De Oliveira Claims Double Runner-Up Honours at Zwartkops Rotax National and Africa Open

Alonzo De Oliveira continued his impressive rookie season in Micro MAX this past weekend, securing runner-up honours in both the Africa Open and the third national round of the South African Rotax MAX Challenge at Zwartkops Kart Raceway.

Entering the event as the reigning Bambino Africa Open champion, Alonzo had his sights firmly set on adding another for back-to-back Africa Open titles. However, in his first season in the highly competitive Micro MAX class, the young Stretto Racing driver delivered another strong performance, finishing as Africa Open vice-champion.

Across the national championship heats, Alonzo once again underlined his consistency and racecraft. He opened his weekend with a strong second-place finish in Heat 1 before maintaining his podium-finishing streak with third-place results in both Heats 2 and 3. Those results secured him second overall for the national round, adding another important result to his Micro MAX campaign.

The Africa Open battle proved to be one of the highlights of the weekend. Starting from the front row, Alonzo, an OMP/Motorsport Fanatix™ brand ambassador, was immediately involved in an intense four-driver tussle for the leading positions. The fight at the front saw positions change throughout the race, with Alonzo firmly in contention for victory until the closing stages.

Despite his determined effort and strong pace, Alonzo narrowly missed out on the Africa Open crown, crossing the line as runner-up. While it was not the result he had hoped for, the result marked another major step forward in his rookie Micro MAX season and confirmed his ability to compete at the sharp end of national-level competition.

“This was a tough but very special weekend,” said Alonzo. “I really wanted to add to my 2025 Africa Open title, but I am proud to finish as vice-champion in my first season of Micro MAX. The racing was very close, and I gave everything I had. Thank you to my family, my sponsors, Stretto Racing, and everyone who supported me throughout the weekend. I really appreciate everything they do for me.”

With another double runner-up result added to his 2026 campaign, Alonzo will now shift his focus to the remaining national and regional rounds of the South African Rotax MAX Challenge as he continues to build momentum in his first season in Micro MAX.