James Anagnostiadis leads the charge at the FIA Karting World Championship in Sweden. After qualifying 8th in the 105-strong OK field, the Mercedes-backed driver carded four wins and a second in the heats and will start tonight’s Super Heat A from pole.
Lewis Francis (also on KR/IAME) qualified 56th and is ranked 46th going into the Super Heats.
In the OK-Junior category, William Calleja (Exprit/TM) is ranked an excellent 6th having won a heat after qualifying 11th, and Sebastian Eskandari-Marandi is ranked 42nd (qualified 35th). Both will compete in Super Heat B.
Three other Aussies contested Juniors, but unfortunately have not qualified for tonight’s Super Heats. Laim Carr ended the heats ranked 89th (Qualified: 67), Mason Lucchitti 93rd (Q: 107) and Braxton Regan 103rd (Q: 94).
Schedule – Sunday 14 September (local time)
09:00 – 09:55 Warm-up
10:05 – 11:40 Super Heats
12:40 – 14:50 Finals and podium ceremonies
from FIA Karting
Qualifying: Kelleher and Hoogendoorn start the World Championship in pole position
In Sweden, everything is in place for a great sporting event with the 2025 Mondokart.com World Championship – OK & Junior. The rain on Thursday morning at the start of private practice quickly gave way to much more pleasant weather, and the Qualifying sessions took place in excellent conditions at the Kristianstad circuit. An initial ranking has emerged, with most of the favourites in contention. Recently crowned European Champion, Dutchman Dean Hoogendoorn set the fastest time in OK-Junior. In OK, Ireland’s Daniel Kelleher was the fastest. A total of 30 Qualifying Heats are on the schedule before Sunday’s Final stages.
OK: Daniel Kelleher makes a strong impression
The 105 participants were divided into three groups and Daniel Kelleher made perfect use of the 1221 metres of the Åsum Ring to set an excellent lap of 49.185. The Irishman did not know it yet, but this benchmark time would not be beaten. Group 2 leader Thomas Pradier (FRA) fell short by just 29 hundredths of a second, while the track proved slower for Group 3. In this group, Davide Bottaro had the satisfaction of taking first place, but only with a time of 49.729.
After injuring his hand a week earlier, Matthew Higgins (GBR) succeeded in climbing to 6th place behind Jindrich Pesl (CZE) and Thibaut Ramaekers (BEL). The next three places were taken by… the top three in the 2025 Mondokart.com FIA Karting European Championship: Christian Costoya (ESP), James Anagnostiadis (AUS) and Zac Drummond (GBR)! Lev Krutoholov (UKR) completed the top 10, while Swedish hopeful Oliver Kinnmark finished 13th on home soil. Second in the International Esports Trophy held two days earlier, Jensen Burnett (CAN) secured an impressive 12th place behind Aston Sharp (GBR).
Top 12 in OK Qualifying
1- Kelleher, Daniel (IRL – KR / IAME / Maxxis) Gr.1 – 49.185
2- Pradier, Thomas (FRA – Tony Kart / Vortex / Maxxis) Gr.2 – 49.214
3- Bottaro, Davide (ITA – CRG / TM Kart / Maxxis) Gr.3 – 49.729
4- Pesl, Jindrich (CZE – Tony Kart / Vortex / Maxxis) Gr.4 – 49.360
5- Ramaekers, Thibaut (BEL – KR / IAME / Maxxis) Gr.1 – 49.306
6 – Higgins, Matthew (GBR – Energy / IAME / Maxxis) Gr.2 – 49.748
7- Costoya, Christian (ESP – Parolin / TM Kart / Maxxis) Gr.3 – 49.398
8- Anagnostiadis, James (AUS – KR / IAME / Maxxis) Gr.4 – 49.479
9- Drummond, Zac (GBR – KR / IAME / Maxxis) Gr.1 – 49.799
10- Krutoholov, Lev (UKR – Energy / IAME / Maxxis) Gr.2 – 49.417
11- Sharp, Aston (GBR – Birel Art / TM Kart / Maxxis) Gr.3 – 49.503
12- Burnett, Jensen (CAN – Exprit / TM Kart / Maxxis) Gr.4 – 49.851
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OK-Junior: Dean Hoogendoorn confirms his great form
In an OK-Junior category with 109 participants divided into four groups, Qualifying Practice represented a first major challenge for the young karting hopefuls. With three podium finishes, including a victory in the first part of the season, Dean Hoogendoorn (NED) was crowned Mondokart.com FIA Karting European Champion. In Kristianstad, he could not have dreamed of a better start to the World Championship event, taking pole position in 50.646 in Group 1. In the next session, his team-mate Noah Baglin (GBR) closed the gap to 64 hundredths with 50.710 and was faster than the leaders of the other two groups: Evan Purcell (GBR) with 50.894 and Turner Brown (USA) with 50.959.
Brown was not the only driver from the American continent to shine. Behind Benjamin Manach (ESP) in fifth place were Argentina’s Martin Bertolaccini, Mexico’s Emiliano Hernandez and Canada’s Ilie Crisan. You had to go down to 36th place to find the top Swede in the form of Melker Milell, cousin of Noah Milell, KZ World Champion at the Kristianstad circuit in 2021.
Top 12 in OK-Junior Qualifying
1- Hoogendoorn, Dean (NED – KR / IAME / Maxxis) Gr.1 – 50.646
2- Baglin, Noah (GBR – KR / IAME / Maxxis) Gr.2 – 50.710
3- Purcell, Evan (GBR – LN / TM Kart / Maxxis) Gr.3 – 50.894
4- Brown, Turner (USA – LN / TM Kart / Maxxis) Gr.4 – 50.959
5- Manach, Benjamin (ESP – Exprit / TM Kart / Maxxis) Gr.1 – 50.703
6- Bertolaccini, Martin (ARG – Tony Kart / TM / Maxxis) Gr.2 – 50.802
7- Hernandez, Emiliano (MEX – KR / IAME / Maxxis) Gr.3 – 50.931
8- Crisan, Ilie (CAN – Tony Kart / Vortex / Maxxis) Gr.4 – 51.075
9- Giusto, Giacomo (ITA – Parolin / TM Kart / Maxxis) Gr.1 – 50.741
10- Kumpen, Henri-Constant (BEL – Tony Kart / Vortex / Maxxis) Gr.2 – 52.847
11- Calleja, William (AUS – Exprit / TM Kart / Maxxis) Gr.3 – 51.009
12- Gorski, Leonardo (POL – Henza Kart / IAME / Maxxis) Gr.4 – 51.133
Heats: A spectacular show in Kristianstad during the Qualifying Heats
In Sweden, the two FIA Karting World Championship titles – OK & Junior – are more coveted than ever on the spectacular Åsum Ring. The intensity of the 30 Qualifying Heats held from Friday afternoon to Saturday evening, in very pleasant weather conditions, clearly demonstrated this. An initial selection took place with 72 drivers qualifying for Sunday’s Super Heats in each category. There will now be only 36 in each Final, out of an initial total of 109 in OK-Junior and 105 in OK. Britain’s Noah Baglin in the 12-14 age group and Australia’s James Anagnostiadis in OK lead the intermediate standings.
OK: Anagnostiadis and Kelleher neck and neck
Four wins and a second place against the same number of wins but “only” a third place! James Anagnostiadis (AUS) took the lead over his rival Daniel Kelleher (IRL) in the intermediate classification after the Qualifying Heats at the last minute. The two drivers have thus secured pole position in the Super Heats, which will determine the starting grid for the Final. With three wins, Thibaut Ramaekers (BEL) is also among the favourites, but he is currently behind Zac Drummond (GBR) with two wins and Lev Krutoholov (UKR), winner of one of the 15 Qualifying Heats, as is Noah Wolfe (GBR). The latter retired in his first race and is only 14th in the intermediate standings.
Throughout these two days of competition, consistency was also key, as Thomas Pradier (FRA) understood well, finishing 6th in the standings. Ranked 18th in the Qualifying Practice, Joe Turney (GBR) moved up to seventh place ahead of Davide Bottaro (ITA). Mondokart.com FIA Karting European Champion Christian Costoya (ESP) had to retire, but he is far from giving up on his world ambitions, even though he has dropped to 12th place. Sweden’s Oliver Kinnmark (SWE) also fell back, but he intends to compete in Sunday’s Final, as does his compatriot Elliot Kaczynski.
Top 12 after the OK Qualifying Heats
1- Anagnostiadis, James (AUS – KR / IAME / Maxxis)
2- Kelleher, Daniel (IRL – KR / IAME / Maxxis)
3- Drummond, Zac (GBR – KR / IAME / Maxxis)
4- Krutoholov, Lev (UKR – Energy / IAME / Maxxis)
5- Ramaekers, Thibaut (BEL – KR / IAME / Maxxis)
6- Pradier, Thomas (FRA – Tony Kart / Vortex / Maxxis)
7- Turney, Joe (GBR – KR / IAME / Maxxis)
8- Bottaro, Davide (ITA – CRG / TM Kart / Maxxis)
9- Burnett, Jensen (CAN – Exprit / TM Kart / Maxxis)
10- Green, Zac (GBR – KR / IAME / Maxxis)
11- Cochet, Louis (FRA – KR / IAME / Maxxis)
12- Costoya, Christian (ESP – Parolin / TM Kart / Maxxis)
OK-Junior: 21 Qualifying Heats, 10 different winners
High intensity reigned over the first two days of very open competition, both between the drivers and between the teams involved, with most of the major brands represented at the forefront. The top two in the Qualifying Heats retained their positions in the intermediate standings, but swapped places. Noah Baglin (GBR) took first place ahead of his team-mate Dean Hoogendoorn (NED), thanks to five wins to four! Ranked third, Turner Brown (GBR) also won four races and remains a serious contender for the world title.
Other winners included Evan Purcell (GBR) twice, Leonardo Gorski (POL), William Calleja (AUS), Martin Bertolaccini (ARG), Ilie Crisan (CAN), Julian Frasnelli (ITA) and Luka Scelles (FRA). The day was more difficult for the young Swedish drivers despite their knowledge of the Kristianstad circuit. The best local driver was Melker Milell, who has close ties to two FIA Karting World Champions: Noah Milell (KZ in 2021) and Johnny Mislijevic (Formula Super A in 1996).
Top 12 after the OK-Junior Qualifying Heats
1- Baglin, Noah (GBR – KR / IAME / Maxxis)
2- Hoogendoorn, Dean (NED – KR / IAME / Maxxis)
3- Brown, Turner (USA – LN / TM Kart / Maxxis)
4- Purcell, Evan (GBR – LN / TM Kart / Maxxis)
5- Gorski, Leonardo (POL – Henza Kart / IAME / Maxxis)
6- Calleja, William (AUS – Exprit / TM Kart / Maxxis)
7- Bertolaccini, Martin (ARG – Tony Kart / Vortex / Maxxis)
8- Crisan, Ilie (CAN – Tony Kart / Vortex / Maxxis)
9- Mulder, Juste (NED – KR / IAME / Maxxis)
10- Kumpen, Henri-Constant (BEL – Tony Kart / Vortex / Maxxis)
11- Bonhomme, Lucas (FRA – Energy / IAME / Maxxis)
12- Zulfikari, Iskender (TUR – Exprit / TM Kart / Maxxis)
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