Front-Running Pace Before Injury Setback for Gore at Viterbo
- Feb 15
- 2 min read
Swedish-Australian karting driver Axel “Axeman” Gore delivered another impressive display of speed and race craft at the opening round of the WSK Euro Series at Viterbo from February 11–14, competing in the highly competitive OK-N Junior category with Team Driver.
From the outset, Gore’s pace was undeniable. In Wednesday’s practice sessions, he consistently featured inside the top five, immediately signalling strong form. In official free practice, he finished 7th out of 22 drivers, with theoretical lap times placing him inside the top three, leaving him confident heading into qualifying.
However, qualifying proved to be the turning point of the weekend. While attempting to avoid another kart on his out lap, Gore was unable to complete a timed lap, leaving him without a representative result and forcing him to start all heats from the rear of the grid.
What followed was a series of remarkable fightbacks. In Heat 1, Gore stormed from P23 to P13, executing bold overtakes that caught the eye of spectators and paddock insiders alike. On the final lap, aggressive defending from a rival resulted in contact that dropped him back to P21 at the flag — a heartbreaking end to an outstanding drive.
Undeterred, Gore responded immediately. In Heat 2, he climbed seven positions to finish P16, followed by another impressive charge in Heat 3, gaining eight places to cross the line in P15. His consistent forward momentum underlined what the lap times had already suggested — without the qualifying mishap, he had the speed to be fighting from the front rows.
The Pre-Final perhaps best demonstrated his potential. Running as one of the quickest karts on track, Gore climbed six positions to P13 before an unfortunate bumper penalty — triggered after a sudden slowdown from a kart ahead — added five seconds to his result. Once again, his aggressive yet controlled overtaking drew praise from commentators and fans.
Having qualified for the Final, Gore was poised for another charge through the field. Unfortunately, contact on the opening lap ended his race prematurely with a DNF, bringing a frustrating close to a weekend that had promised so much.
Following the incident, Gore was taken for precautionary medical evaluation after reporting soreness in his arm. Subsequent X-rays have confirmed a small fracture in his elbow. While minor, medical advice requires a short recovery period to ensure complete healing.
As a result, Gore will miss the upcoming WSK Super Master Series round at Viterbo this weekend, as well as the Lonato round from March 4–8, before targeting a return at the prestigious Trofeo Andrea Margutti at Lonato in mid-March.
Despite the setback, Axel remains upbeat and focused:
“The speed is there — that’s the biggest positive,” said Gore. “From Wednesday we were right up there, and every race I was moving forward. We just need to nail qualifying so we start where we belong. The arm is a bit frustrating, but I’ll recover properly and come back stronger. I can’t wait to be back fighting at the front."
While the results column may not reflect the true story of Viterbo, Gore’s outright pace throughout the weekend was clear. With recovery now the priority, the 11-year-old and his team remain confident that once back to full fitness, he will convert that speed into the results it deserves as the 2026 season unfolds.
