Inaugural Test Race

It's happening. After weeks of scouting, emailing, and getting nowhere fast, we finally have a date, a venue, and a way to book. Our first session is locked in for Saturday, 22 August — and this one is as much a test of the venue as it is of our racing skills.

Why Mobikart?

Simple: they were the only venue that let us actually book in. Berlin Kart Indoorbahn never got back to us, and the email chain with the other candidates went nowhere. Mobikart, for all their communication quirks, at least had a working booking system — and a date on the calendar beats a due diligence checklist every time.

The race details

• When: Saturday, 22 August, 15:00 (arrive 30 minutes early)

• Where: MOBIKART Fun Racing GmbH, Bornitzstraße 106, Lichtenberg

• Format: 25-minute session on the upper track, electric karts

• Price: €37 per person

• Grid: max 8 karts on track at once

What you need to know

Requirements — This one's straightforward: drivers must be 18+ with a minimum height of 155 cm. No experience required. Helmets — If you don't have your own helmet, you'll need to bring a head covering to wear underneath the rental one (what the rest of the world calls a balaclava or hair net — we know, we had to Google it too). Alternatively, you can buy one on site for around €3 — worth double-checking the exact price on the Mobikart website before you go. The €5 "expert mode" mystery — The karts have an optional expert mode for an extra €5. Their website does a spectacular job of not explaining what this actually is, but from what we can piece together, it looks like a push-to-pass system: a temporary speed boost you can trigger mid-lap. Interestingly, most of the group who've signed up so far have decided to skip it. Whether it's worth the money — or a complete game-changer — is something we'll only find out on the day.

Why this race matters

This is the test race in the truest sense. Mobikart aren't exactly forthcoming with details — emails go unanswered, and some questions about the booking process only got answered when we figured them out ourselves. (Including the small detail of how to actually book, which took a couple of attempts.) So instead of guessing, we're going to find out. On the day we'll confirm:

• How the booking and check-in actually work in practice

• Whether expert mode is essential or a waste of €5

• How the track handles a full grid of 8

• Whether this place could host a regular league — the future of the whole season depends on it

One way or another, by Saturday evening we'll know a lot more than any email was willing to tell us. If it goes well, this is the first race of many. If it doesn't... well, at least the karts are fast.