Klara Kowalczyk shines in FIA Motorsport Games with P6 in Karting Sprint Junior final

Thirteen-year-old Polish driver Klara Kowalczyk achieved an impressive 6th place finish as the highest-ranked female in the Karting Sprint Junior discipline at the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games, running solidly in the top ten throughout the event and moving forward in the action-packed finale.

Thirteen-year-old Polish driver Klara Kowalczyk made a mark at the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games held at Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia, with an impressive 6th place finish in the fiercely competitive Karting Sprint Junior category.

Competing against young talents from 35 nations among the 82 countries represented at the Games, Klara emerged as the highest-ranked female driver in her discipline, showcasing great speed and racecraft on such an international stage.

With her karting career beginning just before her sixth birthday, Kowalczyk has consistently risen through the ranks, earning achievements such as Poland's II Vice-Champion title in 2022. She was also selected by the FIA Women's Commission for the 2023 FIA Karting Academy Trophy, where one girl worldwide is chosen each year to compete.

Her nomination to the national team at the third edition of the FIA Motorsport Games was then supported by her national federation, PZM, which appointed her to represent Poland in the Karting Sprint Junior discipline.

The FIA Motorsport Games offered Klara a unique challenge, and the young Pole fought through the event with determination. Unlike several competitors, she hadn’t had prior testing on the Aspar Circuit, as her demanding schedule in European and World Championship events left little time for extra testing.

Thus, her first sessions were dedicated to learning the track layout and adjusting her kart's set up to the circuit. Weather conditions added extra layers of complexity, as mixed weather resulted in Kowalczyk having to drive on slick tyres on a wet track due to the limited number of wet weather tyres allotted for the weekend. Nevertheless she rose to the challenge, finishing her final training session in third place – just 0.148 seconds behind Turkiye's Zülfikari and pace setter Arias.

In qualifying, Klara’s speed was again evident and she secured a 5th place in her group and granting her a starting position of 9th for the qualifying heats despite challenging conditions after heavy rain.

The qualifying heats took place over two days, with the first two on Saturday and the third on Sunday morning. During each session, she showcased her ability to make her way up the field; in the final two heats she consistently finished in the top ten, with a seventh place in the third heat that gained her two places from the start.

The final was nothing short of thrilling: unlike the shorter qualifying heats, the final stretched over 18 laps, and tensions ran high with nearly half of the competitors incurring penalties for a front bumper contact. Klara, however, kept her composure, driving a clean race that allowed her to advance three positions from her starting spot.

From ninth, Kowalczyk kept her focus and climbed her way up to finish seventh overall, then promoted to sixth after penalties - a result she was particularly proud of, given the fierce competition and the challenges of the final, with plenty of aggressive moves around her.

Unfortunately, I lacked a bit of pace in terms of the engine", she explained. "Despite this, I am pleased with myself, because I kept in touch with the leading group the whole time. The lack of pace prevented me from fighting for higher positions, but I am proud of what I achieved during the final despite the difficulties."

"I think that overall it was a good weekend in Valencia, although after the final race I feel a bit dissatisfied and I know that it could have been better," Kowalczyk stressed.

The FIA Motorsport Games provided more than just racing experience for the young driver. Klara valued the chance to bond with fellow Polish team members and other competitors, many of whom she doesn’t regularly see due to their competition schedules in different parts of Europe.

"FIA Motorsport Games is also a great opportunity to get to know other competitors - both privately and in terms of their abilities and driving technique on the track," she added.

In addition to her regular sponsors, Klara’s participation in the Motorsport Games received extra backing from the YES Foundation, an initiative of YES Jewelry aimed at supporting emerging talents. The Games marked her third major FIA event of the year, following her participation in the European and World Championships, where she consistently ranked as the top female driver in the Junior category.