Maxwell Wins Epic Last-Corner Thriller to Claim Canadian Open Crown

If there was ever a race worthy of deciding a Canadian Open championship, this was it.

The Rotax Senior Final at the 2026 Rotax Max Challenge Canadian Open had absolutely everything. A packed grid of 30 of Canada’s fastest drivers. Scorching temperatures. Tire strategy. A mechanical heartbreak before the green flag. A controversial jump-start penalty. And, in the end, a breathtaking last-corner pass that delivered Ryan Maxwell (Prime Powerteam/RedSpeed) one of the biggest victories of his karting career.

When the checkered flag flew at SRA Karting Mirabel, Maxwell wasn’t just the 2026 Canadian Open Champion; he had also completed a dramatic comeback to secure the RMC Ontario championship and a coveted ticket to represent Team Canada at the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals.

What a way to do it.

Throughout the weekend, the Senior Max category proved why it remains one of the deepest and most competitive divisions in Canadian karting. With only one set of MOJO tires permitted for the entire event and temperatures soaring well beyond 30°C, every session mattered. Drivers had to balance outright speed with tire conservation, knowing the championship race would be decided under the hottest conditions of the weekend.

Friday saw Ayden Ingratta (Racing Edge Motorsports/Kosmic) top Qualifying and earn SuperPole honours. Saturday’s three heat races were shared by Timothe Pernod (PSL Karting/BirelART), Antoine Lemieux (Firano/TonyKart) and Maxwell, while Lemieux added Sunday’s SuperHeat victory to secure pole position for the Final alongside Pernod.

Everything was set for an unforgettable showdown.

Then disaster struck.

As the field rolled away for the formation lap, Pernod suddenly slowed with a mechanical failure before the race had even begun. One of the pre-race favourites was out before seeing a single green flag, ending an otherwise brilliant weekend in heartbreaking fashion.

That moved Ingratta onto the front row, and when the lights went out, he wasted no time grabbing the early lead. Moments later, however, race officials handed him a three-second penalty for jumping the start, ensuring the battle for victory and the championship would remain wide open.

Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN

The opening laps were absolute chaos.

Drivers traded positions relentlessly as nobody wanted to surrender track position. Lemieux muscled his way to the lead on lap three before Maxwell found a way past three laps later. The Prime Powerteam driver looked poised to break away until Lemieux struck back on lap ten, forcing Maxwell wide and dropping him into the clutches of Ingratta, Logan Pacza (Prime Powerteam/RedSpeed), Jackson Lachapelle (HM Propela/Kart Republic) and Arnaud Sabourin (Prime Powerteam/RedSpeed).

While Lemieux and Ingratta slowly edged away at the front, Maxwell found himself fighting just to stay on the podium.

Then everything changed.

As the white flag waved, Ingratta had reeled Lemieux back in and prepared for one final attack. Lemieux defended brilliantly through the opening corners of the lap, covering every opportunity. He slammed the door shut once more in corner seven, forcing Ingratta to try the crossover entering the final corner.

The two leaders made contact.

Both karts hesitated.

And Maxwell was there.

Carrying more speed onto the front straight, Maxwell swept around both drivers before the finish line, stealing the victory in one stunning move that left the packed Mirabel crowd roaring in disbelief.

The celebration said it all.

Throwing his arms into the air as he crossed the stripe, Maxwell knew he had just won one of the most memorable Rotax Senior races in recent Canadian history.

The drama, however, wasn’t over.

Ingratta initially crossed the line second, but officials assessed him another penalty for the final-corner contact, dropping him all the way to 11th in the official results. Lemieux inherited second place, while Lachapelle completed an outstanding recovery drive to finish third after running outside the top ten during the opening laps. Sabourin crossed the line fourth, with William Bouthillier rounding out the top five.

Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN

Those penalties also reshuffled the championship standings.

Maxwell’s victory vaulted him past Ingratta in the final RMC Ontario standings, earning him the championship and Canada’s final ticket to the 2026 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals.

Ingratta still has plenty to celebrate. Thanks to his championship at the RMC Americas Trophy, he had already secured his place on Team Canada and will join Maxwell at the Grand Finals later this season. Logan Pacza completed the RMC Ontario championship podium in third.

For everyone watching at SRA Karting Mirabel, it was the perfect finale to an incredible Canadian Open weekend.

The fastest drivers in the country delivered when it mattered most, producing a Rotax Senior Final that will be talked about for years to come.

Rotax Senior Final Results