Theo Steindal proved unstoppable in the opening round of the 2026 WSK Final Cup, held at the Franciacorta circuit. The Norwegian WYDA (World Young Drivers Academy) driver delivered a remarkable comeback to finish second in the MINI Gr.3 category with MP Academy Gamoto. After a difficult qualifying session, he gained an impressive 36 positions over the course of the heats.
Steindal’s weekend had begun positively. From free practice onwards, he showed that he had the pace to challenge for the leading positions, setting the third-fastest time in his session and proving that he could match the speed of the frontrunners.
Qualifying, however, did not reflect his true potential. A difficult session, during which he was unable to complete a clean lap, left him 19th in his group and 37th overall, forcing him to start each of the qualifying heats from the back of the field.
From that moment on, the Norwegian showed his fighting spirit and began to mount an impressive recovery, combining pace, speed, determination and remarkable composure. Starting 19th in his group in each of the three heats, Steindal fought his way up to seventh place every time. This remarkable consistency allowed him to climb from 37th after qualifying to tenth in the overall standings following the heats, gaining 27 positions and completely turning his weekend around.
Theo’s competitiveness became even more evident on Sunday’s decisive day. In the morning warm-up, he set the fastest time in his series with a lap of 54.348 seconds, which was also the quickest time of the entire session.
Starting fifth in Prefinal B, Steindal immediately moved into the leading positions, briefly taking the lead and setting the fastest lap of the race. His second-place finish earned him fifth position on the grid for the Final.
In the last and decisive race of the weekend, Theo completed his extraordinary comeback. Starting fifth, he quickly moved into second place and also briefly took the lead. After ten fiercely contested laps at the highest level, he crossed the finish line in second place, just 0.629 seconds behind Nahyl El Ghaoudi.
Following the Final, MP Academy Gamoto lodged a protest, after which the Stewards disqualified El Ghaoudi’s No. 511 kart due to a technical non-compliance concerning the configuration of an air duct used to cool the engine. BabyRace Driver Academy subsequently appealed the decision, meaning that the final race classification remains provisional and subject to the outcome of the appeal.
Regardless of the appeal’s outcome, Theo’s performance on the track remains outstanding. His result is even more impressive considering his difficult starting point: from 37th in the qualifying standings to the leading positions in the Final, thanks to three consecutive fightbacks in the heats and an excellent performance in the Prefinal.
The Franciacorta podium rewarded the young Norwegian driver’s ability to bounce back from a disappointing qualifying session, remain composed under pressure and transform an extremely difficult situation into a top-level performance.
MP Academy Gamoto’s excellent work also played a key role in this result, providing Theo with a highly competitive kart that enabled him to express his full potential.
His speed, determination and maturity confirm the quality of the development programme built around Theo Steindal by WYDA and provide every reason to look ahead to the upcoming rounds with great confidence.