T&T to compete at FIA Motorsport Games
Two local teenagers will represent Trinidad & Tobago in the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Motorsport Games to be held in Valencia, Spain from October 23-27 this year.
Alex Sharma, 14, and Benjamin Mahon, 17, will represent the country in the Kart Sprint Junior and Senior categories, respectively.
The FIA Motorsport Games, regarded as the Olympics of motorsports, brings together over 60 nations participating in 27 different disciplines of motorsport in the competition which will see more than 1,000 entrants.
It is the first time that Trinidad and Tobago will be represented at the Games.
They follow in the footsteps of other Caribbean nations, Barbados and the Bahamas and will each compete against 35 of the best kart drivers in the world.
Karting is universally seen as the foundation discipline on the pathway to Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport.
There are already numerous talents in the field with Caribbean lineage, including Lewis Hamilton (Formula 1), Zane Maloney (Formula 2) and Alex Powell (Formula 4).
The sport of kart racing has seen a resurgence locally in recent times with the governing body, the Trinidad and Tobago Karting Association (TTKA) hosting a championship for national drivers to participate in.
Children as young as six years of age are eligible to enter.
Sharma, who has been racing for just two years and is the 2023 Trinidad and Tobago Karting Association Rookie of the Year said, “The Games will be a step up since I’ll be competing against the world’s best Junior kart drivers. Some of them I know and have driven against before. I intend to do my best to secure the best possible result for the team.”
Reigning TTKA Sportsman Class Champion and Rotax Senior Class points leader and a nine-year participant in the sport, Mahon said “I am eager to showcase the skill, dedication, and spirit of our nation and that of our motorsport community. This opportunity not only highlights my personal journey in motorsport but also serves as an inspiration for aspiring racers in Trinidad and Tobago, demonstrating that with hard work and passion, reaching the world stage is possible.”
The youngsters are under no illusion and are aware the competition will be tough. They are the underdogs in a sport where most nations have purpose-built karting facilities to host training and competitions.
Locally, competitions are facilitated on a makeshift kart track at the Wallerfield International Raceway using ropes and plastic barriers. Notwithstanding these limitations, Mahon and Sharma believe that they can represent the red, white and black well.
“It’s far from ideal, but that has never stopped the region from excelling in all sorts of sporting endeavours”, said Mahon.
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