The FIA Motorsport Games, a biennial event encompassing 16 categories from nine motorsport disciplines, including E-Sports, Circuit, Autocross, and Karting, will see Botswana sending a three-member karting squad to Valencia.
The trio, consisting of Kgosi Kgosane, Muhammad Ahmad, and Hamzah Ahmad, recently competed at the Africa Karting Cup in South Africa. Despite not securing spots at the FIA Karting World Championship later this year, the team received an invitation from the FIA-Africa Motorsport development office to participate in the Motorsport Games.
Speaking to MmegiSport, team spokesperson, Joe Khengere, expressed the squad's aspiration to attend the FIA Motorsport Games, emphasising its significance in establishing a competitive local karting championship and exposing riders to international tournaments. Khengere outlined the broader goal of producing Botswana's first Formula One driver, emphasising karting as a crucial developmental stage. "The boys are now planning an intensive programme in preparation for the Motorsport Games. This is to nurture and develop the natural talent they have. We do believe that Botswana is going to produce a Formula One driver. But we need good facilities to achieve this. We need to have a race track and to achieve this, we need the participation of the parents, the private sector, and the government," Khengere said.
He further highlighted the efforts of the Maverick Karting Team in establishing a national karting championship, aiming to introduce youngsters to leisure karts, assess their interests, and subsequently develop them into competitive racing. “Maverick Karting is planning to start a national championship to allow kids to come and drive around with leisure karts and to see if they like it. If they do, that is when we will develop them into competitive racing.
Once we do that, we can go all the way to Formula 4, Formula E to Formula One,” Khengere said. While karting currently serves as a leisure activity in Botswana, efforts are underway to elevate its status and competitiveness, aligning it with other prominent motorsport disciplines such as off-road and motocross.
