Cosco Captures Canadian Open After Strategic Battle with Adi

There were two celebrations in Rotax Mini Max on Sunday at the Rotax Max Challenge Canadian Open.

One belonged to Francesco Cosco (Premier Karting/TonyKart), who raced to his second straight major Rotax victory after another polished drive at SRA Karting Mirabel.

The other belonged to Yousef Adi (Prime Powerteam/RedSpeed), whose calculated runner-up finish secured the 2026 Rotax Max Challenge Ontario championship and, with it, a coveted ticket to represent Team Canada at this fall’s Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Portugal.

While both drivers had plenty to smile about at the end of the weekend, they took very different paths to their celebrations.

The scorching Canadian Open weekend began with Adi firmly in control. The Prime Powerteam driver claimed SuperPole on Friday before backing it up with victories in all three heat races on Saturday, establishing himself as the driver everyone else would have to beat.

Sunday morning brought more of the same.

Adi once again controlled the field in the SuperHeat, collecting the championship points he needed to put himself in an enviable position entering the Final. Simply reaching the finish would be enough to lock up the RMC Ontario title.

Yousef Adi (163) leads the field into corner one at the start of the Final (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)

Just behind him on row two was Cosco, fresh off his dominant performance at the previous RMC Quebec round and eager to continue his momentum.

When the green flag waved, the front of the field erupted into an all-out sprint.

Adi led the opening laps with Cosco glued to his rear bumper, while Christopher Simon (Premier Karting/TonyKart), Jackson Colligan (PSL Karting/BirelART) and Mason Koury (Pfaff Kartsport/BirelART) formed a tightly packed lead group. Just behind them, Madox Pelletier (SH Racing/Sodikart), Adam Bentaleb (BCR/BirelART) and Lincoln Lima (Prime Powerteam/RedSpeed) kept the pressure on, creating an eight-driver freight train at the front.

The decisive move came on lap four.

Cosco saw an opening, made the pass for the lead and never looked back.

Behind him, Adi suddenly had his hands full defending second from Simon and Colligan, but the championship leader stayed composed and successfully held onto the position. Once the immediate pressure eased, Cosco and Adi linked together and steadily began stretching their advantage over the rest of the field.

By halfway, the battle for victory had settled into a strategic affair.

Knowing the Ontario championship was within reach, Adi resisted the temptation to force an aggressive move on Cosco, instead focusing on bringing home the result he needed. Behind them, the fight for the final podium position intensified as Colligan and Simon traded positions, allowing the chasing pack to close the gap.

The biggest beneficiary was Pelletier.

Charging forward in the closing laps, the SH Racing driver found his way past both Colligan and Simon to secure an impressive third-place finish and a well-earned trip to the Canadian Open podium.

Out front, Cosco never put a wheel wrong.

Crossing the finish line first, he celebrated his second consecutive Rotax Mini Max victory and, just as importantly, moved into the lead of the Rotax Max Challenge Quebec championship with one race weekend remaining.

Adi crossed the line comfortably in second, knowing the mission had been accomplished. His runner-up finish officially secured the RMC Ontario championship, earning the young driver his first opportunity to wear the Maple Leaf as a member of Team Canada at the 2026 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals.

Colligan and Simon completed the top five after their spirited battle throughout the Final.

The Rotax Mini Max podium at the Canadian Open: Yousef Adi, Francesco Cosco and Madox Pelletier (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)

While the Ontario championship has now been decided, the Quebec title fight is only heating up.

The Rotax Mini Max championship will conclude in three weeks at the Canadian Karting Championships in Hamilton, where Cosco will carry the points lead over Colligan, Pelletier and Round 1 winner Zackary Losier (Premier Karting/Parolin). With one final Team Canada berth still up for grabs, the battle for the Quebec crown promises to be every bit as competitive as the racing seen throughout the Canadian Open.

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Rotax Mini Max Final Results