Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals 2012

Team UAE’s hopes of clinching karting’s ultimate prize – the world championship – evaporated after the sole remaining driver, Maurits Knopjes, was involved in a collision at the Rotax MAX World Finals in Portugal on Saturday night.

In the morning’s pre-final, a race that determines the starting grid for the final race itself, Knopjes was running high up the order and looking good for a top-10 start.

On the opening lap, however, there was a multi-kart pile up that saw Knopjes’ kart sustain heavy damage. The resulting impact sidelined the Dutchman and he was then forced to start the final race from the back of the grid.

In the final itself Knopjes, with nothing to lose, made a bold start and moved up several spots from 34th place. Still nursing damage from the morning’s shunt, the Dutchman struggled for comparative pace and eventually crossed the line a hard earned, if a little disappointing, 25th place.

Knopjes had set out to win and will be ruing the impact earlier in the day that cost him a shot at the world title.

In the heats the previous day, Knopjes made a lightning start in his first race. After having to start 23rd he scythed through the pack to finish 12th. It was a similar effort in the second race until he was hit off and demoted to 19th place.

Team UAE, however, may have been short on luck this week in Portugal but they weren’t short on pride or support. Knopjes, Oliver George, Sanad Al Rawahi, Abdullah Al Rawahi and Mohammed Al Dhaheri were always with the pace of the winning drivers.

The UAE Rotax MAX Challenge – the domestic series that determines Team UAE each year – is scheduled to run its fourth round on December 14 at the Al Ain Raceway. In effect, Team UAE have begun preparing for the 2013 Grand Finals.

Martin Fullard