Fiery crashes and costly karts do little to deter Hongkonger Han from chasing F1 dream

Hongkonger John Han has won 2026 Junior FIA Karting Arrive and Drive Asia-Pacific Championship, a competition aimed at making sport accessible

An innate talent, coupled with a novel concept designed to lower motorsport’s financial barriers, could one day deliver the answer to the question of, where is the next Zhou Guanyu?

A reserve driver this season with newest Formula 1 team Cadillac, Zhou is the first, and so far only Chinese racer, to have had a full-time seat in the sport.

And while we are not quite at the “remember the name” stage for those hoping to follow in his footsteps, 12-year-old Hongkonger John Han showed flashes of talent in pulling off a thrilling last lap overtake on Macau’s tricky Coloane Karting Track on Sunday to win the 2026 Junior FIA Karting Arrive and Drive Asia-Pacific Championship.

The competition’s concept is as simple as it sounds. Introduced last year, as part of world governing body the FIA’s (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) new global karting plan, it asks riders to compete in identical vehicles that they see for the first time when they turn up at the race venue. Engines are routinely swapped to avoid any competitors complaining that they have been stuck with a dud.