De Oliveira Secures Rookie Championship Podium
Alonzo De Oliveira concluded his first South African Rotax MAX Challenge season in Micro MAX with third place in the national championship standings after the finale at Zwartkops Kart Raceway. The 2025 National, Africa Open and Northern Regions Bambino Champion races for Stretto Racing as an OMP/Motorsport Fanatix™ brand ambassador and completed his rookie campaign with a national podium.
A few weeks before the final, Alonzo suffered a setback during a preparation session when he collided with the inside of the tunnel at Zwartkops. The Johannesburg youngster sustained ligament injuries but, fortunately, no bones were broken. The incident affected his confidence, and the finale marked his first return to competition since the accident.
Against that background, qualifying fifth in a competitive 13-kart field was an encouraging start. Alonzo finished seventh in Friday's opening heat and eighth in the second race before regaining momentum. He moved forward to sixth in Heat 3 and fourth in the final race, his strongest result of the weekend, to finish sixth overall at Zwartkops.
The finale did not produce the victory Alonzo had targeted, but third in the national championship remains an important milestone. One season after winning three Bambino titles, he stepped into the faster Micro MAX category and established himself among the leading national contenders across a 13-heat campaign in which each driver's best 10 scores counted.
"Moving up to Micro MAX has been a big learning experience, and I'm proud to finish third in my first national season," said Alonzo. "The injury before the final affected my confidence, so returning to competition and completing the weekend meant a lot. Thank you to my family, the Stretto Racing team, my sponsors, OMP, Motorsport Fanatix™ and everyone who supported me throughout the year. I could not have done it without you."
With his national commitments complete, Alonzo will now focus on the remaining rounds of the Northern Regions Rotax Kart Championship, where he will aim to end the season strongly and build on the experience gained in national competition.
