It is called Rotax Max Mini Racing School, a two-day school organized by Kimi Raikkonen and launched with the support of Kartshop Italia (Rotax importer for Italy and organizer of the Rotax Max Challenge Italia). The first edition, hoping to be followed by others, took place at the Pista 7 Laghi di Castelletto di Branduzzo in the form of a 'weekend by invitation' from Kimi himself. Fourteen drivers from Italy and Switzerland took to the track after attending classroom lessons delivered by none other than the last F1 World Champion with Ferrari, the unforgettable Kimi Raikkonen.

“Kimi and his son Robin have been part of the Rotax family for years, where the young heir of the Finnish Champion has started and won quite a lot” explains Reto Carigiet, promoter of the Rotax Max Challenge Italia and organizer of the School. “Driven by the desire to instill the right discipline in his son through sport, Kimi conceived this project which we immediately embraced with enthusiasm.”

Karting is primarily a discipline that helps young people grow: “We are currently paying great attention to Karting because many, especially fathers, dream of F1 for their children, but at the same time, we realized that the pursuit of victory at all costs encourages excesses. The behavior of young drivers during races is often reckless, negatively affecting the race outcomes and unfortunately sometimes even safety.” Carigiet continues, who invited Pierluigi Pizzi, the Acisport Race Director, to explain the basic rules of competition on track to the kids.

 

“This is not about Raikkonen coaching and teaching driving secrets to win — there will be time for that, every child has their own timing. This is more of a healthy environment of study and learning with the aim of fixing principles in the minds of the kids that will be useful throughout their sporting career, whether aiming for a future in Formula racing or just wanting to have fun racing karting until adulthood. Just think about race starts, a very delicate moment in every race. Whether we admit it or not, the philosophy of ‘close your eyes and hit the gas’ often prevails today, and we often see resulting big pile-ups shortly after the start. You learn to start and manage this delicate race phase when you’re young, which is why our Race Director was clear in his theoretical lesson, drawing directly from FIA regulations, by the way.”

The added value brought by Kimi Raikkonen to the event (present both as a former F1 Champion and a driver as well as the father of a young driver) is related to the seriousness with which this sport must be approached. Motorsport, unlike other sports, involves risks that people often assume kids naturally perceive with the typical realism of “Motorsport is dangerous,” whereas “risk awareness” is a logical and rational interpretation that belongs to adults. For this reason, children need special and attentive guidance at this early stage: understanding better what they are doing and what the limits are, facing the challenges of this sport with balance regardless of the results.

Reto Carigiet shared an effective metaphor at the end of the two days that well summarizes what we mean by safety on track, which is particularly relevant during regulatory changes to kart structure: “If kids study chemistry and then do lab exercises, they must be aware that mixing substances incorrectly could make someone blow up, right? Racing is a bit like that: ingredients mixed poorly cause disasters — aggression, lack of respect for rules, equipment inappropriate for the driver’s age and skill. We can’t solve safety problems by removing lab exercises; we must ensure that those operating in that lab know what they’re doing. This is the goal we pursue with this school.”

The Rotax Max Challenge Italia is already working on a 2026 calendar of track training events. For further information, contact: info@rotaxmaxkart.it