Maltese karting prospect Jake Jordan Micallef produced an impressive recovery drive in the Mini U10 final at the third round of the WSK Euro Series in Cremona, climbing 16 places to finish 15th.
Starting from 31st on the grid, Micallef worked his way through a packed 35-driver field during the ten-lap contest. The official live timing listed the Maltese driver in 15th at the chequered flag, 7.344 seconds behind race winner Zayne Burgess, with a best lap of 55.427 seconds.
A determined response after earlier setback
The result represented a strong response to a difficult previous day. Information supplied by Micallef’s camp said he had been disqualified following a technical infringement involving mechanical interference, which they described as unintentional. That setback left him facing the final from the back of the grid.
Rather than allowing the disappointment to define his weekend, Micallef delivered one of the most significant gains in the race. His rise from 31st to 15th was the joint-biggest improvement shown on the final classification, matching the 16-place gain recorded by 20th-placed Maxim de Ruit.
In a category where tight gaps and heavy traffic make overtaking particularly challenging, gaining 16 positions underlined Micallef’s pace, judgement and determination.
Competing on an international stage
The Cremona meeting, staged from 8 to 11 July, formed the third and final round of the 2026 WSK Euro Series. The Mini U10 field brought together young drivers representing several countries, giving Micallef another opportunity to test himself in one of Europe’s most competitive karting environments.
Micallef competed with Lenzokart and thanked coach Paolo, LKE for the kart set-up and Drudi for the engines following the race.
The final classification may show 15th place, but the manner in which it was achieved provided the clearest indication of the Maltese youngster’s performance. Faced with a back-row start, he kept moving forward and completed a memorable recovery drive at Cremona.
