Joseph Mawson may have taken the plaudits for a fine weekend performance, culminating in a stunningly professional victory in the final race, yet it was Henry Easthope who flew home as world champion.

When Shaikh Abdullah bin Isa Al Khalifa, president of the Commission Internationale de Karting (CIK), came to Bahrain, surely he could not have envisioned a better finale to the season than the one witnessed at the VIVA Karting Track in Sakhir last weekend.

The final race was exciting enough although the suspense was tangible as the close proximity of the leading cars ensured every position change made a difference to the final destination of the World Championship trophy.

Third at the start, Australian Mawson continued his fine weekend and made his way to the front and remarkably stayed there, holding off challenges from the Monegasque, Charles Leclerc, Briton, Ben Barnicoat and a late charge from Italian Fedrico Savona.

With the mechanics and managers gathered at the end of the main straight passing messages to their drivers using hand signals that would have done many an Italian footballer proud, the action became frantic in the final laps.

The marginal difference of 0.2 seconds at the front on the track also represented five points in the World Championship. Yet, try as he might, Leclerc could not find a way past the impressive Mawson, conscious that he had to hold off Barnicoat and Savona and lose a disastrous four points by dropping to third. The top four were all racing within one second for the final ten laps and finished only 0.7 seconds adrift.

However, for much of the race, Leclerc, last year’s Academy Trophy winner, would have potentially believed that second was good enough as his main rival, Easthope, was languishing way down the grid.

While making good progress up the field early on, he was unable to find his way past defending champion Matthew Graham, leaving him in tenth position, agonisingly one point behind Leclerc in the championship. As they drove past the mechanics for the last time the trophy was heading to Monaco.

Yet, in a dramatic final lap Easthope forced his was past Graham and then, in the final sector, past Ville Mantyla. When Leclerc crossed the line he was world champion but seconds later this was snatched from him as Easthope took the title, days ahead of his 18th birthday.

His team, Sodi, claimed the constructors’ championship for the first time.

Anthoine Hubert, one of the pre-race favourites, damaged his chassis in the pre-final and, without a replacement, could only struggle to 19th, dropping him to third in the championship. Mawson’s near-perfect weekend saw him rise to fourth. He does have the consolation of becoming the first Australian to win a championship race since 1977.

In the Academy a perfect weekend for Dubai-based Tom Bale saw him rise to fourth in the championship. The title was taken by flying Finn, Joonas Lappalainen. After seeing his main rivals experience difficulties throughout the weekend he drove conservatively, yet sensibly, winning by 33 points from Javier Cobian.

The unluckiest of the drivers had to be European champion George Russell. Shunted out of position in the first of the pre-finals he was fighting to make up places before crashing in the second. He may not have been the quickest in the car although he was swiftest on two feet, managing to run from his stricken kart a fraction before it was smashed by another driver.

Welsh-born Bale, however, was able to take advantage and take home both race trophies in the closest he will experience to a home venue.

In addition to Bahrain becoming the first country in the region to host a World Championship karting event, it was also the first occasion on which a world karting race had been held under lights. It was also the first occasion on which new tyre technology had been trialled. Manufacturers Le Cont, were able to install a microchip that enabled them to monitor each tyre issued. Karting was the first sport to introduced slicks, now standard in F1 – the karting fraternity hope that Bahrain will be the first to see the latest development take off.

Drivers, mechanics and management were all lavishing praise on Bahrain and the BIC circuit. Let’s hope that Shaikh Abdullah is able to bring them back!