Mees swapped football for karting at Karting Genk, where he started together with his brother. Kimi Räikkönen was his hero. Today he combines school with a full racing programme, trains in the KNAF Academy, and works as an instructor on car-control courses. Coaching other drivers taught him to listen, ask the right questions and give clear feedback, and that makes him better with his own team.
Sixteen years old, and in the Silver Cup of the GT4 European Series with Speedy Motorsport - a Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, car #4, alongside Lachlan Evennett. An all-rookie crew: both are in their first GT4 European series season.
Three overall podiums in fields of 36 to 45 cars, and three Rookie of the Race awards: Paul Ricard, Misano and Zandvoort, all three in race 1. The same year he was taken into the KNAF Academy.
His first season in cars, at fifteen. Sixteen races, three overall wins and second in the championship — seventeen points behind the champion, with ten podiums.
On top of that three guest races at Spa-Francorchamps, with three class wins from three starts.
Mees moves up to OK, the top class in direct-drive karting, and drives for the Birel ART / Lennox Racing works team.
After the French round he makes the switch to car racing and starts testing in the Mazda MX-5.
WSK Champions Cup (Lonato) · WSK Super Master Series (Lonato, Cremona, Franciacorta) · Champions of the Future and FIA Karting European Championship (Valencia, France)
A full international programme in OK-Junior, in fields of sometimes 60 to 90 drivers.
WSK Champions Cup (Lonato) · WSK Super Master Series (Lonato, Cremona) · Champions of the Future (Valencia, Trinec, Rødby, Cremona, Franciacorta) · FIA Karting European Championship (Valencia, Trinec, Rødby, Cremona) · Italian ACI Karting championship (Franciacorta) · WSK Final Cup with Charles Leclerc by Lennox Racing (Lonato, Franciacorta)
Representing the Netherlands (KNAF), Mees races the FIA Karting Academy Trophy - the FIA’s worldwide talent championship, one driver per country and identical karts.
Genk · Cremona · Le Mans
Rotax, IAME and TM, to get as much race experience as possible. The year ends with a ticket to the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Bahrain, the worldwide Rotax tournament with 378 drivers, where Mees is quickest in his group in practice.
Dutch Chrono 2T and 4T championships · Dutch Mini Junior championship · BNL Karting Series · IAME Benelux · IAME Euro Series · Rotax Max Euro Trophy (Adria) · Rotax Max International Trophy (Le Mans) · Rotax Golden Trophy (Genk) · Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals (Bahrain)
A van of their own makes testing at circuits across Europe possible. With the Grand Finals postponed by the pandemic, the International Trophy at Portimão becomes the biggest Rotax event of the year, with drivers from all over the world.
BNL Karting Series · Dutch Chrono championship · Rotax Max Euro Trophy (Genk, Adria) · Rotax Max International Trophy (Portimão)
Mees swaps football for the racing school at Karting Genk, together with his brother. Kimi Räikkönen is his hero. After the club races he starts his first proper event halfway through the year.
Benelux events at Genk, Kerpen and Berghem