Parolin Motorsport celebrated at La Conca in Italy as Dean Hoogendoorn claimed the FIA Karting World Championship in OK with a lights-to-flag victory. It was a fitting conclusion to his karting career before a move into single-seaters in 2027. The team also demonstrated excellent pace in both categories, with Gioele Girardello fighting for the OK-Junior podium before finishing 6th, while William Calleja showed podium potential in OK before misfortune intervened.
Moved from Bahrain to La Conca, the World Championship took place in temperatures in the mid-teens. Conditions were mostly dry, although Sunday morning rain complicated the Super Heats. With 28 finalists rather than 36 in both categories, competition was particularly intense.
Hoogendoorn delivered a commanding performance in OK. After showing strong pace in Qualifying, he won two heats and finished 2nd in the other to move up to 2nd in the intermediate classification. He then dominated his Super Heat, leading from start to finish and setting the fastest lap to secure pole position for the World Championship Final.
With a few spots of rain falling shortly before the start, conditions remained uncertain, but Hoogendoorn made the perfect getaway and immediately established himself at the front. He built an advantage of more than two seconds in the opening laps before coming under increasing pressure in the second half of the 24-lap race. With his lead reduced to half a second in the closing stages, the Dutch driver held his nerve to cross the finish line 0.649s ahead and become World Champion.
The victory concluded Hoogendoorn’s ten-year karting career at the pinnacle of international competition. He will move into Formula 4 in 2027, having secured the most prestigious title in direct-drive karting in his final appearance.
The other Parolin Motorsport drivers also showed competitive pace in OK. Calleja had the speed to challenge for a podium, including a heat victory, but setbacks and further misfortune in the Final denied him the result he deserved. Starting 15th, he was unable to finish.
Evan Purcell progressed consistently to reach the Final and finish 19th. Nicolò Cuman had been a leading contender in the heats, but a gamble on tyres during his damp Super Heat dropped him down the order. He recovered from 24th on the Final grid to 21st.
In OK-Junior, Girardello was another top performer for Parolin Motorsport and came close to adding a second podium finish for the team. He progressed strongly through the heats, including a victory, and was among the frontrunners in his Super Heat before securing 6th on the grid for the Final. He moved into the top three during the opening laps and remained involved in the leading battle throughout the race, but ultimately missed out on a podium finish and crossed the line 6th.
Priam Bruno recovered from setbacks in the heats with a win, progressed in his Super Heat and finished 15th in the Final. Oliver Spencer gained five places from 21st on the grid to finish 16th. Oskari Walle recovered from difficult Qualifying and led his Super Heat before an accident ended his chances of reaching the Final.
Ward Racing also contributed to the strong Parolin presence in OK. Luke Kornder (Ward Racing) recovered from 21st on the grid to finish 13th in the Final, gaining eight places. Benjamin Manach (Ward Racing) started 7th and challenged among the leaders during the opening stages, briefly moving into 2nd, but his race ended after eight laps.
Marco Parolin said:
“It was very tiring to watch Dean, the race was never ending, but he made it and I think he deserves this title as he has had everything it takes to be a World Champion throughout the season, and it’s the cherry on top of a fantastic season for him. Henry [Domain] was pushing really hard, he had a strong pace, but Dean was not pushing 100%. However from the outside you never know how much he is keeping in his pocket. In the last five laps you could see the difference in Dean’s tyres.
We also have to recognise the excellent performances of the whole team this weekend. William showed the pace to be fighting for a podium in OK, but unfortunately bad luck prevented him from getting the result he deserved. Gioele was another standout performer in OK-Junior, and it was disappointing to see him miss out on the podium after being so competitive throughout the weekend. Overall, we can be extremely proud of what we have achieved at this World Championship.”
Parolin Motorsport will return to action in two weeks for the second round of the WSK Final Cup at Lonato in Italy, where the team will look to build on its World Championship success as the 2026 season approaches its conclusion.