Manama: 'The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East,' today hosted the final races of the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals (RMCGF) 2025 at the Bahrain International Karting Circuit (BIKC), concluding a week of competitive racing.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the 2025 champions were Benjamin Karajkovic (UAE) in Micro MAX, Tom Read (UK) in Mini MAX, Majus Mazinas (Lithuania) in Junior MAX, Macauley Bishop (UK) in Senior MAX, Jannik Jakobs (Germany) in E20 Senior, Maurits Knopjes (UAE) in E20 Master, Sem Knopjes (Netherlands) in DD2, and Martynas Tankevicius (Lithuania) in DD2 Master.
Team Bahrain recorded a milestone as Vedant Menon became the first driver from the Kingdom to secure a podium finish at the RMCGF, taking second place in the E20 Senior final.
This year's event brought together nearly 400 competitors from 60 countries. Bahrain participated with an 11-member team, six of whom qualified for today's finals. It was the third time BIKC has hosted the RMCGF, following the 2021 and 2023 editions.
In the Micro MAX 12-lap final, Karajkovic won in 12:37.687, finishing 0.362s ahead of Chile's Bruno Miranda, with Colombia's Dominic Vera Roa third, 0.404s behind. Bahrain's Tariq Soofi placed 31st.
Read took the Mini MAX title after starting from ninth, completing the 14-lap race in 13:56.721. Romania's Marc Moia finished second, 0.078s back, and Portugal's Vicente Capela third, 0.267s behind. Bahrain's Shaikh Ahmed bin Saqer Al Khalifa finished 36th after early technical issues.
Mazinas won the Junior MAX final from eighth on the grid, finishing in 16:58.675. Jacob Ashcroft (UK) was second, 0.482s behind, and Albie Lapper (UK) third, 1.054s back.
The Senior MAX final resulted in an all-British top three, with Bishop winning the 21-lap race in 18:56.764. Cian Geraghty finished second, 1.198s behind, and Sean Butcher third, 4.924s adrift. Bahrain's Tye Mejia gained six positions to finish 27th.
In E20 Senior, Jakobs and Menon finished first and second respectively after starting from the same positions. Jakobs completed the 10-lap race in 9:17.649, with Menon 0.492s behind and Hungary's Leventre Simon third, 1.621s back. Bahrain's Yousif Alaali finished eighth, 10.427s behind the winner, while Mohammed Alhasan placed 15th.
In E20 Master, Maurits Knopjes won from pole, completing the 10-lap race in 9:37.965. Argentina's Julian Falivene finished second, 0.514s back, and Ecuador's Jorge Matos third, 0.716s behind.
Tankevicius won the DD2 Master final after starting 13th, completing the 21-lap race in 18:55.501, ahead of France's Charles Seguin (+0.615s) and New Zealand's Mat Kinsman (+1.100s).
In the DD2 final, Sem Knopjes won from pole, completing 21 laps in 18:42.714. Jakub Bezel (Czech Republic) finished second (+1.653s) and Dawid Maslakiewicz (Poland) third (+1.856s).
Podium ceremonies were held on the RMCGF's main stage at BIKC, where Rotax officials presented trophies and medals to the winners.