(Al Ain, 3 December 2019) It would be fair to say that Dubai-based schoolboy Lachlan Robinson came of age at the 2019 Rotax MAX Challenge (RMC) Grand Finals in Naples, Italy, during the last week of October.
As the RMC Grand Finals tend to be, it was a hectic week of racing at Circuito Internazionale Napoli in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, where the world's best Rotax MAX karters gathered for the annual contest to determine the Best of the Best in the various categories.
Robinson represented Team UAE in the Senior MAX class by virtue of being UAE Champion, where he came up against 72 other Champions from some 60 different nations in the same discipline. After a flurry of Qualifying Heats and the Pre-Finals during the five days building up to the Grand Final, Robinson established himself among the front-runners.
Apart from losing some hard-won places after being punted during a Qualifying Heat, he managed to stay out of trouble and was always in among the pace-setters. However, in a game of fine margins that one setback meant that he would start the Final from 15th on the grid – a lot further back than he deserved when a top 5 grid spot was on the cards.
Unfazed, Robinson - affectionately known as Lochie - went on to deliver the best performance of his career. Working tactically with rivals to stay in touch with the leading bunch, Robinson displayed maturity and racecraft that belied his age to finish fifth, having made up a remarkable ten positions in a close-fought Senior MAX Grand Final on the day.
This was an incredible result in terms of what he achieved for both himself and Team UAE, but with an inescapable air of ‘what could have been,’ had Robinson started further towards the front. And when you look at his final placing – P5 and within 1 second of the eventual Champion – the Championship title was certainly within reach.
Reflecting on the Final, Robinson said, "Simply, there were not enough laps and my pace wasn't quite good enough to challenge after the two incidents during my last heat. We had to manage it carefully through the Pre-Finals and the Final.
The biggest disappointment would have to be my third Qualifying Heat. Being taken out on the first lap... and falling to the back of the field before working my way back to 16th place on the final lap only to be taken out a second time, resulting in significant damage to my kart and a 30th place finish.
"These two separate incidents not only hindered my starting position for the Pre-Final and Final but bent the chassis, making it extremely difficult to find the optimum set up for the remaining races."
Nevertheless, the lad who grew up on the karting tracks of the UAE came of age on that day, and said, "The highlight is representing the UAE, achieving my best ever career finish at international level and working closely with so many talented people who have helped me throughout my karting career."
Recalling the week in Naples, Team UAE Championship Director Guy Sheffield said of Robinson's performance, "Lochie was, without doubt, the shining star of Team UAE. He really rose to the occasion, demonstrating a maturity and race management that we have not seen before, under incredible pressure. He raised the bar for UAE karting and might even have won had the stars aligned for him.
"Having watched Lochie grow through the ranks of Rotax MAX karting in the UAE, Naples provided the entire Robinson clan with just reward for the huge efforts and resources families put into racing. This made it all worthwhile and paves the way for the young man to return to the next Grand Finals with realistic hopes of outdoing this year’s amazing result. He certainly has the ability."
Returning home to Dubai, Robinson remained humble, "I would like to thank everyone at Al Ain Raceway, Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Rotax, my mechanic Alex Hayward for his tireless efforts, Jordan Chamberlain and Luke Varley for their coaching, mentoring and advice and finally, my parents for all their continued support and efforts for without them, none of this would have been possible. I am extremely honoured and grateful to have such a great support network around me."
A couple of weeks after the Grand Finals in Italy, Robinson returned to Round 3 of the 2019 UAE RMC at Al Ain Raceway where he won in style, despite a strong challenge from the local Senior MAX brigade.
He is back in action for this weekend's Round 4 of the UAE RMC at Al Ain Raceway, where he will again be the man to beat. If he secures that coveted ticket to the 2020 RMC Grand Finals, be sure that anything less than victory - World Champion - will be a disappointment for the Year 11, 16-year-old Dubai English Speaking College student.
