At 15, the São Paulo native closes a chapter after an international season filled with learning, titles and challenges; his next destination will be announced by the team in due course.
Published: 05 August 2026
Columns: Races
Karting is now behind him. And the future is already just ahead. After two weeks of competition in Sweden, 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) has officially closed the chapter on his European karting career and confirmed his farewell to the category that has been his racing school since the age of eight.
Now 15, having celebrated his birthday on July 26, the São Paulo-born driver closes a chapter built on titles, challenges, victories, learning and, above all, tremendous resilience. His next start will come in a different racing environment, although it is still too early to reveal where.
The final chapter was written at Asum Ring in Kristianstad, where Dudu faced two weeks of high-level competition in Europe. First came the fourth round of the Champions of the Future. Then, the fourth round of the European Karting Championship. It was a demanding period of hard work, adapting to the circuit and battling in an environment where every detail can make the difference.
More than simply chasing a specific result, the Brazilian driver concluded this journey with something that cannot be measured in a classification table: experience.
A factory driver for Parolin Racing and a member of Minardi Management powered by DAG, Dudu experienced his first full season of European karting in 2026. And it was far more than a season spent at a single circuit or focused on one particular experience. His journey began in Italy, continued through Spain and Germany, and came to an end in Sweden.
Unfamiliar circuits, competitors from different countries, new working methods and the demands of an international racing schedule placed the São Paulo native in the midst of one of the biggest challenges of his career.
“This season in Europe was very important to me, especially because of everything I learned. Being in an international competitive environment helped me grow tremendously as a driver. From the beginning of the year until now, I’ve had many important experiences on circuits I had never raced at before. There was a lot of fighting, a lot of hard work and so many new things to learn. I’m sure I’ll carry all of this with me into the next steps of my career,” said Dudu.
If Europe marked his farewell to karting, Brazil was where it all began. Dudu started karting at the age of eight and, ever since, has accumulated countless laps at some of the country’s leading karting circuits.
His first major achievements came in the Cadet and Rotax Mini categories, including titles in the Copa São Paulo KGV, at Granja Viana. It was the beginning of a journey that would quickly evolve from a passion into a professional career.
In 2022, already competing as a professional driver, Dudu made an immediate impression. He secured three titles, including the KGV São Paulo State Championship, winning in the Cadet and Rotax Mini Max categories, both overall and rookie.
The following year, he took Brazil onto the international stage at the Rotax South American Championship in Peru. The national scene was beginning to feel too small for a driver increasingly determined to measure his progress against the best.
In 2024, Dudu added even more silverware to his collection. He became a four-time KGV Rotax Junior Max São Paulo State Champion, won the Brazilian Rotax Junior Max Championship, and once again represented Brazil at the Rotax South American Championship, this time in Chile.
In 2025, he secured his fifth KGV Rotax Junior Max São Paulo State Championship, in addition to finishing runner-up in the Brazilian Rotax Junior Max Championship. That season also brought one of his biggest challenges to date: competing in the Rotax World Championship in Bahrain.
But numbers and trophies tell only part of the story. Behind every title lies a demanding routine of preparation, pressure, travel, decision-making and moments when starting over was necessary. It is precisely this ability to keep moving forward that Dudu now takes into the next phase of his career.
His 2026 European season broadened his horizons and demonstrated, in practical terms, the scale of the challenge involved in racing far from home, on unfamiliar circuits and against drivers from different racing backgrounds.
“I want to say a huge thank you to karting and to everything it has represented for me. Since I was a kid until now, karting has been a part of my life. The titles are important, but all the people who have worked with me, both in Brazil and in Europe, have played a huge role in building the driver I am today. And my family has been especially important throughout all of this because they have never measured their efforts to help me achieve my dreams. I hope I am doing enough to deserve everything they have done for me,” said Dudu.
Dudu also expressed his gratitude to the sponsors who have supported him throughout this journey:
“They are people who believe in my journey, and I am extremely grateful. Alberto Leite, Laura Barros and Gustavo Castro from EXA Tecnologia; Alexandre and Marcela Andrade from Vero Coco; Beto Dicker from DKR; Robert Lowrance and Adriana Daudt from RL Eng. Design; Sandro Giaffone from SOMA Blindados; Ivo Jucá and Bruno Cals from EZZA Seguros; Zezé di Camargo, Júlio de Souza, Eduardo Guimarães, Fábio N., Carlo M., Daniel G., and Casa Barô, which belongs to our family.”
The farewell, therefore, is simply a change of gear.
Dudu leaves karting after spending almost half of his life competing in the discipline, taking with him a racing résumé that includes national titles, South American championship experience, a Rotax World Championship appearance and, now, a full season of learning on the European scene.
His next step has yet to be announced, but the team is already working on the new project and plans to reveal more details soon.
Dudu Salamonde — Career at a Glance
Indicator
Dudu Salamonde
Age
15
Started karting
8 years old
Highlighted KGV São Paulo State titles
5×
Titles in 2022
3
National titles in 2024
São Paulo State + Brazilian
National runner-up finishes
1× – Brazilian Rotax Junior Max Championship, 2025
South American Championships contested
3 appearances
Rotax World Championship
1 appearance – Bahrain, 2025
European season
2026
Countries visited during European season
Italy, Spain, Germany and Sweden
Factory team
Parolin Racing
Management
Minardi Management powered by DAG
Now 15, having celebrated his birthday on July 26, the São Paulo-born driver closes a chapter built on titles, challenges, victories, learning and, above all, tremendous resilience. His next start will come in a different racing environment, although it is still too early to reveal where.
The final chapter was written at Asum Ring in Kristianstad, where Dudu faced two weeks of high-level competition in Europe. First came the fourth round of the Champions of the Future. Then, the fourth round of the European Karting Championship. It was a demanding period of hard work, adapting to the circuit and battling in an environment where every detail can make the difference.
More than simply chasing a specific result, the Brazilian driver concluded this journey with something that cannot be measured in a classification table: experience.
A factory driver for Parolin Racing and a member of Minardi Management powered by DAG, Dudu experienced his first full season of European karting in 2026. And it was far more than a season spent at a single circuit or focused on one particular experience. His journey began in Italy, continued through Spain and Germany, and came to an end in Sweden.
Unfamiliar circuits, competitors from different countries, new working methods and the demands of an international racing schedule placed the São Paulo native in the midst of one of the biggest challenges of his career.
“This season in Europe was very important to me, especially because of everything I learned. Being in an international competitive environment helped me grow tremendously as a driver. From the beginning of the year until now, I’ve had many important experiences on circuits I had never raced at before. There was a lot of fighting, a lot of hard work and so many new things to learn. I’m sure I’ll carry all of this with me into the next steps of my career,” said Dudu.
If Europe marked his farewell to karting, Brazil was where it all began. Dudu started karting at the age of eight and, ever since, has accumulated countless laps at some of the country’s leading karting circuits.
His first major achievements came in the Cadet and Rotax Mini categories, including titles in the Copa São Paulo KGV, at Granja Viana. It was the beginning of a journey that would quickly evolve from a passion into a professional career.
In 2022, already competing as a professional driver, Dudu made an immediate impression. He secured three titles, including the KGV São Paulo State Championship, winning in the Cadet and Rotax Mini Max categories, both overall and rookie.
The following year, he took Brazil onto the international stage at the Rotax South American Championship in Peru. The national scene was beginning to feel too small for a driver increasingly determined to measure his progress against the best.
In 2024, Dudu added even more silverware to his collection. He became a four-time KGV Rotax Junior Max São Paulo State Champion, won the Brazilian Rotax Junior Max Championship, and once again represented Brazil at the Rotax South American Championship, this time in Chile.
In 2025, he secured his fifth KGV Rotax Junior Max São Paulo State Championship, in addition to finishing runner-up in the Brazilian Rotax Junior Max Championship. That season also brought one of his biggest challenges to date: competing in the Rotax World Championship in Bahrain.
But numbers and trophies tell only part of the story. Behind every title lies a demanding routine of preparation, pressure, travel, decision-making and moments when starting over was necessary. It is precisely this ability to keep moving forward that Dudu now takes into the next phase of his career.
His 2026 European season broadened his horizons and demonstrated, in practical terms, the scale of the challenge involved in racing far from home, on unfamiliar circuits and against drivers from different racing backgrounds.
“I want to say a huge thank you to karting and to everything it has represented for me. Since I was a kid until now, karting has been a part of my life. The titles are important, but all the people who have worked with me, both in Brazil and in Europe, have played a huge role in building the driver I am today. And my family has been especially important throughout all of this because they have never measured their efforts to help me achieve my dreams. I hope I am doing enough to deserve everything they have done for me,” said Dudu.
Dudu also expressed his gratitude to the sponsors who have supported him throughout this journey:
“They are people who believe in my journey, and I am extremely grateful. Alberto Leite, Laura Barros and Gustavo Castro from EXA Tecnologia; Alexandre and Marcela Andrade from Vero Coco; Beto Dicker from DKR; Robert Lowrance and Adriana Daudt from RL Eng. Design; Sandro Giaffone from SOMA Blindados; Ivo Jucá and Bruno Cals from EZZA Seguros; Zezé di Camargo, Júlio de Souza, Eduardo Guimarães, Fábio N., Carlo M., Daniel G., and Casa Barô, which belongs to our family.”
The farewell, therefore, is simply a change of gear.
Dudu leaves karting after spending almost half of his life competing in the discipline, taking with him a racing résumé that includes national titles, South American championship experience, a Rotax World Championship appearance and, now, a full season of learning on the European scene.
His next step has yet to be announced, but the team is already working on the new project and plans to reveal more details soon.
Dudu Salamonde — Career at a Glance
Indicator
Dudu Salamonde
Age
15
Started karting
8 years old
Highlighted KGV São Paulo State titles
5×
Titles in 2022
3
National titles in 2024
São Paulo State + Brazilian
National runner-up finishes
1× – Brazilian Rotax Junior Max Championship, 2025
South American Championships contested
3 appearances
Rotax World Championship
1 appearance – Bahrain, 2025
European season
2026
Countries visited during European season
Italy, Spain, Germany and Sweden
Factory team
Parolin Racing
Management
Minardi Management powered by DAG
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