MOTORSPORT – BAHRAINI karting sensation Tariq Soofi is gearing up to take on the next challenge of his international motorsport journey in the fifth and final round of the WSK Super Master Series 2026 in Italy.
The meeting is scheduled to take place from tomorrow to Sunday at Franciacorta Karting Track in Lombardy.
Tariq is fresh from competing in the championship’s previous round, held at Circuito South Garda in Lonato, where he put in a positive performance.
Racing in the Mini GR3 category, Tariq climbed six places in the pre-final, finishing in 19th place while demonstrating his determination and progress.
The talented 11-year-old, who is also a member of Bahrain-based NorthStar Racing, continues to learn and develop with the Lenovo Kali Kart team and is progressing relentlessly, competing against top young drivers from around the world.
Kali Kart is a brand of CRG SRL, one of the world’s most established karting companies.
Heading into Franciacorta this week, Tariq continues his professional approach and positive spirit. Despite this being his first time competing in the WSK Super Master Series – and despite the new conditions and unfamiliar tracks – he is steadily improving and strengthening his hopes for even better performances throughout the rest of the season.
“I’m looking forward to a strong performance in the upcoming race in Franciacorta,” Tariq said. “I aim to finish in the top 10, or even better if possible.
“Since arriving in Italy in February, I’ve been working hard and training consistently, so I aim to translate this effort into better results this time, so that I can proudly raise the flag of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the world.”
In the upcoming round, Tariq is one of more than 60 competitors in the Mini GR3 class. Tomorrow, they will be hitting the track for the opening free practice sessions, which will continue until Thursday and Friday. There will also be qualifying practice and qualifying heats on Friday, with the qualifying heats pushing forward until Saturday. They will set the stage for the pre-finals on Sunday as well as the finals, which are to be held later the same day.
Aside from the Mini drivers, there are also participants at Franciacorta in the WSK Super Master Series’ OKNJ, OKJ, OK, and KZ2 classes – making for a field of more than 400 racers.
Tariq is the back-to-back Micro MAX champion of the Bahrain Rotax MAX Challenge at Bahrain International Karting Circuit.
He is being guided in his international motor racing journey by Minardi Management – a leading driver-management company in Italy established in 2003 by Giovanni Minardi, son of Gian Carlo Minardi, the founder of the historic Minardi Formula One team that bears their family name.
Minardi have planned a full-time programme for him in Italy for the 2026 campaign.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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