De Wet Targets Late Mini MAX Title Charge
Luhan de Wet heads into the final round of the South African Rotax MAX Challenge next weekend with one clear objective: finish his rookie Mini MAX season as strongly as possible. The reigning Micro MAX champion and 2025 Mini MAX Africa Open Champion still has an outside shot at the national title heading into the four-heat finale, with the 2026 national championship decided over 13 heats and only the best 10 scoring rounds counting.
That format leaves the door slightly open for the OMP/Motorsport Fanatix™ brand ambassador as he prepares for the season decider. Currently fifth in the standings, he knows the task is a demanding one, but the final round offers one last opportunity to make up ground if everything falls into place across the weekend.
The move up to Mini MAX has brought a fresh challenge this season, but Luhan has continued to show the fighting qualities that made him last year’s Micro MAX champion. Now, with four more heats still to come, the focus is firmly on maximising every possible point.
Having already secured his place at the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals in Portugal after triumphing in the Africa Open, Luhan is not lacking motivation for the local finale.
“I’ve already secured my place for Portugal, but I’m a born racer and my goal is always to win every race. I’m here to race and not merely participate,” said Luhan. “I know the national title is a long shot, but I’m going to give it everything and try to win all four heats. Then we will hope that is enough to win the championship. We just need to be smart about how we go about our weekend.”
No matter how difficult the maths may be, Luhan heads into the finale with the same mindset he has carried all season: race hard, stay focused and fight all the way to the end. If he can deliver the clean sweep he is targeting, he could yet turn the title battle into a dramatic final-round showdown.
Official action kicks off on Thursday, with several practice sessions from morning through Friday afternoon before qualifying sets the grids for the opening class heats. Saturday sees the remaining three heats before national champions are crowned.
Entry to the final round is free, and spectators are encouraged to attend. Alternatively, you can catch the live action on https://www.youtube.com/@sarotaxmaxchallenge3045/streams from Friday afternoon.
