Harry Bartle, Kenzo Craigie and Harrison Whitticombe have advanced to the final stage of the UK assessment to decide the nations representative at the 2023 FIA Karting Academy Trophy. 

Lewis Islin joined Bartle, Craigie and Whitticombe in the first stage of a two-part assessment at iZone Driver Performance, Silver on 6 January 2023.  

The drivers were put through their paces across fitness assessments and performing under pressure on kart and single-seater simulators.  

The experienced judging panel, comprised of Graham Smith (General Secretary, ABKC) Dan Parker (Karting Manager, Motorsport UK) and Katie Baldwin (Competitors Pathway Manager, Motorsport UK), reviewed the assessment data compiled by the coaching team at iZone, to inform the decision made on who would progress to stage 2. 

Bartle, Craigie and Whitticombe were the standout candidates and will now travel to PF International Circuit on 24 January 2023 to take part in the stage two.  

The final shootout will involve a practical driving assessment and a session with the judging panel. The winner will go on to represent the UK in the 2023 FIA Karting Academy Trophy Championship, which will unfold over three rounds beginning in the Czech Republic in May. 

On the process so far, Baldwin commented, “The calibre of the applications we received this year was incredibly high, which translated into the performances we saw in stage one of the assessments.  

“It was a very difficult choice to make selections for stage two, but Harry, Kenzo and Harrison showed great determination and we’re really looking forward to finding the UK representative for the 2023 championship.”