No Room, No Problem: Sabourin Adapts, Advances and Aims for the Grand Finals

Ludovic Sabourin has had a bright start to the Canadian Karting Season with a strong DD2 performance in the first round of the Coupe de Montreal at SH Karting.

After a rigorous and positive 2025 winter campaign in the U.S and Europe, the 2024 Rotax Grand Finalist is set to build on the momentum from his international experiences into the Canadian Season and is looking to punch his Rotax Grand Finals ticket for the second time.

No stranger to the Canadian podium, winning the Canadian Open last year, Ludovic is now looking to take his driving to the next level and separate himself from the rest of the DD2 field this season. His response was to take on an extensive international racing schedule over the winter, taking on multiple different championships such as the RMC Winter Trophy in Orlando, RMC Trophy West in Phoenix and the RMC Euro Trophy Series.

Although Ludovic had ventured abroad for competition before, this time presented a new set of challenges. This season would see some of the most competitive U.S Rotax fields seen in recent memory and would put Ludovic’s development from races past to the test. Not to mention, given his recent success, expectations had shifted for Ludovic, with his eye now firmly on winning a second ticket to the Rotax Grand Finals.

“This winter stint in the U.S. was completely different because the level of competition stepped up — there were more drivers and a lot more talent on the grid compared to previous seasons.”

Nothing exemplified this more for Ludovic than the first round of the Rotax Winter Trophy in Orlando. With numerous former champions, the DD2 field was very top-heavy in talent, making it a tough crowd to navigate for the ascending Quebecois. However, after finishing up a rocky starting round, Ludovic began making big strides in the second week of the championship.

It all kicked off with a strong third place in Sunday’s qualifying, where Ludovic managed to close the time gap to the leader to just a tenth of a second. Even with a disappointing prefinal where he lost a handful of positions, Ludovic hadn’t lost a step, as his pace was still strong enough to challenge the leaders. This proved to be the case as he quickly climbed to third in the opening laps of the final. After a gripping race where Ludovic dropped back down to fourth, then retook third within the closing laps, he was then promoted to well-earned second place after the dust had settled on the final.

“Finishing second in Orlando was definitely a standout moment for me. It was a tough field, and to be on the podium felt like a big step forward.”

Ludovic’s time in Orlando was just the boost he was looking for, as only a few weeks later, he rounded out his U.S stint at the RMC US Trophy West race in Phoenix. From the Florida rain to the Arizona desert, the Phoenix Kart Racing Association posed a whole new set of challenges for Ludovic. Being a fast and flowy track with lots of medium to high-speed corners coated with desert sand, PKRA was a change of pace from the cloudy, cool and technical track of Orlando Kart Centre. Adjusting to these differences was the theme of the weekend for Ludovic as he worked tirelessly on perfecting the technical high-speed sectors that were key for closing the gap to the leaders.

Progress was consistent for Ludovic as he continuously chipped away against a small but mighty DD2 field boasting many decorated drivers such as Gianluca Savaglio, Lucas Pernod, Griffin Dowler, Macy Williams and Matthew Taskinen. Even with his encouraging progress, Ludovic missed out on grabbing another U.S podium, however, this didn’t dampen his spirits as he walked away, adding more tools to his toolbox from a unique track he rarely saw throughout his career.

“I would say the biggest improvement in my driving over the past few months has been my ability to adapt quickly to new tracks. I’ve also become a lot more consistent during races, making better decisions under pressure.”

Throughout the winter, Ludovic was also competing across the pond at the RMC Euro Trophy. This was a big change of pace for Ludovic, as before this point, the closest he had been to European competition was on his past trip to the Rotax Grand Finals in Italy. With a different style of racing and competing against a slate of phenomenal drivers, including past Rotax World champions, Ludovic had his work cut out for himself. This didn’t seem to faze him as he took full advantage of the learning opportunity and rose to the pressure from the competition, even grabbing a sixth place in Viterbo, Italy.

After having experienced driving in Europe, Canada and the U.S, Ludovic noticed some major differences between the three regions: “The biggest differences come down to the level of competition and the approach to racing. In Canada, the field is strong, but it’s not quite at the same level as in Europe, where you’re often up against the best drivers from all over the world. The tracks are also very different — more technical and challenging in Europe. Another big difference is how the rules are enforced. In the U.S. and Canada, you often get penalties for contact or not leaving enough racing room. In Europe, there’s really no concept of “racing room” — if you’re on the outside, you better back off or you’re getting sent into the grass.”

Along with competing in multiple different championships, Ludovic also had the opportunity to drive three different chassis (Birel, Kart Republic, OTK) throughout the winter. Having the chance to drive some of the most popular karts back-to-back allowed Ludovic to really focus in on what each chassis had to offer; “I really enjoyed the experience of driving three different chassis this winter— KR, Birel, and OTK. It was both challenging and fun to feel the differences between them. It usually took a few sessions to fully adapt to each one, but I noticed that the OTK and KR chassis are quite similar in how they handle.” Even though the differences were notable, Ludovic stressed that what really made the difference to him was the support network around each kart, along with the importance of thoroughly understanding the tuning characteristics of each chassis.

Now well into the Canadian karting season, Ludovic’s time in the sun over the winter has started paying dividends, as he opened his first race at the Coupe de Montreal with a phenomenal second-place performance and is on track to be a title contender in DD2. Along with Coupe de Montreal, Ludovic is hedging his Grand Final ticket bets and racing in all the major Canadian Rotax events this season, including RMC Ontario and the Max Karting Group Canada Final in Alberta.

With Ludovic’s winter campaign being an overall success and now on the road for his second Rotax Grand Finals Ticket, he has some final advice for drivers looking to take the next step into international racing, hoping to level up their game for Canada.

“Join a team with solid international experience—having the right support makes a huge difference. Don’t set your expectations too high right away, because the level is much tougher, and it’s totally normal to feel a bit lost at first. Most importantly, enjoy the experience, take in everything you can, and treat every race as a learning opportunity.”