Playcon 2023

November 24, 2023

We’re back again at Playcon with more speed, more skill, and the best in racing!

Here’s what participants and specators can look forward to:

🏆 Tournament: Our time attack challenge is set to ignite the tracks again! Drivers will go full throttle through a limited time at the Redbull Ring National layout. The top 20 male and female will be selected to proceed to the tournament on Sunday 3rd December. The car will be announced on the day to keep it fair as possible for those who cannot practice at home.

🎮 Experiences to Look Out For:

Dive into the fast lane with our VR Racing Experience. It’s as real as it gets!
Virtual drifting demos.
Challenge yourself on our developed Maltese virtual tracks: La Reve Karting Track and Mtahleb Hill Climb

€1000 prize pool up for grabs for the tournament and goodie bags by Enemed for the other challenges.

There is no registration to participate, just visit our stand on Saturday and join the queue. Visit the event page for more information.

WPR – Playcon 2023

Other News

28/11/2025

Aaron Debattista Dominates Again in a Tense Round at Tsukuba

The Malta National F4 Championship 2025 delivered another superb spectacle in its fourth round, held at the tight and technical Tsukuba Circuit, the same venue that hosted the GT3 action earlier. With intense wheel-to-wheel racing, strategic battles, and emotional highs and lows, the championship continues to reach new heights, marking this season as the most exciting yet. Fresh off his GT3 victory, Aaron Debattista rolled into F4 with clear momentum and a renewed hunger to recover ground in the championship. His intent was evident from the first practice sessions, where he set the fastest time ahead of series leader Jake Sammut and the consistent Steve Axisa Farrell, but with Tsukuba offering little room for error, nothing was guaranteed. Qualifying quickly proved that point. In the short 10-minute session, Debattista wasted no time, immediately posting a strong lap to set the benchmark. Sammut and Farrell followed closely, but the surprise came from Ilan Dimech Ghirxi, who joined the fight and began trading fastest laps with the front runners. With less than a tenth separating the top four, the final minutes were a nail-biter. On his final flying lap, it was Ghirxi who delivered the knockout punch, snatching pole position ahead of Debattista, with Sammut third. The message was clear that an intense battle was brewing. The sprint race produced drama immediately. A clean launch from Ghirxi, Debattista and Sammut pushed up front, but an incident before Turn 1 shook the midfield and reshuffled the order. Once settled, the top three engaged in a set of battles. Sammut stayed glued to the rear wing of Ghirxi, looking for every opportunity to retake track position. But Ghirxi, showing his strongest defensive driving to date, refused to crack under pressure. Meanwhile, Debattista was in a class of his own. Lap by lap, he extended the gap, demonstrating both masterful pace and controlled aggression. Behind them, Tiashan Moodley recovered brilliantly from the opening-lap chaos to climb into fourth, followed by Nicholas Morton while Sammut’s relentless attempts to unsettle Ghirxi, the positions remained unchanged. Debattista took a commanding victory, crossing the line with nearly a three-second margin. Ghirxi finished an excellent second, while Sammut settled for third, unable to find a way past. The feature race, with its reversed grid format, always promises unpredictability, and this round delivered in full. Farrell launched perfectly from pole, followed closely by Jayden Ellul, who has shown significant improvement after earlier rookie mistakes in previous rounds. Behind them, Morton suffered a spin in the scramble, adding more tension to an already volatile start. While Farrell used his experience to build an early gap, Ellul held firm in second. But both knew danger was lurking as Debattista was pushing through the pack, and Sammut, despite a costly five-second penalty, was also carving his way forward. Mid-race drama struck when Farrell lost the car and spun out of the lead. Ellul inherited first place, and behind him, Sammut and Ghirxi reignited their rivalry. In a decisive and unfortunate moment, the pair collided, ending their podium hopes and reshuffling the entire race picture. This handed the advantage to Debattista, who now had a clear path toward Ellul as the final minutes loomed. Moodley, continuing his impressive form, climbed into third, putting him within reach of his first ever National Championship podium. With 10 minutes left, the pressure was immense. Debattista closed the gap, attacking Ellul with focus and experience. Ellul defended admirably, showcasing how far he has progressed, but Debattista’s race craft proved decisive. With five minutes to go, Debattista executed a clean and clinical move into Turn 1, taking the lead and securing control of the race. Debattista crossed the line first once again, raising his arms in celebration which was a moment of redemption after mistakes in previous rounds and a statement of intent ahead of the final. Ellul claimed an outstanding second place, his best performance so far, while Tiashan Moodley earned his first ever podium, a breakthrough moment for him. This intense and action-packed round proved once again that the Malta National F4 Championship is developing rapidly, with Maltese drivers showcasing increasingly sharper race craft and maturity. The championship now heads toward its grand finale on Saturday, 29th November, broadcast live on TVM at 14:30, where the 2025 National F4 Champion will be crowned.

27/11/2025

Debattista Strikes Back with Victory in Round 4 of the Malta National GT3 Championship 2025

The fourth round of the Malta National GT3 Championship 2025, organised in collaboration with the Malta Motorsport Federation, Enemed, and Gaming Malta, delivered the show everyone had been waiting for. Held at the tight and unforgiving Tsukuba Circuit, the race offered non-stop action from start to finish, showing a spectacular comeback victory for Aaron Debattista, who bounced back after a disappointing previous round. Practice sessions showed early predictions, with Brandon Bonello laying down the fastest time, followed closely by Debattista and Ilan Dimech Ghirxi. With the top times separated by mere fractions, anticipation ran high for one of the closest battles of the season. Qualifying did not disappoint. Bonello secured pole with a superb 52.734, edging out Debattista by less than a tenth. Mikhail Mercieca completed the top three, setting up a tense fight for the race ahead. The race began with a clean and disciplined launch from the grid. Bonello immediately moved to defend his lead, while Debattista stayed poised, looking for any opening in the early laps. With Tsukuba’s narrow layout offering few overtaking opportunities, the pressure was relentless. The first major moment came when Mercieca lost control, opening the door for Goran Andreevski, who seized third place with characteristic opportunism. It was shaping up to be Andreevski’s strongest performance of the season, though still far too early to call. Mercieca quickly regrouped and closed back in on Andreevski, applying pressure until a mistake from Goran triggered contact between them. The incident caused Mercieca to fall to sixth, while Andreevski dropped to fourth, allowing Ghirxi to momentarily grab third. But the battle for the final podium position wasn’t over. Andreevski fought back brilliantly, reclaiming third and proving once again how much he has improved this season. Up front, Debattista continued to stalk Bonello, matching and at times surpassing his pace. Despite Bonello’s trademark calmness and consistency, Debattista’s psychological and on-track pressure intensified with each passing lap. Ghirxi later spun on his own, ending his hopes of a podium charge, while Debattista kept chiselling away at the gap. With under two minutes remaining, the decisive moment arrived. Using superior braking and impeccable timing, Debattista launched a move down the main straight, completing a clean and hard-fought overtake on Bonello which was a move that brought the commentator to its feet. Debattista held firm on the final lap, maintaining composure to secure a critical and emotional victory. A long-awaited return to form after recent struggles. Bonello finished second after a strong and controlled performance, while Andreevski claimed his first podium of the season, a reward for his perseverance and strategic racing. “It was quite difficult. To handle the car, manage tyres, and stay consistent while still trying to push. I saw the battles in front and took the opportunities.” Goran Andreevski “I’m not very happy because one small mistake cost me the win. Tyres and fuel load were a big factor, especially with the car getting lighter. Braking points kept changing, and pressure on the tyres increased. I waited for a mistake from Debattista but he kept his cool. Now I’ll focus on Silverstone in the rain. It won’t be easy.” Brandon Bonello “Considering my previous results, this was important. The car wasn’t ideal for this track, but I adapted. Tyre management was crucial since we were close the whole race. I kept pushing and pressuring Bonello, knowing I was stronger under braking. With overtaking so difficult here, I had to wait for the right moment and it paid off. These points are crucial with one race left at Silverstone in rainy conditions, where the Mustang should be strong. I’m fighting for the glory.” Aaron Debattista Round 4 delivered the spectacle fans had hoped for with close racing, strategic battles, and an emotional comeback win. With just one round remaining, the championship fight intensifies as drivers prepare for the final showdown at Silverstone, in wet conditions. The decisive race will be held on Saturday, 29th November, live on TVM at 11:00am.

Playcon 2023

Here’s what participants and specators can look forward to:

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