On Sunday 1 June 2025, the Cremona Circuit hosted the third round of the Rotax Max Challenge Italia (RMCI) Championship, an event that featured the brilliant performances of Matteo Natino in the Junior category, culminating in his overall victory in this third phase of the championship. For us in Oltrepò Pavese, it is always a source of pride to see young people from our area stand out for their talent and determination, and Matteo is a shining example of this. Born in Voghera on 2 June 2011 and raised in Salice Terme, Matteo approached the world of karting at the age of 4, fascinated by engines and challenges, starting to take his first steps on the Nivolino track of the Tazio Nuvolari circuit. His competitive career began at the age of 11, after purchasing a used Rotax engine, which allowed him to debut in the Rotax Max Challenge Ita Mini championship. The first significant successes, however, come in the Junior category, in which he is currently racing for the third consecutive year and where he has always obtained only partial victories in the heats, without managing to achieve a first place in the final; it is precisely in this third round in Cremona that Matteo achieves his best result for the first time in his career, obtaining, after a perfect weekend, his first victory in a final. Through the words of Matteo himself, we can delve into the details of his masterpiece weekend. From the beginning, the weekend opened in the best possible way with an impeccable fast lap in qualifying, which guaranteed Matteo the pole position for Race 1. With this demonstration of strength and speed, the young driver immediately made his intentions clear: to dominate the weekend and take home the overall victory. The Races: speed, concentration and combativeness Race 1 confirmed the premises of the qualification. From the start to the checkered flag, Matteo maintained the lead of the group, running a flawless race, the result of the great concentration and mental clarity of this fourteen-year-old, who represents a real pride for the MKC Motorsport team. Subsequently, in Race 2, we witnessed a titular battle with his teammate Dragos Avasilcutei. The challenge put Matteo’s skills to the test, but he still managed to finish the race in second place with a masterly performance. This result highlighted his combativeness and his skills even in extremely competitive situations. The Final: the icing on the cake The brilliant results obtained in Race 1 and Race 2 ensured Matteo the pole position also for the decisive and more complex final heat. This last round proved to be the icing on the cake of an impeccable weekend, fully repaying all the efforts of the young driver and his team. With remarkable skill, Matteo was able to resist the attacks of his pursuers at the start, immediately making the crucial breakaway that allowed him to maintain the advantage until the last lap. Thus, he passed first under the checkered flag, conquering the first overall position in this challenging weekend.
“It was a pretty one-way race for me: I managed to get off to a good start, immediately gain an advantage and maintain it until the end.” These are the emotional words of the karting promise, which sum up the feelings of his strong weekend. It must be admitted, in fact, that Matteo’s performances in this third phase of the championship have not gone unnoticed. On a complex and technical circuit like that of Cremona, the young driver dominated without hesitation, showing no signs of weakness but only a lot of determination, maturity, lucidity, speed and preparation. These qualities have allowed him to excel among the many other experts in the category. Thus Matteo places himself among the most talked about names in the rankings and raises the name of his team, which supported him during the days of the race with a trust amply repaid by so much pride. However, the championship does not stop. After the deserved celebrations, the goal is already set to equal these extraordinary results in the next round, which will be held in Franciacorta on June 22. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Matteo and the MKC Motorsport team and wish them good luck for the rest of the races!