenders Mitansh Jain and Veer Chopra.
Saving his best performance for last, a lightning-quick start in the Finals saw Axel jump to P2 by the second corner. He then set off in pursuit of race leader Jain, who had already opened up a gap early on. Axel gradually reeled him in and was within striking distance with only a few laps to go. Jain defended heavily to keep Axel at bay, and the pair went side by side in a drag race to the finish, with Axel taking 2nd just 0.061 secs behind Jain.
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.
