The Bahrain Rotax MAX Challenge delivered another competitive night of karting as drivers contested the championship’s second round. Five racers claimed victories at Bahrain International Karting Circuit under the lights during the 2026/2027 season.
Bahrain International Circuit organized the event alongside Bahrain International Karting Circuit. The Bahrain Motor Federation and Bahrain Karting Commission also supported the competition. Drivers raced on the circuit’s 1.414-kilometre CIK-FIA track, competing across five categories.
Sami Albandak won the Micro MAX category, while Abdulaziz Alsarraf claimed victory in Mini MAX. Meanwhile, Faisal Alnajjar took the Junior MAX title, and Demir Abali topped the Senior MAX field. Rakan Alfayez completed the winners’ list with a strong performance in DD2 MAX.
Albandak controlled the Micro MAX competition from the early sessions. He set the pace during free practice and qualifying before winning the heat and pre-final. He then completed nine laps in 9 minutes 31.682 seconds to secure the final victory. Henry Toon finished second, crossing the line 5.103 seconds behind the winner.
In Mini MAX, Alsarraf recovered from a closely contested qualifying session to take first place. Although he topped free practice, Ehan Anjam narrowly beat his qualifying time. Alsarraf subsequently won the heat before finishing just behind Liam Boyd in the pre-final.
However, Alsarraf delivered when it mattered most, winning the nine-lap final in 8 minutes 57.643 seconds. Enzo Younes finished second, 0.685 seconds behind, while Anjam secured third place. The three drivers separated by less than 1.3 seconds demonstrated the category’s close competition.
Alnajjar secured the Junior MAX win after another closely fought contest. He led free practice, although Bader Faisal later topped qualifying and won the heat. Alnajjar regained the advantage in the pre-final and maintained his momentum through the 15-lap final. He finished in 13 minutes 58.037 seconds, ahead of Bader by 2.013 seconds. Rayyan Najjar completed the podium, 2.362 seconds behind the winner.
The Senior MAX category featured the largest grid of the weekend. Abali dominated throughout, leading free practice, qualifying, the heat and the pre-final. He then completed the 15-lap final in 13 minutes 34.096 seconds to secure another victory. Vedant Menon finished second, 1.096 seconds behind, while Khaled Najjar took third place.
DD2 MAX produced another close finish, with Alfayez claiming victory after a competitive weekend. Mohammed Alhasan led free practice, while Leopold Juch topped qualifying. Alhasan then won the heat, but Alfayez responded by taking the pre-final and final.
Alfayez completed the 15-lap race in 13 minutes 20.602 seconds. Juch finished just 0.180 seconds behind, while Alhasan took third place. The narrow margin between the top two highlighted the intensity of the DD2 MAX contest.
Following the races, organizers presented trophies to the top three drivers in each category. Moreover, four winners repeated their opening-round successes, showing strong early-season form. Albandak, Alnajjar, Abali and Alfayez all secured consecutive victories in their respective classes. Younes had won the Mini MAX category during the season opener.
The Bahrain Rotax MAX Challenge features eight rounds, with the championship finale scheduled for February 5, 2027. Round three will take place on November 20, followed by races on December 4 and 11. The series will resume next year with rounds six and seven on January 8 and 16.
With several rounds still ahead, drivers will have further opportunities to challenge the early leaders. The next race on November 20 will continue the battle across all five categories as the season progresses.
