Robert’s last season in Junior Kart racing started on a very positive note when he was awarded the Neil Shanahan Memorial Trophy by Motorsport Ireland for his achievements during 2005 - the Irish Junior Championship and 15th in the British Junior Championship. Again racing with Team Simpson International, the Navan driver would be competing in the British and European Championships in 2006 and was to catch the attention of important figures in European racing with his skill and determination.

After some promising results in the British Championship, Robert really came into his own in the European Championship. The qualifying round at Braga, Portugal, pitched him against junior drivers from throughout Western Europe with only the top 27 going through to the final in Belgium. After some engine problems, Robert raced in the finals with his spare engine, which was half a second slower than the best engine. 22nd was a good finish in the circumstances as fractions of a second are critical in karting. In the second final there were serious doubts as to whether the engine would last the distance but he coaxed it home in 20th, giving him an average finishing position inside the top 27.

Team boss Michael Simpson said “He didn’t put a foot wrong all weekend and considering the equipment problems he was a star.”

Following the Portuguese race, Robert switched to the Maranello kart and engines tuned by KVS while staying with Team Simpson. The switch made the world of difference at Mariembourg, Belgium, for the European Final, as he qualified 11th, finished 5th in two heats and won his last heat, holding off 20005 British Champion Will Stevens. His reward was 6th on the grid for the Pre-Final but he knew that to win he would have to rely on the rain that had been threatening all day - an Irish driver is always likely to have an advantage over the southern Europeans in the wet!

Disaster struck at the start of both finals when Robert was pushed down to to the back of the field. In the first final he fought back bravely to 17th, but in the second he ended up half a lap behind every other driver. Many would have given up at this point but Robert reeled in the field, eventually reeling ten of the karts ahead of him and posting fastest lap. His team-mate, Spanish driver Miki Monras, became European Champion, showing what Robert could have done if luck was on his side.

Back in the UK Robert concentrated on the British Championship where he was laying 8th going into the final round at Rowrah in the North of England. After qualifying fastest, a technicality found in scrutineering meant he would be forced to start from the back in all his races. There was no point in racing in the qualifying heats as they would have no bearing on his position in the finals so he started the main races with fresh tyres. In the first final he carved through to finish as the top Irishman in 8th place, but did even better in the second race, finishing 6th. As in Belgium he also posted the fastest lap.

Robert’s last race as a Junior was to be the Monaco Cup, held on a kart track adapted from the famous Grand Prix circuit. Showing the grit that spectators and fellow competitors have come to expect he battled on after injuring his ribs in practice. He scored strong positions in his heats despite the pain from his ribs and then 10th and 6th in the two finals.

“After the accident I tried my best but I had a bit of a mind block where I crashed. 6th wasn’t so bad because of my ribs as from the third or fourth lap I was crying from the pain.”

He now has several months to recover before moving to Seniors for 2007. After impressing everyone this year with the support of Team Simpson, Robert has been offered a space in the factory Maranello team where he will race in both the Italian and European Championships as well as the World Cup for the first time.