South African karting champion Muhammad “Mo” Wally capped off the year
with an accolade most national athletes dream of receiving, Protea Colours. This after winning two national championships which earned him the top spot on the national leaderboard and placed him in the top 20% for his division internationally.
The Johannesburg-based 16-year-old motorsport prodigy has, to date, secured five national championships and four African titles. In September this year, Mo set off for the United Kingdom where he competed in the OK-N FIA Karting World Cup, placing sixth among 26 of the world’s highest-ranked karting competitors. From there, he went on to place seventh out of 27 at the renowned ROK Cup Superfinal in Italy in October, further solidifying his reputation as one of the most promising young talents in motorsport.
This past Sunday, 1 December 2024, Wally was one of only 30 motorsport athletes recognised with Protea Colours this year.
“I felt honoured and blessed to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of South Africa’s greatest motorsport names – many of whom I have looked up to for years. It wasn’t as much about the award, but rather the recognition that my hard work is paying off,” Wally explained. Breaking barriers in motorsport Wally’s journey to the top has been anything but conventional. His introduction to the sport came at the tender age of four, when he experienced the thrill of motorsport through a family friend.
By the time he was five, he was competing in national championships, driven by an
insatiable passion for speed and precision.
Despite his natural talent, the road to success wasn’t always smooth. In the world of motorsport, known for its tough competition and strict standards, you're only as good as your last race, and Wally has been required to build a track record for consistent performance by proving himself time and again. “Motorsport teaches you resilience. There are always setbacks, opposition, mechanical failures, and even crashes. All you can do is get up, dust yourself off, and say to the world: ‘I won’t be beaten!’ Every challenge is an opportunity to grow stronger – mentally, physically, and strategically.”
Looking toward the year ahead With the 2024 season now complete, Wally remains dedicated to karting while keeping his ultimate goal of transitioning to F4 firmly in focus. Often regarded as the gateway to F1, F4 represents a new level of competition, technical complexity, and skill requirement, challenging drivers to master even more powerful and demanding vehicles. While his progression to the main track is still evolving, each race brings him one step closer to making his dream a reality.
“To make it to F1, you need significant backing. You have to have both the talent and resources to compete at the higher levels. Earning my Protea Colours will go a long way towards raising my profile, and hopefully catching more attention from big-name sponsors.”
BP Ultimate and BP Rewards, representing BP’s fuel additives and loyalty programme divisions, respectively, have come on board as Wally’s main sponsors for this leg of his career.
“Having BP in my corner has been incredible. Their support and belief in my potential is
motivating me to push harder in competitions, and I’m grateful to have their backing as a young driver. I’ll be really proud to carry their emblem onto the track next year.”
Having finally received his Protea Colours, and now preparing to take the next step, he hopes to inspire others to chase their dreams – just as he is following his.
“I want people to see that it doesn’t matter where you come from, but how hard you work. I plan to someday become South Africa’s first F1 titleholder of the Muslim faith, and show others that no matter what their background is, they can also break ceilings. My career may still be in its early days, but I’m already working to be the driver that young racers can turn to for help and motivation,” Wally concluded.