Not all aspects of the FIA’s International Karting Ranking (IKR) are as well known in the industry. The progress made by Rocco Coronel last weekend in the IAME Euro Series provides an opportunity to discover the place of the Brand Cups in the FIA rankings.
The young Dutch driver moved up 24 places in the IKR following his performance in the X30 Junior class at Franciacorta (ITA). He is now ranked 43rd overall out of the 979 drivers currently classified. He is also in first place in the X30 Junior category, and second in the provisional IAME Euro Series rankings. His rapid progression within the IKR reflects a very positive evolution on the track.
Currently aged 12, Rocco Coronel is the son of racing driver Tom Coronel. The father/son relationship is very harmonious. Tom has even decided not to enter the FIA Touring Car World Championship this year, so that he can be more available to support his son on the kart circuits. Aware that karting is a separate discipline and that he doesn’t know all the subtleties, Tom has put his trust in professionals to supervise Rocco’s apprenticeship. He is looking forward to his son’s move into single-seater racing so that he can pass on the fruits of his own experience to him:
“After a good apprenticeship in karting, young people can quickly master driving a single-seater. During my career, I’ve had some of my most intense moments behind the wheel of single-seaters. In F3, then in Formula Nippon, I am still influenced by the pleasure of driving these pure machines on exceptional tracks such as Monaco, Suzuka or Macao. I even had the opportunity to test an Arrows F1 car in 1999. Fortunately, I was able to build my professional career around the Touring categories up to the European Championship and the World Championship. I took part in nine editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with varying degrees of success, as well as the 2009 Dakar Rally with my brother Tim. But now I’m wondering if I wouldn’t rather support my son from the side of the track…“.
Rocco has been immersed in the world of motor racing from an early age, especially as his mother was also a racing driver. He discovered karting at a very young age on the Coronel brothers’ indoor track. He insisted on taking the wheel at the age of three years and eight months as part of a leisure driving school before making his competition debut at the age of six in a Mini. After two seasons in X30 Mini in the Netherlands, he moved on to international racing at the start of 2023 in the X30 Junior and in the FIA Karting Academy Trophy. His pole position at Rødby was particularly impressive. Now entered by the Victory Lane team in the IAME Euro Series, his promising progress is reflected perfectly by his position in the IKR.
IKR News / Photo @arthurchopin / victorylane.studio