Oleksandr Bondarev has become the first Williams Racing winner of the 2024 season with victory in the WSK Champions Cup OK Final.

The 14-year-old had started in P2 and kept within striking distance of the leader before making his move on the eighth tour of the South Garda Karting circuit in Lonato.

From that moment on, our Ukrainian youngster never looked back, reaching the chequered flag on lap 21 with a 4.5-second gap to his nearest competitor, securing his maiden victory in the OK class.

Driving for Prema Racing, Bondi’s victory on Sunday capped off a solid opening weekend of track action, before the season starts in full this coming weekend.

The Kyiv-born racer joined the Williams Racing Driver Academy in September 2023 and is one of two karters to carry the W monogram with them, following the 

As with all the members of our Driver Academy, we will be keeping you informed on their progress throughout the season, so to stay up to date, make sure you’re 

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Oleksandr has been karting since the age of five. His first major title came at the Ukrainian Karting Championship, becoming the series' youngest champion in its history at only 7 years old. The following year, Oleksandr entered his first international championship including the WSK Final Cup 60 Mini class and the CEE Rotax Max Challenge, which he won.

In 2021, he competed in the CIK-FIA Academy Trophy, securing a podium and a third overall result in the highly competitive championship.

The following year, he joined the Ricky Flynn Motorsport team, best known for supporting numerous Formula 1 drivers in their karting careers. He went on to win the 2022 WSK OKJ Super Master Series, achieving podiums at all four races and wins at three.

Later in the year, Oleksandr began the CIK-FIA OKJ European Championship season before he was involved in a serious karting accident in the second round, ending his season prematurely. His stationary kart was hit head-on in Zuera, Spain, causing him to sustain a compound fracture in his leg which required ten surgeries and multiple months of rehabilitation. Oleksandr made a full recovery by Autumn 2022.

In the first full season after his injury, Oleksandr was crowned 2023 CIK-FIA Karting European Champion, becoming the first Ukrainian driver in the history of karting to win the championship. Throughout the season, he stood on the podium a total of four times, including two wins.

The 14-year-old driver joined the Williams Racing Driver Academy in September 2023.

For 2024, Oleksandr will continue in karting in European and global championships, including the FIA European Karting Championship and the WSK Super Master Series.

Academy Report: Oleksandr begins 2024 season with victory in Italy

The Williams Racing Driver Academy celebrates its first win of the year

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