In OK-N, Yuri Morelli became the third winner of the World Cup in the category’s history, following Kyuho Lee in 2024 and Manuel Scognamiglio in 2025. The Brazilian converted pole position into three heat wins, a Super Heat victory and, finally, the win in the final.
In OK-N Junior, Nicolò Perico completed an unbeaten weekend, winning every heat, the Super Heat and the final. For the Italian driver, who is part of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team junior programme, this marks his first FIA Karting title.
OK-N
Super Heat
Heading into the final day of the FIA Karting World Cup, Cristian Blandino and Yuri Morelli were tied on 150 points, having each won three heats. The Super Heats were therefore decisive in breaking the tie and determining the front row of the starting grid for the final.
Morelli contested his Super Heat first, crossing the finish line more than one second ahead of Manuel Scognamiglio, who had gained two positions. This victory, combined with his wins in every heat and the fastest time in timed qualifying, secured pole position for the Brazilian in the final, regardless of Blandino’s result in the second Super Heat.
The battle for the remaining front-row position involved Lamberto Ferrari and Cristian Blandino, who started with a 14-point advantage in the intermediate standings. Ferrari took the lead during the first lap, reducing the gap to Blandino to two points. However, to overtake him in the standings, he needed his rival to lose another position.
Jercan’s recovery of five places to third boosted Ferrari’s chances. Blandino, however, managed to regain control of the race, maintaining his unbeaten record in the heats and securing second place on the grid alongside Morelli. The final therefore featured the two drivers who had remained unbeaten throughout the weekend.
Final
Blandino made the better start, taking the lead at the first corner. On the second lap, Morelli, Blandino and Ferrari became involved in a three-way battle for the lead, all aware that the result would determine the 2026 title.
Morelli immediately attempted to regain first place, preventing the two Italian drivers from pulling away. Manuel Scognamiglio, winner of the 2025 edition, initially lost ground but managed to recover to fourth place and rejoin the battle for the leading positions.
Morelli’s strategy paid off: the Brazilian found a good pace and gradually consolidated his position, leaving the chasing drivers to work out how to mount an attack. After several position changes, Scognamiglio emerged as Morelli’s main rival. By that point, however, the gap had already reached two seconds.
In the middle stages of the race, Morelli and Scognamiglio were the two fastest drivers on track, posting similar times across the different sectors. The Brazilian’s advantage, however, did not decrease significantly. Morelli crossed the finish line in first place, becoming the third driver to win the FIA Karting World Cup in the OK-N category. After taking pole position and winning every heat and the Super Heat, he completed the weekend with victory in the final, succeeding Scognamiglio in the record books.
As fast as the leader in the Final, Scognamiglio defended his title with several overtaking moves, eventually finishing second
Blandino’s final became more complicated in the early stages after he lost the lead. The Italian driver was unable to return to the battle for victory and spent much of the race fighting Lamberto Ferrari for third place. Ferrari eventually secured the final step of the podium.
Albie Lapper, winner of the Academy Trophy Senior, gained 11 positions to finish 28th after securing a place in the final. Giuseppe Piccolo, who had been enjoying a competitive race, was forced to end his run due to a technical infringement.
Yuri Morelli, FIA Karting World Cup winner in OK-N: “I have no words to describe this feeling; it is something unique. I don’t think I have ever experienced anything like it. During the race, I was almost automatically focused on the main objective, which was to win. It wasn’t easy, but I gave it my best and, fortunately, everything went the right way.”
FIA Karting World Cup – OK-N podium
Yuri Morelli (BRA, CRG Racing Team)
Manuel Scognamiglio (ITA, Pantano by Dam)
Lamberto Ferrari (ITA, ASD Monster K Factory Team)
OK-N Junior
Super Heat
Niccolò Perico arrived at the Super Heats as the only driver in the category to have scored 150 points in the heats. Starting from pole position, he led throughout the race, holding off Elton Hedfors, who remained less than one second behind.
The Super Heat victory, together with his unbeaten run in the heats, secured pole position for Perico in the OK-N Junior final.
The battle for the remaining front-row position involved Luigi D’Ascoli and John Mclellan. The American driver gained seven positions and challenged for the Super Heat win. D’Ascoli, however, managed to defend his position, crossing the finish line half a second ahead and completing an all-Italian front row for the final.
Schelvis Moron, who had taken pole position in Friday’s qualifying, stood out in the Super Heat by recovering from tenth to third place. His disqualification in the first heat had affected his weekend, but a win and a second place on Saturday allowed him to climb back up to ninth on the grid for the final.
Final
The OK-N Junior final began with a clean contest between the two Italians on the front row. In the early stages, John Mclellan started gaining positions, progressively moving into the top five, while the leading drivers maintained their respective positions. Mclellan was soon joined by Troy Ferguson, with the two American drivers mounting a charge through the field. Both gained several positions, moving into fourth and fifth place by halfway. Ferguson, in particular, delivered a significant recovery after starting from 13th on the grid.
At the front, Perico, D’Ascoli and Hedfors initially opened a gap over the rest of the field. The battle behind them allowed Perico to progressively extend his advantage over his closest challenger. The Italian driver, who had qualified third, had already built his result through victories in the heats and the Super Heat. In the final, he maintained control of the race, extending his advantage over his rivals until he crossed the finish line more than five seconds ahead.
Niccolò Perico faced no opposition in the Final, confirming the dominance he had shown in the Heats and the morning Super Heat
Behind him, the battle for the podium intensified in the second half of the race. Ferguson reduced the gap to Hedfors and overtook him, with Mclellan following closely. The American driver then increased his pace in the closing stages, managing to pass D’Ascoli as well and take second place on track.
A post-race front fairing penalty, however, changed the result: Ferguson was demoted, allowing D’Ascoli to move up to second place and Mclellan to claim third.
Elsewhere in the final, Schelvis Moron was forced to retire following contact with Titz. Sulpizio and Moehring finished in the top ten, while the biggest recovery was achieved by Italian driver Raffaele Mini, who gained 15 positions.
Niccolò Perico, FIA Karting World Cup winner in OK-N Junior: “I’m very happy; I don’t even have the words to describe how I feel. It was amazing, and I want to thank everyone who supported me this weekend: the team, KR, IAME, my mechanics, my family and Mercedes. We’ll see what we can do at the next event, but for now I want to enjoy this result.”
FIA Karting World Cup – OK-N Junior podium
Nicolò Perico (ITA, KR)
Luigi D’Ascoli (ITA, Modena)
John Mclellan (USA, Ward)
Alongside the OK-N and OK-N Junior races, John Han claimed the 2026 Academy Junior title following a closely contested final won by Max Sulin. The Hong Kong driver was able to manage the advantage he had built up in the previous rounds, finishing second and securing the title with a 51-point margin over runner-up Domenico Coco.
For Han, this is his second FIA title in two months, following his victory in the FIA Karting Arrive and Drive Junior World Cup last September.
