Fiery crashes and costly karts do little to deter Hongkonger Han from chasing F1 dream

An innate talent, coupled with a novel concept designed to lower motorsport’s financial barriers, could one day deliver the answer to the question of, where is the next Zhou Guanyu? A reserve driver this season with newest Formula 1 team Cadillac, Zhou is the first, and so far only Chinese racer, to have had a full-time seat in the sport. And while we are not quite at the “remember the name” stage for those hoping to follow in his footsteps, 12-year-old Hongkonger John Han showed flashes of talent in pulling off a thrilling last lap overtake on Macau’s tricky Coloane Karting Track on Sunday to win the 2026 Junior FIA Karting Arrive and Drive Asia-Pacific Championship. The competition’s concept is as simple as it sounds. Introduced last year, as part of world governing body the FIA’s (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) new global karting plan, it asks riders to compete in identical vehicles that they see for the first time when they turn up at the race venue. Engines are routinely swapped to avoid any competitors complaining that they have been stuck with a dud. Entrants paid €3,950 (US$4,550) to compete in Macau, in addition to their mechanics’ fees. Although expensive on the face of it, Akbar Ebrahim, president of the FIA Karting Commission, said it was reasonable in the context of usual all-in costs of up to €12,000. The junior category over the weekend was contested by drivers aged 12 to 14, while 14 to 18-year-olds vied for senior honours. “We’re providing a platform for people who are talented and do well in their home races, but who cannot compete at this level [because of expense],” Ebrahim said. “Talent scouts from all the big Formula 1 teams are watching these races, and we wanted to provide something with less engineering, which was more affordable and accessible.” All bases beyond the karts’ uniform chassis and engines have been covered to ensure a level playing field. On Friday’s practice day, in a marquee around 50 metres from the Macau circuit, staff from OTK Kart Group, the Italian manufacturers responsible for designing, building and transporting the karts, were studying various metrics being delivered to their computer screens from the vehicles. None of the data was shared with the riders or their mechanics, lest more experienced personnel gain a jump on their rivals. After first sitting in a baby kart at four, Han was drawn in by motor racing’s “speed and competitive challenges, and the need to solve problems”. With a driving simulator in his Beijing home, he is already doing what he can to separate himself from his rivals. Also leading the way in this year’s FIA Karting Academy Trophy, which counts Charles Leclerc, the 2026 British Grand Prix winner, among its former champions, Han said: “It’s hard to manage school and karting, because I need to be away a lot, but I have lots of online lessons.” Describing himself as “an aggressive driver … but I don’t do dirty moves”, Han said his parents had never tried to persuade him to focus on his second sport of tennis over the riskier pursuit in vehicles that in Macau were capable of top speeds of nearly 80 mph (128 km/h). In this month’s China GT Championship, British driver Ollie Millroy was dragged from his burning car by fellow competitor Loek Hartog following a three-vehicle collision. “Inherently, motorsport is dangerous, and it’s going to take someone aback when they see something like that,” Ebrahim, who in his earlier years competed in F2 and F3, said. “It felt safe when I raced more than 35 years ago, but the circuits, products and driver equipment have greatly improved. If you look at the number of accidents that happen over the kilometres run, I think the safety rate is pretty good. “If somebody is invested in the sport, they’re invested irrespective of what they see.” Han validated Ebrahim’s last point. “I know it’s a very dangerous sport, but I’m never scared on the track,” he said. “I focus on the speed rather than the danger.” A three-strong team of race stewards in Macau was responsible for enforcing safety rules. Drivers on the naughty step would enter blinking into a compact room overlooking the track where they had transgressed, apologising profusely and vowing to their inquisitors that they had learned their lessons. Some were handed “jokers”, their one-strike before being hit with race penalties. One unfortunate young fellow’s punishment for overtaking on a yellow flag was to have to report at 6.45am the following morning to accompany a steward on his safety inspection of the 1.2km circuit. The walk would be accompanied by a lecture on race etiquette. Ebrahim said it would be too simplistic to state whether he considered arrive-and-drive a success or a failure. Last year’s inaugural World Cup in Malaysia was oversubscribed, with 107 drivers eventually on the grid, but regional competitions have proved a tougher sell. Forty-three raced across the two age divisions in Macau. Punitive financial costs led to the abandonment of a plan to stage the Asia-Pacific championship over three separate race weekends, in favour of the one-off shoot-out in Macau. “We’re actually losing a bit [of money], but the FIA is there to invest to develop the sport and give opportunities to people who would otherwise not be able to compete at this level,” Ebrahim said, adding that around 65 per cent of his organisation’s arrive-and-drive outlay covered logistical and human expenses. Plans are afoot to change the model in 2028 to a global kart system that will feature more localised races under global rules. “We can’t sustain the freight prices,” Ebrahim said, revealing that FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem would like car manufacturing decentralised from its dominant Italian hub to strip back transport expenses. “Because of the geopolitical situation, the cost of getting the materials here from Italy, along with personnel, has increased by two or three times. “Whichever country adopts the global kart system must abide by our sporting and technical regulations. They’ll run it, and they’ll come with their own equipment.” Also a former professional cricketer for Tamil Nadu in his native India, Ebrahim said Asia lagged behind in producing elite F1 drivers because the continent boasts few “motoring countries”. “A lot of [Asian regions] have more connection to public transport than to automobiles,” Ebrahim said. “In the larger counties, travel is expensive and there are fewer circuits. If you don’t have the infrastructure, how will the sport grow? “Also, India and China are doing well economically, but it’s a very small percentage of the populations who have the wealth.” Seira Kojima, the 15-year-old Japanese driver who placed fifth in the seniors in Macau, said she was consistently racing in Europe to sharpen her competitive edge. “The level is very different,” she said. “In Asia, there’s about 30 drivers in each class, in Europe it’s more than 80 or 90, then only 36 in the finals. “The rules in Asia are stricter, too. If you hit someone, or look and block, you get a penalty. In Europe, those things are normal. If you don’t have any spoiling [tactics] you’ll find it hard.” Han will jet to Italy next month for the latest leg of his karting academy title pursuit. “I don’t think about the future,” he said. “The best thing for me now is to just do my best and try to win every race I can.” Ebrahim added: “This is a tough sport: mentally and physically, and also financially. “It’s not a walk in the park for someone who thinks they can come and have a punt at it. You get badly battered and bruised, both ego-wise and physically. “It’s only those who are very committed and who have an intense passion for racing who will sustain it.”

Fiery crashes and costly karts do little to deter Hongkonger Han from chasing F1 dream

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Hongkonger John Han has won 2026 Junior FIA Karting Arrive and Drive Asia-Pacific Championship, a competition aimed at making sport accessible

Hongkonger John Han has won 2026 Junior FIA Karting Arrive and Drive Asia-Pacific Championship, a competition aimed at making sport accessible