1/10 WORLD’S CHAMPIONSHIP 2024
HUGE RC BANGKOK
17-23/11/2024
The 1/10 Sedan World Championship was held at the beautiful HUGE RC facility in Bangkok. Having already hosted another WC in the same category 10 years ago, the track is famous worldwide for its difficulty due to the extremely high grip, which puts both drivers and cars to the ultimate test.
From the very first practice sessions, it became clear that conditions would become increasingly challenging as the competition progressed.
The qualifying rounds were thrilling, with five different winners across the six rounds. Toni Gruber was the first to top the timing sheets in the opening round, followed by Dario Balestri in the second. At the end of the day, in the third round, Teemu Leino, consistently among the frontrunners, "closed the loop" by securing TQ and repeated the feat in Thursday's first round. In the fifth round, the highlight of the day for our team came when local talent Game Mongkolphan took the top spot, demonstrating excellent control of the conditions and impeccable driving. Naoto Matsukura, after a challenging Wednesday, finally unlocked his potential, winning the last round and climbing the standings. Teemu Leino was the only driver to secure double TQs, earning a well-deserved number one spot for the final.
The Superpole showdown, open to those who hadn’t claimed a TQ, featured Jilles Groskamp, consistently fast and reliable, and Chavit Saligupta, who, like Naoto, had made a significant comeback. In the six-lap solo battle, it was Jilles who clinched the fastest lap, breaking a streak of unsuccessful attempts and earning direct access to the Final.
On the final day, the semifinals played a crucial role in defining strategies, as everyone experimented with solutions to balance speed and stability, avoiding rollovers in the corners. In the first semifinal, Naoto delivered a commanding performance, appearing perfectly at ease in these extreme conditions. Unfortunately, Chavit, Jesse Davis, and Viktor Wilck, who seemed likely finalists, encountered problems that kept them out of the Main Event. Similarly, Francesco Tironi, who had been competitive all week, faced setbacks. In the other semifinal, Dario and defending champion Tadahiko Sahashi (who had led the practice sessions) secured their spots in the Main Event with a one-two finish, raising hopes for a strong showing. Milan Holtuis, starting from the quarterfinals, also deservedly made it to the Final.
The Main Event was extremely challenging: grip was at its peak, and every mistake could prove fatal. Tire wear added another layer of complexity to an already tough situation. At the start, Teemu and Jilles tried to break away, but the group remained tight, with minimal gaps. After ten minutes, Teemu suffered an issue and couldn’t continue, while Dario stalled and dropped to the back of the field. Naoto led comfortably until mid-race when he unfortunately rolled over, damaging his car, but managed to rejoin the race. Jilles, who had started cautiously, focusing on avoiding unnecessary risks, found himself in the lead with a significant margin, thanks also to a perfect tire change (only the outer tires at mid-race). A champion of his caliber knows how to capitalize on such opportunities, and from that moment on, he switched to "cruise control" to secure the win, leaving the spotlight to Dario’s comeback, who battled for second place with Sahashi and Matsukura before his batteries died—a real misfortune, compounded by Naoto and Tadahiko’s later issues.
Twelve years after his first title in 1/10 EP, Jilles Groskamp is once again, and deservedly, a World Champion, this time with his IF15-2. He becomes the third driver to win the title with our model. Joining him on the podium were Toni and Charlee, who delivered careful and rewarding performances.
The next World Championship will be held in Gubbio, Italy, in 2026—a place close to our hearts, as our journey in this category began there back in 2016. We look forward to seeing you there in great numbers with your INF1NITY cars!
