‘I don’t feel any pressure’ – Luna Fluxa Cross on being the karter to beat in the Champions of the Future Academy

Luna Fluxa Cross has already shown herself to be one of the fastest young female karters on the scene right now and she’s more determined than ever to take home the ultimate prize — being crowned the 2024 Champions of the Future Academy Champion.

One of the leading title protagonists from the get-go, the 14-year-old holds a 115-point lead in the OK-N Senior Championship, with five victories to her name.

As the F1 ACADEMY DISCOVER YOUR DRIVE karters ready themselves for Round 5’s visit to the Al Ain Raceway in the United Arab Emirates, we caught up with Fluxa Cross earlier in the season to chat about her impressive run of performances.

“The season has gone great so far,” she noted. “Having three wins out of four — two wins in Cremona, one win in Valencia and second place in Race 2, so it’s been going good so far.

“I don’t feel any pressure because I’m just here to enjoy (it), but I’m quite happy that I’m leading and I can’t wait to finish this Championship on a high note.”

The only karter to have reached over the 500-point mark in her class, Fluxa Cross immediately set about proving what she was capable of. Stepping up to the OK-N Senior class after appearances in the OK Junior level in the FIA European and World Karting Championships last year, she was the star of the show during Round 1 in Cremona.

Seizing the lead in both Qualifying Heats, she earned herself pole for the first Final and never looked back to win by 6.7s. Initially suffering a setback at the start of Day 2 which saw her line up on the fifth row, the Spaniard carved her way through the pack to take victory by a jaw-dropping eight seconds.

Reflecting on how the weekend unfolded, she said she was delighted at how she’d turned things around: “The moment I’ve been most proud of is in Cremona because on Day 1, I won both Heats and the Final, which was really special. Then the second day, it was a difficult day, but I managed to win the second Final, so it was amazing.”

Three more victories followed in Valencia and her back-to-back success in Franciacorta, whilst Round 4 in Dubai saw her earn two solid top-six finishes. Fluxa Cross, who is also a member of the Mercedes Junior Programme, has two more rounds standing between her and her dreams of the title.

Although her lead has shortened from its high of 151 after Round 3, Fluxa Cross says she’s harnessing all the experience she’s gained so far and isn’t letting her previous successes shift her approach.

“I’ve learned the new engine, the OK-N, which is quite different from the one I’m used to,” she explained. “Apart from the engine, everything is the same and I’m really happy to do this event because it’s something different than what I’m used to. So, I can’t wait to go to the Middle East and to new places.

“It’s just about keeping up learning the tracks, keeping up the feeling of winning and doing podiums in the Finals. Like that, it’ll be good for the Championship and also for my experience.”

The F1 ACADEMY DISCOVER YOUR DRIVE-supported karter concluded: “The support is amazing. I’m very grateful and I can’t wait to end this event on a high note.”