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Clean sweeps for Morelli and Perico at FIA Karting World Cup
Yuri Morelli and Niccolò Perico delivered dominant clean sweeps to claim world titles at the 2026 FIA Karting World Cup.
By Michael de Vries - 2026-10-11T18:53:00.000Z - 3 min read
The 2026 FIA Karting World Cup concluded with comprehensive victories for two standout competitors who dominated every phase of the weekend. Yuri Morelli secured the OK-N category title after converting pole position into a clean sweep of heat victories, a super heat win, and the final triumph. Morelli becomes the third winner in the history of the OK-N title, following previous victors Kyuho Lee and Manuel Scognamiglio.
In the OK-N Junior division, Niccolò Perico established his credentials as one of the most promising young talents in motorsport. The Mercedes junior driver matched Morelli's achievement by winning every heat and super heat before cruising to a commanding victory in the final. Perico crossed the finish line over five seconds clear of his nearest rival to secure his first FIA Karting title.
The path to the OK-N final featured intense battles throughout the field. Morelli and Cristian Blandino entered the final day level on a perfect 150 points after dominating their respective heats. Morelli secured pole position for the decider by winning his morning super heat ahead of Scognamiglio. Blandino recovered from early pressure in his own super heat to secure a front-row start alongside the Brazilian contender.
At the start of the OK-N final, Blandino initially claimed the lead before a three-way contest unfolded alongside Morelli and Lamberto Ferrari. Morelli quickly mounted an offensive to reclaim the front position and steadily built a two-second advantage. While Scognamiglio emerged as the strongest challenger to finish second, Morelli maintained his pace to claim the world cup crown. Ferrari completed the podium positions in third place after a race-long battle.
Perico experienced a similarly authoritative run in the junior category. After securing pole position for the final through a measured super heat win ahead of Elton Hedfors, the Italian driver controlled the decisive race from the opening lap. Behind him, Troy Ferguson delivered a remarkable recovery from thirteenth on the grid, initially slicing through the field to claim a provisional second place before a post-race front fairing penalty promoted Luigi D'Ascoli to second and John Mclellan to third.
Meanwhile, the Academy Junior title concluded with John Han securing the championship crown despite a tense final race. Holding a comfortable points advantage heading into the weekend, Han managed his race prudently to finish second behind race winner Max Sulin. Takeru Shimbashi completed the podium in the final round, leaving Han with a decisive 51-point margin over Domenico Coco in the final season standings.
Reflecting on his success, Morelli admitted he lacked words to describe his emotions after executing a flawless weekend under intense pressure. Perico echoed similar sentiments of gratitude toward his family, mechanics, and team following his dominant performance. The international karting calendar will resume next month with the Mondokart.com FIA Karting World Championship in La Conca, Italy.