Get to Know the 2025 Teen E-World Podium

The K1 Speed Teen E-World Championship is a teen go-kart competition comprised of the best racers from all K1 Speed locations worldwide. This year’s podium was comprised of all international competitors. Watch and read below to learn more and how YOU can join next year’s competition.

Christian Velez, $10,000

K1 Speed E-World Champion

Christian made the trip all the way from Puerto Rico to K1 Speed Burbank for a sit-down interview. Watch the conversation below. Follow along with Christian’s racing career @cvelezracing on Instagram.

Jeshua Gomez – $5,000

K1 Speed E-World Championship Runner-Up

Jeshua Gomez, the 2025 Mexico teen champion, put on an impressive showing at the 2025 K1 Speed Teen E-World Championship at K1 Circuit Winchester. Gomez finished second on the podium, earning himself a $5,000 payday. We got the chance to speak with Gomez after he returned home to Morelos, Mexico. 

Beginnings

Originally, Gomez was not interested in karting. He preferred to focus his time on music, playing instruments like the piano and the guitar. Gomez felt he needed a change in his routine, so he took up karting and quickly found success. Now at 15 years old, and with a professional karting status in Mexico, Gomez loves getting in his kart and setting new lap records. 

Gomez has a soft spot for his first professional race — despite having a lower-performance kart compared to other drivers in the field, Gomez was able to maneuver himself into first place. Gomez held onto his lead and earned his first win in his debut. Surrounded by family and supportive friends, Gomez remembers his victory fondly.

Formula 1 greats like Michael Schumacher and Max Verstappen inspire Gomez to succeed. Gomez said his father is also a huge source of inspiration, having been part of the NASCAR Mexico Series in a technical role. When asked who he would pick to race out of any driver, past or present, Gomez mentioned a desire to take the track against his father when he was at the peak of his career. Gomez smiled when answering, thinking about how intense the battle would be. 

Gomez’s father acts as his karting coach, which provides a strong support system backed by impressive racing experience. During the interview, Gomez shared that advice from K1 Speed employees, along with his father’s expertise, has played a crucial role in advancing his karting career.

Self-Growth Through Karting

Karting has helped Gomez learn about his character, able to recognize that the only limitations he has are those he puts on himself. Having experienced the highs of victory and the lows of defeat, Gomez has also learned who to surround himself with to foster internal growth. 

The K1 Speed E-World Championship brought a new challenge for Gomez in the form of inclement weather. With rain overhead and collecting on the track, Gomez focused on producing clean laps. Gomez’s focus paid off, resulting in competitive qualifying times and his subsequent second-place finish. 

Gomez returned to Mexico, able to hold his head up high with his performance in the E-World Championship. When asked about his favorite competition, Gomez was quick to answer the E-World Championship and referenced his excitement around the event. 

What’s Next?

A couple of years ago, Gomez attended the Skip Barber Racing School and was able to try out a Formula 4 car. In the future, Gomez wants to return to a Formula 4 car or get into endurance racing. Like many racing hopefuls, Gomez dreams of competing at famous tracks like Le Mans and Daytona. 

Versatility is the character trait Gomez says gives him an edge over other racers. A 10-time karting champion in Mexico, Gomez has been in many close battles and credits his success to adaptability in new situations. Having as impressive a resume as he does, it is no wonder Gomez was able to brave the wet conditions and highly competitive field present at the E-World Championship. 

To follow along with Gomez’s developing career, you can visit @jeshua.gomezk on Instagram.

Sebastian Espinoza-Mejia – $2,500

K1 Speed E-World Championship 3rd Place Finisher

Sebastian Espinoza-Mejia, the K1 Speed teen Canadian champion, took third in the 2025 K1 Speed Teen E-World Championship and earned $2,500 for his efforts. Having started in seventh place, Espinoza-Mejia maintained composure throughout the final race at K1 Circuit Winchester and was able to gain positions among the best teens in the world. 

Karting Introduction Via K1 Speed

Espinoza-Mejia had always been interested in racing, but didn’t know where to start. After seeing a K1 Speed TikTok, Espinoza-Mejia visited his local K1 Speed and instantly became hooked. 

Having raced at K1 Speed casually about twice a month, Espinoza-Mejia joined the Challenge GP league and saw positive results, finishing the league season in fourth place. Feeling confident in his indoor karting abilities, Espinoza-Mejia then tried his hand at outdoor karting at a local track. With skills developed at K1 Speed, Espinoza-Mejia saw immediate results in outdoor racing, earning the best lap time of the day on his first time out. 

With the pricy nature of competitive racing, Espinoza-Mejia draws inspiration from successful drivers with low budgets, like Lewis Hamilton. “His family could barely support him, and he still made it to Formula 1. That gives me hope that in this money-based sport, someday I could make it to the top, even with my low budget.”

Family Support

Originally, Espinoza-Mejia’s family was hesitant about his racing aspirations. Now, as a sponsored driver for Karts & Parts, Espinoza-Mejia feels their support. 

“When I showed that I could fight [for position] with adults who had been racing for years, they said, ‘Okay, this is your year. You have your kart now, so prove to us that you can keep going,” Espinoza-Mejia reflected. 

When asked about what track has been his favorite to race, Espinoza-Mejia smiled as he answered K1 Circuit. “It had everything I would like in a track,” Espinoza-Mejia said. “Fast corners, slow corners, big braking zones — I hadn’t experienced a track like that. Turn One and Two’s elevation change was the best thing I’ve ever felt.”

Racing Style

Espinoza-Mejia is a strategic racer and likes to use late-breaking opportunities to gain positions. He took full advantage of the front brakes on K1 Circuit’s karts to keep up with the drivers ahead of him. “You could not lock up those tires if you wanted to,” Espinoza-Mejia said. “If you could, then you were doing something wrong because I could not,” he said with a smile. 

While racing in the rain at the E-World Championship, Espinoza-Mejia relied on previous experience back up in Canada to give him confidence. “I had raced Briggs and VLR with slicks because we forgot rain tires those days, and that helped me a lot,” Espinoza-Mejia said. In fact, Espinoza-Mejia was hoping for rain after seeing the weather forecast, knowing his experience would give him an edge over many other competitors. 

Unlike many interviewees who favor a seat in Formula 1 or IndyCar, Espinoza-Mejia aspires to be behind the wheel of a Porsche GT3 car — a self-described more realistic goal.

We are glad to have had the chance to speak one-on-one with Espinoza-Mejia and are looking forward to seeing where his career takes him. To follow along with us, visit @sebgoesracing on Instagram.