A strong comeback drive from Maltese karting talent Jake Jordan Micallef marked a breakthrough performance in Round 2 of the ACI Italian Championship at Viterbo. After a challenging qualifying session, the young driver battled through the field to claim a personal best finish of P14 in the final.
Qualifying, held late on Friday evening, proved difficult. A sudden light rain just before the session caught several drivers off guard. With limited time to adapt, the team opted for a dry chassis setup—a decision that ultimately compromised performance. The Maltese driver qualified in P25.
Despite the setback, the weekend was defined by consistent progress:
- Heat 1: P25 ➡️ P21
- Heat 2: P21 ➡️ P18
- Merged Heats Result: P23
In the Prefinal, starting from P23, Micallef made a significant charge through the field to finish in P16, registering the second-highest number of overtakes on the grid with seven positions gained. This result bumped him to P18 overall heading into the final.
The Final capped off the weekend with another determined performance, moving from P18 to P14, securing the best finish of his ACI campaign to date.
“This weekend was a real test of resilience,” Micallef said. “After the frustration of qualifying, I knew I had to give it everything from the first heat to the final lap of the weekend. Every overtake counted.”
He also credited his support team for the turnaround:
“Thank you to Eman Muscat for pushing me to stay focused, BABYRACE for delivering a top-performing chassis and engine, Massimo, my mechanic, and of course, Fortfitness and my fitness coach Maximus for making sure I was in top condition to compete.”
The result marks a significant step forward in what is shaping up to be a promising season for the Maltese competitor in one of Europe’s most competitive junior karting series.
