The Brazilian driver demonstrated strong recovery pace in Germany and remains focused on the upcoming European Karting Championship next weekend.
Published: 08 June 2026
Columns: Races
Mülsen (GER), June 8, 2026
International karting is a constant school of challenges, adaptation, and development.
This weekend, Brazilian driver Dudu Salamonde (Minardi Management powered by DAG / EXA Tecnologia / Vero Coco / DKR / RL Eng. Design / Casa Barô / SOMA Blindados / Team: Parolin Racing / Coach: Gianluca Beggio) gained another valuable learning experience during Round 3 of the Champions of the Future, held at Motorsportarena Mülsen in Germany.
Racing on a completely new circuit for the São Paulo native, the event served as strategic preparation for the European Karting Championship, which will take place at the same venue next weekend.
Competing in the OK category, one of the most competitive classes in world karting, Salamonde faced a highly challenging field of 83 drivers.
After an intense schedule of practice sessions and setup work, the Brazilian secured a place in Group E, beginning his campaign on an unfamiliar circuit where every lap represented an opportunity to gain experience and improve performance.
In the opening qualifying heat, Dudu showed promising pace and racecraft, gaining three positions over the course of the 12-lap race.
The result reflected his growing confidence around the German circuit and his ability to capitalize on opportunities in an extremely competitive field.
The second qualifying heat showcased Salamonde's fighting spirit. In just two laps, he climbed ten positions and was building a strong comeback drive.
However, a technical issue forced him to retire on lap seven, bringing to an end one of the most impressive recovery performances of the session.
Undeterred by the setback, the Brazilian returned to the track determined to keep moving forward. In the following heat, he launched another remarkable charge through the field, overtaking seven competitors.
Despite the positive performance, a penalty handed down by the race stewards ultimately compromised the result and led to his exclusion from the heat.
In another qualifying race, Salamonde became involved in an incident with other drivers shortly after the start and was unable to complete even the opening lap, marking one of the most difficult moments of the weekend.
Nevertheless, the Parolin Racing factory driver delivered his strongest performance during the final heat of the event. Displaying both speed and determination, he gained an impressive 13 positions throughout the race.
Unfortunately, a five-second penalty for a dropped front fairing reduced the impact of the excellent result achieved on track.
With the combined results from the qualifying heats, the Minardi Management powered by DAG driver narrowly missed out on a place in the final phase of the Champions of the Future round.
Even so, the overall assessment of the weekend remained positive, particularly considering the pace and resilience demonstrated throughout the competition.
“It was a weekend where we had a few issues and some situations that were simply out of our control. Even so, I think we showed really strong recovery pace in several heats. Now it's time to stay focused and keep looking ahead because the European Championship is already coming up next week,” said Dudu Salamonde.
Salamonde will have little time to rest before returning to action.
Activities for Round 3 of the European Karting Championship begin next Thursday (June 11), once again at Motorsportarena Mülsen.
As for the Champions of the Future series, the Brazilian driver's next challenge will take place from July 22 to 25 in Kristianstad, Sweden, where Round 4 of the championship will provide another opportunity to transform valuable experience into continued progress on track.
Text by Kako Marques / KMCom Press Office
@eduardosalamonde
International karting is a constant school of challenges, adaptation, and development.
This weekend, Brazilian driver Dudu Salamonde (Minardi Management powered by DAG / EXA Tecnologia / Vero Coco / DKR / RL Eng. Design / Casa Barô / SOMA Blindados / Team: Parolin Racing / Coach: Gianluca Beggio) gained another valuable learning experience during Round 3 of the Champions of the Future, held at Motorsportarena Mülsen in Germany.
Racing on a completely new circuit for the São Paulo native, the event served as strategic preparation for the European Karting Championship, which will take place at the same venue next weekend.
Competing in the OK category, one of the most competitive classes in world karting, Salamonde faced a highly challenging field of 83 drivers.
After an intense schedule of practice sessions and setup work, the Brazilian secured a place in Group E, beginning his campaign on an unfamiliar circuit where every lap represented an opportunity to gain experience and improve performance.
In the opening qualifying heat, Dudu showed promising pace and racecraft, gaining three positions over the course of the 12-lap race.
The result reflected his growing confidence around the German circuit and his ability to capitalize on opportunities in an extremely competitive field.
The second qualifying heat showcased Salamonde's fighting spirit. In just two laps, he climbed ten positions and was building a strong comeback drive.
However, a technical issue forced him to retire on lap seven, bringing to an end one of the most impressive recovery performances of the session.
Undeterred by the setback, the Brazilian returned to the track determined to keep moving forward. In the following heat, he launched another remarkable charge through the field, overtaking seven competitors.
Despite the positive performance, a penalty handed down by the race stewards ultimately compromised the result and led to his exclusion from the heat.
In another qualifying race, Salamonde became involved in an incident with other drivers shortly after the start and was unable to complete even the opening lap, marking one of the most difficult moments of the weekend.
Nevertheless, the Parolin Racing factory driver delivered his strongest performance during the final heat of the event. Displaying both speed and determination, he gained an impressive 13 positions throughout the race.
Unfortunately, a five-second penalty for a dropped front fairing reduced the impact of the excellent result achieved on track.
With the combined results from the qualifying heats, the Minardi Management powered by DAG driver narrowly missed out on a place in the final phase of the Champions of the Future round.
Even so, the overall assessment of the weekend remained positive, particularly considering the pace and resilience demonstrated throughout the competition.
“It was a weekend where we had a few issues and some situations that were simply out of our control. Even so, I think we showed really strong recovery pace in several heats. Now it's time to stay focused and keep looking ahead because the European Championship is already coming up next week,” said Dudu Salamonde.
Salamonde will have little time to rest before returning to action.
Activities for Round 3 of the European Karting Championship begin next Thursday (June 11), once again at Motorsportarena Mülsen.
As for the Champions of the Future series, the Brazilian driver's next challenge will take place from July 22 to 25 in Kristianstad, Sweden, where Round 4 of the championship will provide another opportunity to transform valuable experience into continued progress on track.
Text by Kako Marques / KMCom Press Office
@eduardosalamonde
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