KARTCOM News #46 ( english version ) by KARTCOM News

#46 SUMMARY 004 EDITORIAL 005 NEWS

Sodikart- the SODI KidRacer! Full of new karting products at ITAKAshop! Harry Thompson: 2018 FIA Karting Rookie of the Year FFSA Karting arrives on Instagram Double world meeting for the Bernier brothers RFM Accolade: FIA Karting Rookie of the Year in 2017 and 2018 FIA- Road safety at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games

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ACI and WSK beat Renault Sport for the organisation of the F3R Europe 2019 FIA supports E-Kart competition in Buenos Aires Adrien Renaudin joins Sodi Racing Team

031 2019 CALENDAR 035 KSP GRAND 037 INTERVIEW

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INTERVIEW INTERVIEW WITH FELIPE MASSA, PRESIDENT OF THE CIK-FIA

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Interview with Felipe Massa, President of the CIK-FIA

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INTERNATIONAL LE MANS - FIA KARTING ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP

INTERNA LONATO

039 INTERNATIONAL

Le Mans- FIA Karting- Endurance Championship Le Mans- IAME International Final Lonato- Rok Cup International Final Lonato- WSK- Final Cup Le Mans- European Championship

103 NATIONAL

127 CARS

Jerez- French F4 Championship Le Castellet- French F4 Championship Barcelona- Formula Renault Eurocup A new era for the Formula Renault Eurocup!

163 VIDEO

PFI- Tuto Super One Series Varennes / Allier- French Championship

Summary of the FFSA Karting meeting at Varennes WSK Final Cup Lonato- OK Final WSK Lonato Final Cup- OK-Junior Final IAME International Final- Le Mans

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ATIONAL O - WSK- FINAL CUP

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CARS A NEW ERA FOR THE FORMULA RENAULT EUROCUP!

NATIONAL VARENNES / ALLIER FRENCH CHAMPIONSHIP

INDIAN SUMMER FOR KARTING TOO

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e Mans has been at the forefront of the karting scene three times in the past month. First it was the FIA Karting Endurance Championship that garnered all the attention during the 33rd edition of the ACO 24 Hours Karting.

The first victory for a factory team, Sodikart, was widely seen as a milestone in the discipline. Thanks to the launch of OK, endurance has returned to its glorious past. Sodi and CRG compete as chassis manufacturers, while the engine war concerns the TM Racing factory and Vortex in a more discreet way. In any case, the aura and media coverage of the 24 Hours should push other major players in karting to try the adventure to avoid being left out in the cold ... Two weeks later, the IAME International Final mobilised the Le Mans venue for a giant event gathering 466 drivers from 47 countries. The success of the X30 was confirmed with absolutely magnificent battles

until the finals. Simultaneously, the Rok Cup International Final gathered 420 drivers on the Lonato circuit with a high proportion of Mini. Simple addition shows that the kart racing market remains vigorous.

shed with new entrants and several drivers changing category, as a foreshadowing of the upcoming season.

Finally, Superkart recently had a double final with a race counting both for the European Championship and for the French Championship. Yet this year's declining entry raises some concerns for next year.

The publication of the FIA Karting international calendar has fallen far behind the habits of the CIK-FIA. Two preparatory versions circulated, highlighting divergences. This long delay has consequences for national calendars and independent series. Unveiled at the end of August, the FFSA Karting calendar will undoubtedly have to make several adjustments. The German DKM is on hold, while WSK Promotion has revealed its dates for 2019 with the return of the WSK Euro Series. This uncertainty however remains detrimental to effective preparation for the coming season.

In the meantime, the FFSA organised the French KZ2 Championship. Returning to the federal calendar, the Varennes-sur-Allier circuit had the same attraction for the drivers and the spectators, reopening the eternal debate regarding the rotation of tracks for the French Championships.

EDITORIAL

KARTCOM NEWS #46 2019 CALENDARS

The WSK has re-entered the news with the first of three rounds of the Final Cup that took place on the legendary circuit of Lonato. Private teams and factory formations cla-

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Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet

SODIKART : THE SODI KIDRACER !

PLENTY OF NEW KARTING PRODUCTS AT ITAKASHOP!

Lets children pretend to be a racing driver or drive like mum or dad, before they can even ride a bike! The new kart for kids designed by Sodikart - the SODI KidRacer

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On an existing circuit, in a shopping mall or in an amusement park, the KidRacer will create the happiness of the youngest drivers !

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Info FIA Karting © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

HARRY THOMPSON,

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR FIA KARTING 2018 Since last year, the CIKFIA has made a specific classification for Drivers up to the age of 16, participating in the FIA Karting World Championship and the FIA Karting European Championship for the first time in the OK category, in order to highlight the emergence of young talents at the highest level of racing. Of some thirty Drivers meeting these criteria, it was Briton Harry Thompson who scored the most points and has been named Rookie of the Year for 2018.

he one-year reduction in the age of entry to the OK category, introduced in 2017 by the CIK-FIA, has significantly increased the number of young Drivers competing against their elders in the benchmark category for direct-drive karts. Formerly trained in OK-

of the year by creating a Rookie ranking that counts all the results obtained in the FIA Karting World Championship and the FIA Karting European Championship - OK for Drivers up to 16 years old making their debut in the category. 14-year-old FIA Karting European Vice-Champion Harry Thompson of Britain (FA Kart / Vortex / B'stone) had the most points (104) in the 2018 Rookie of the Year classification ahead of the Italian Luigi Coluccio (BirelART / TM Racing / B'stone) with 94 points and the Briton Dexter Patterson (KR / Parilla / B'stone) with 90 points.

Junior, these youngsters challenge the very experienced Drivers throughout the international season without no difficulty, including some professionals and several former World or European Champions. That's why the CIK-FIA has decided to highlight the best hopefuls

Harry Thompson will receive the 2018 Rookie of the Year Trophy at the FIA Karting Prize Giving Ceremony on 1st December in Geneva.

NEWS

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet

FFSA KARTING ARRIVES ON INSTAGRAM To close this rich karting season, the FFSA is developing its digital content by allowing you to see behind the scenes of the discipline on its new social network. Whether you are a licensee, a circuit or an enthusiast, you will have the opportunity to experience the FFSA French Karting Championships and Cups across the country when you subscribe to it. For live action, stories, live paddock stories and racing videos, stay connected to karting and follow it daily on the official account of the French Motor Sports Federation.

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You can also use the hashtag #FFSAKarting to share your own content on Instagram with the karting community in France!

EXPERIENCE KARTING NEWS ON INSTAGRAM FROM THE INSIDE: @FFSA.KARTING Join us on Facebook and FFSA TV for the latest Karting news.

INSTAGRAM

NEWS

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

DOUBLE WORLD MEETING FOR THE

BERNIER BROTHERS Very unusually, Victor and Augustin Bernier both managed to get their tickets for the Rotax Grand Finals which will take place in Brazil on the International Circuit Karting Paladino of Conde Paraíba, from 26th November to 1st December 2018. While Victor had won in the NSK in Rotax Max, his younger brother Augustin earned his qualification for the French team by finishing 2nd in Cadet at the Rotax France Final in Laval behind a driver who had already been selected, a moment full of emotion for the whole Bernier family.

his unusual situation, two brothers at the RMCGF, unfortunately cannot happen as planned. In the meantime

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crowned FIA World Junior Karting Champion in Sweden, Victor is due to attend the CIK-FIA awards ceremony on December 1st in Geneva. Although he won't participate in the Rotax competition, Victor will still be present at the beginning of the week in Brazil alongside his younger brother before fulfilling his official obligations in Switzerland. "I know that Augustin was happy to participate in his first Rotax Grand Final with me," explained Victor. "He had cried with joy at the finish in Laval. We have been able to find a compromise for Brazil. I could not take part in the competition that ends Saturday night at the same time as the CIK-FIA awards, but I would join him during the early days of the Rotax competition before returning to Europe." Before that, the two brothers will have the chance to meet at a big karting event as they both qualified for the IAME International Final at Le Mans from 8th to 14th October. Augustin will race in X30 Mini, while Victor will play a tight game in X30 Junior against determined opponents.

NEWS

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

RFM ACCOLADE FIA KARTING ROOKIE OF THE YEAR 2017 AND 2018 Ricky Flynn Motorsport continues to garner international success season after season. Last year, the British team enabled Sami Taoufik to win the official title of Rookie of the Year, which recognises the top OK driver up to 16 years of age over all the European Championship and World Championship events. In 2018, RFM was again successful with Harry Thompson, crowned 2018 FIA Karting Rookie of the Year. At just 14 years old, Harry had a magnificent run in his first year in OK. He had discovered this category at the Winter Cup before showing his full talent with

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the FA Kart / Vortex team. He became vice-Champion of Europe and brilliantly won the DKM German Championship.

he title of 2018 FIA Karting Rookie of the Year illustrates the potential of his young talent among the elite of international karting that which got him noticed by Red Bull and integrated into the Junior Team. This success also reflects on the entire RFM team who have accompanied him for two years. "I'm proud of Harry," said Ricky Flynn. "It's a reward for us as we're not just investing in equipment performance. We are also working hard on the human side of racing to train our drivers for the rest of their careers."

RFM.TEAM

NEWS

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Info & Photo FIA

FIA: ROAD SAFETY AT THE 2018 YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES FIA President Jean Todt and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach officially inaugurated the FIA road safety exhibition at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Buenos Aires. These representatives were able to preview the interactive activities on offer on the FIA stand in support of the global road safety campaign #3500LIVES, as road accidents constitute the world's leading cause of death among young people from 15 to 29 years of age.

he second part of the exhibition was an electric karting experience. The track, which ran along the main area dedicated to road safety in the Green Park, hosted a demonstration by eight young kart drivers from the region.

NEWS Following the demonstration of these young talents - girls and boys - from Buenos Aires, guests, including IOC President Thomas Bach, had the opportunity to test the e-karts. Both the exhibition and the e-karting trials were open to all visitors to Green Park for the duration of the YOG from 7th to 17th October.

FIA President Jean Todt said:

"This is a very important moment for the FIA, and I want to thank my friends Thomas Bach and Gerardo Werthein, as well as the entire Olympic community, for their warm welcome as we join one of their events for the first time, and I am keen to continue this collaboration with the Youth Olympic Games to raise awareness and promote safer transport. We offered an electric karting experience that will become more and more popular in the coming years and will be a fun way for the public to implement the road safety messages broadcast during the exhibition and to discover motor sport in an environment that is both safe and sustainable."

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IOC President Thomas Bach said:

"The IOC supports the FIA â&#x20AC;&#x2039;â&#x20AC;&#x2039;campaign #3500LIVES because we share the same concern for the welfare and safety of young people around the world. With its global reach, sport is uniquely positioned to raise awareness of this major issue, which is why the Youth Olympic Games are the perfect opportunity to reach out to young people and teach them the importance of road safety."

NEWS

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet

ACI & WSK BEAT RENAULT SPORT FOR THE ORGANISATION OF F3R EUROPE IN 2019

On Friday, October 12th in Paris, the World Motor Sport Council validated the promoter of the new Formula 3 Regional Championship from 2019. Renault Sport appeared as the favourite with its long experience of FR 2.0 in Europe, but the Italian Federation ACI associated with WSK Promotion finally won the battle.

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his decision obviously surprised the specialists who expected to see Renault Sport develop its Eurocup FR 2.0 with Formula 3 Regional, the new category for access to F3 specified by the FIA. The CARSmobile Club Italia (ACI) and WSK Promotion partnership will therefore be the prime contractor for F3R in Europe in 2019. Their vision will use a Tatuus chassis equipped with an Alfa Romeo Turbo engine prepared by CARStecnica. It will be interesting to discover the reaction of Renault Sport to this choice, as well as the orientation of WSK Promotion towards its karting activity. With Italian F4 and European F3R, Luca De Donno’s team may indeed be very busy.

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Info & Photo FIA

FIA SUPPORTS E-KART COMPETITION IN BUENOS AIRES While the FIA Road Safety exhibition and the E-Karting Challenge continue to inform and guide thousands of visitors to the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games, the FIA also supported an E-Kart race, organised by the ASN CARSmóvil Club Argentino. The competition featured six mixed teams of males and females on the Kartodromo Circuit on Saturday 13th October.

he day included Free Practice and Qualifying before the Final. The best Qualifying time was achieved by Argentinian Franco Colapinto with 37''697 ahead of Brazil's Guilherme Andrade de Figueiredo and Dolores "Lola" Inghiotti of Argentina.

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Colapinto and his teammate Maria Garcia Puig started from pole position on the starting grid to clinch victory. Chile / Argentina pair Nicolas Pino Munoz and Camila Almada took 2nd place ahead of local drivers Inghiotti and Kevin Pilo. The success of this event demonstrated the progress of electric kart racing, an accessible and environmentally friendly formula at the base of the pyramid of motorsport.

PARTICIPATION BY THE FIA IN THE YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES WILL CONTINUE UNTIL 17TH OCTOBER.

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Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve

ADRIEN RENAUDIN

JOINS THE SODI RACING TEAM After two remarkable international seasons for Adrien Renaudin with the CPB Sport team - including the FIA Karting European Championship - KZ2 in 2018 - Sodikart is pleased to welcome the young and talented driver from the Ile-de-France to the official team for the 2019 season.

he 2018 FIA Karting European Champion - KZ2, a triple French Champion, winner of the "National Series Karting" and "Rotax Challenge France"... Adrien has a track record that is already full despite his young age.

Adrien Renaudin will race next season in the KZ category in the biggest international competitions: the Winter Cup, WSK, and the FIA Karting European Championship and World Championship.

Very proud - and justifiably confident in - the tricolour brand, Adrien has always, and from his earliest days in karting, raced on a Sodi chassis: Adrien has won all of his victories and built his record with Sodi, as the now young and talented F1 driver Pierre Gasly had done in his karting days.

27/01/18

ADRIA - WSK - CHAMPIONS CUP

60 MINI / OK-JUNIOR / OK / KZ2

FEBRUARY 2019 03/02/18 10/02/18 24/02/18

ADRIA - WSK - SUPER MASTER SERIES VALENCIA - WINTER CUP LONATO – WSK - SUPER MASTER SERIES

60 MINI / OK-JUNIOR / OK / KZ2 X30 JUNIOR / X30 SHIFTER / X30 MINI / X30 SENIOR 60 MINI / OK-JUNIOR / OK / KZ2

MARCH 2019 10/03/18 24/03/18 31/03/18 31/03/18

LA CONCA - WSK - SUPER MASTER SERIES SARNO - WSK - SUPER MASTER SERIES MARIEMBOURG – IAME - EURO SERIES SARNO – WSK - EURO SERIES

60 MINI / OK-JUNIOR / OK / KZ2 60 MINI / OK-JUNIOR / OK / KZ2 X30 JUNIOR / X30 SHIFTER / X30 MINI / X30 SENIOR 60 MINI / OK-JUNIOR / OK / KZ2

ANGERVILLE – COUPE DE FRANCE ANGERVILLE – CHAMPIONNAT DE FRANCE ZUERA – WSK - EURO SERIES

OK-JUNIOR OK 60 MINI / OK-JUNIOR / OK / KZ2

LAVELANET – COUPE DE FRANCE LAVELANET – CHAMPIONNAT DE FRANCE TBA - IAME - EURO SERIES WACKERSDORF - WSK - EURO SERIES CAROLE – CHAMPIONNAT DE FRANCE

GENTLEMAN / MASTER / SENIOR HANDIKART X30 JUNIOR / X30 SHIFTER / X30 MINI / X30 SENIOR 60 MINI / OK-JUNIOR / OK / KZ2 KZ2 (LONG CIRCUIT) / KZ2 GENTLEMAN (LONG CIRCUIT) / KZ2 MASTER (LONG CIRCUIT)

BRIGNOLES – CHAMPIONNAT DE FRANCE BRIGNOLES – COUPE DE FRANCE LONATO - WSK - EURO SERIES

FÉMININ CADET / MINIME 60 MINI / OK-JUNIOR / OK / KZ2

LE MANS – CHAMPIONNAT DE FRANCE LE MANS – COUPE DE FRANCE VALENCE – CHAMPIONNAT DE FRANCE AUNAY-LES-BOIS – CHAMPIONNAT DE FRANCE WACKERSDORF – IAME - EURO SERIES

NATIONALE KZ2 GENTLEMAN / KZ2 MASTER / KZ2 GENTLEMAN / MASTER / SENIOR CADET / MINIME X30 JUNIOR / X30 SHIFTER / X30 MINI / X30 SENIOR

APRIL 2019 07/04/18 07/04/18 28/04/18

MAY 2019 12/05/18 12/05/18 26/05/18 26/05/18 26/05/18

JUNE 2019 09/06/18 09/06/18 23/06/18

JULY 2019 07/07/18 07/07/18 14/07/18 28/07/18 28/07/18

SEPTEMBER 2019 01/09/18 01/09/18

CASTELLETTO – IAME - EURO SERIES PAU ARNOS – CHAMPIONNAT DE FRANCE

X30 JUNIOR / X30 SHIFTER / X30 MINI / X30 SENIOR KZ2 (LONG CIRCUIT) / KZ2 GENTLEMAN (LONG CIRCUIT) / KZ2 MASTER (LONG CIRCUIT)

OCTOBER 2019 06/10/18 06/10/18 27/10/18

SALBRIS – CHAMPIONNAT DE FRANCE SALBRIS – COUPE DE FRANCE LONATO – WSK - OPEN CUP

KZ2 GENTLEMAN / KZ2 MASTER / KZ2 NATIONALE 60 MINI / OK-JUNIOR / OK / KZ2

NOVEMBER 2019 03/11/18 10/11/18 24/11/18

LEDENON – CHAMPIONNAT DE FRANCE CASTELLETTO – WSK - OPEN CUP ADRIA – WSK - FINAL CUP

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KZ2 (LONG CIRCUIT) / KZ2 GENTLEMAN (LONG CIRCUIT) / KZ2 MASTER (LONG CIRCUIT) 60 MINI / OK-JUNIOR / OK / KZ2 60 MINI / OK-JUNIOR / OK / KZ2

2019 CALENDAR

CALENDAR

JANUARY 2019

INTERVIEW

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

Interview with

felipe massa

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President of the CIK-FIA CIK-FIA President Felipe Massa wanted to be in attendance in Sweden for the last big sporting event of the 2018 season, the FIA â&#x20AC;&#x2039;â&#x20AC;&#x2039;Karting World Championship - OK and Junior held in Kristianstad from 20th to 23rd September. With his great appreciation of competition, he enjoyed the extremely high standard of racing and was pleased with the increase in the number of participants. Mr President, first of all can you briefly summarise your first year at the head of the CIK-FIA? - I recognise that it is not easy to master every aspect of karting quickly. I observe, I listen, I discuss, in order to grasp all the subtleties of this discipline. I must say that my mission is primarily to develop karting globally. I'm here to give back all I can to karting, which is the essential basis of motorsport. I am determined to make things happen, even if it is sometimes uncomfortable, provided attitudes evolve and karting progresses. Of course, I cannot do it alone. I need strong support in the industry, but I hope to reach my goal to give karting the place it deserves in motorsport.

What will you remember from the latest FIA Karting World Championships from a sporting point of view? - In Sweden, the numbers were particularly high in both OK and Junior. 215 Drivers for a World Championships with two categories is a positive indicator of the health of the sport. The standard of Competition is extremely high and the Drivers have a lot of talent. The races were difficult because of alternating between a dry and wet track. It is not surprising that contacts occurred and penalties were imposed, particularly with respect to front fairings. The Stewards are there to ensure compliance with the rules, even though it is not always easy. The installation of detachable front fairings is, in my opinion, a very good measure to make sure Drivers get used to behaving properly from an early age.

On the other hand, we should visit several continents as part of the World Competition to promote karting and international CIK-FIA categories in a wider area than Europe. For example America, Asia and the Middle East deserve to host a World Championship event. For factories, this would also diversify markets and increase production. It's not about increasing expenses by traveling a long way. We need to find ways to promote karting and increase the budget for this global project by partnering with countries and sponsors. It's not something that can be put in place overnight, but that does not stop us from thinking about and working on the subject. I am convinced that there are new ways to explore and solutions to find. The world is changing and we need to develop a new approach to growing karting in more countries.

What do you think about the current Race format? - A World Championship awarded at the end of a single Final offers a spectacle of rare intensity. However, I wonder if good fortune does not play too important a role in the designation of the best Driver of the year. A simple technical incident or a mediocre race can ruin the chances of very talented Drivers. I think it would be more accurate to compete for the World Championship over four or five Competitions to limit the consequences of racing problems and crown the best with more certainty.

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VIC

A TUR

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CTORY FOR SODIKART,

RNING POINT FOR ENDURANCE?

24H FIA KARTING ENDURANCE CHAMP. LE MANS

KEY POINTS ORGANISER

CIK-FIA

ORGANISER

ACO

DATE 29 et 30 septembre 2018

LOCATION

International Circuit Le Mans Karting, France - 1384 m

ENTRIES 32 teams – 3 categories • 33rd edition of the 24 Hours Karting of Le Mans • 3rd FIA Karting Endurance Championship 13 OK in GP1 • First win for a factory team • Double for Sodi chassis • Good weather, cool at night • LeCont tyres always up to the job

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

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RG SpA made the fastest start, but several problems delayed them while Sodikart fought for the lead with several other teams. The No. 95 JFJ Performance (Sodi / Vortex) quickly returned to the leading pack and was increasingly pressing on the leader. Shortly before midnight, JFJ Performance settled permanently in 1st place, with Sodikart in 2nd position and CRG SpA 3rd, but several laps behind. After domination for nearly 900 laps, JFJ Performance broke its chain at the furthest point from the pits. Sodikart never released the pressure and recovered the lead at half-past one. The n Â° 3 finished as the big winner and won the title against JFJ Performance and CRG SpA. The No. 50 La Manche KartMag (Tony Kart / Vortex) managed to climb to 4th place despite several mechanical problems and No. 36 Cormeilles KMD (Sodi / Vortex) finished 5th.

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Ranking of the FIA Karting Endurance Championship 2018 1

Sodikart

Sodi/TM/LeCont

1504 tours

Tom Joyner (GBR) • Bas Lammers (NLD) Alex Irlando (ITA) • Anthony Abbasse (FRA) 2

JFJ Performance Sodi/Vortex/LeCont à 1 tour Adrien Renaudin (FRA) • Jean Nomblot (FRA) Kevin Petit (FRA) • William Godefroid (BEL)

CRG SpA

CRG/TM/LeCont

à 11 tours

Paolo De Conto (ITA) • Pedro Hiltbrand (ESP) • Callum Bradshaw (GBR) • Andrea Rosso (ITA)

GP2

n GP2 the clash was also intense. The No. 14 Team LGB (Tony Kart / Rotax), a Master team, first faced the No. 60 RM Concept (FA Kart / Rotax) and No. 40 RSD - CG (Sodi / Parilla), powered by X30. No. 17 Malevaut Sport (Tony Kart / Rotax) and No. 11 Team Belinois Jac Kart (Sodi / Rotax) gradually joined the fight and then disputed a long three-way battle with No. 60. RM Concept finished 8th overall and won the GP2 class ahead of Malevaut Sport and Team Belinois Jac Kart. Delayed, Team LGB ranked 14th and top Master.

GP3

he only GP3 entry, the youngest team, No. 24 Wintec-Kartagene (Tony Kart / Vortex) powered by OK-Junior, had a difficult night and finished 20th. The women's team No. 67 RM Ladies (FA Kart / Rotax) ranked 21st after a few problems.

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Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

FIRST VERY POSITIVE EXPERIENCE AT THE 24 HOURS OF LE MANS FOR THE YOUNG DRIVERS FROM

KARTAGENE

Pierre-François Duriani, Lukas Papin, Mathys Poulet, and Evan Spenle discovered the 24 Hours Karting aboard the GP3 Tony Kart / Vortex #24 WintecKartagene. The drivers, whose average age was no more than 15 years, were unanimous in appreciating this exceptional experience for its true value. The race proved more complicated than expected and they had to dig deep into their resources to overcome the problems of the night. Around 5th place in GP2, the crew lost ground following a succession of

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issues before returning to the 20th position after 1457 laps, or nearly 2000km. Marc Berteaux, head of Kartagene, was the originator of the initiative. He draws a balance of the positive aspects:

"I wanted to show these kids that karting is also a team sport, even in sprint racing. It's obvious in endurance of course, but they have been able to count on the cohesion of the group to go beyond their limits, which is an important thing to experience to get to know each other better. They were forced to take turns in a relay overnight, while technical hazards dropped them down the standings. At dawn, it was two degrees, their fingers were clenched on the wheel. So it was not easy! I'm happy to have seen them stay motivated to keep fighting. All this is very encouraging. Endurance is a cost-effective discipline that allows you to compete in great races and have long track sessions. I consider it an interesting alternative to sprint, and it deserves to be better highlighted. The technical team of Wintec and Rodolphe Besnard were delighted to have joined us in this challenge. I think it would be interesting to try to make a follow-up to this test run in the years to come. Let's give the floor to the drivers, starting with the youngest to have participated in this legendary race, Lukas Papin, who will be 14 years old at the end of December: "Endurance is very different from what we usually do in sprint racing. I knew it would be complicated for 24

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hours, but not this much. The night with the lack of sleep and the long relay to follow, it was tough. I'm happy to have held up and to have reached the end with the whole team. It was great."

Mathys Poulet:

"The standard was very high. I was expecting it to be hard, but finally I performed well. It must be said that we were well prepared physically and mentally. We all drove good stints, without making mistakes, without taking penalties. It was a good race for a first time."

There was satisfaction too for PierreFrançois Duriani, who did not hide his disappointment at not having obtained the expected result:

"The atmosphere was very good in the team, but I was hoping for better results after our good start to the race. The many mechanical problems during the night spoiled the pleasure a little. That’s racing. Physically it went well, but in terms of morale it was difficult when the problems came one after another. I’m sure we could have finished in the top 15 without that..."

The most experienced in international competition, Evan Spenle competed in his very first endurance race during the 24 hours:

"It did not pose any problem to race as a team. It was very nice. The night was rough and I had to deal with some muscle pains. Mentally, it was complicated too, but the experience was beautiful. I would like to return to the 24 hours in GP1 with an OK engine."

KARTCOM NEWS #46

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Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

LECONT

PERFORMANCE AND ENDURANCE AT LE MANS 24 HOURS KARTING

KARTCOM NEWS #46

If running for 24 hours is a big challenge for men and machines, it is also a daunting challenge for a tyre manufacturer. An endurance specialist for eight years, LeCont has once again fulfilled its mission during the 24 Hours Karting of Le Mans, dubbed the FIA Karting Endurance Championship. The many testimonials of satisfaction received from drivers and teams rewarded the work by the Italian brand while helping to strengthen its popularity in the field.

ver the seasons, LeCont has forged a solid reputation in the world of endurance karting. The debut of OK engines in 2016, with the introduction of the FIA Karting Endurance Championship, highlighted the quality of the LeCont tyres, which were successfully paired with the increase in performance of the GP1 karts. With this success, the Italian manufacturer has been able to continue to improve its products in every detail with the innovation that characterises the brand.

"Our priority is first to keep the durability requirements imposed by the number of sets allowed, six in 24 hours”, says Paolo Bombara from LeCont. "This is something we can do without problems, despite the dry weather at this event. The best teams exceeded 2000 km with higher average speeds than before. That still represents nearly 350 km on a set of tyres! And a good margin of safety remained throughout. The fastest kart, CRG SpA, lapped 5 tenths faster than last year in the race, showing that LeCont tyres are keeping up with the pace.” “For the competition to be as fair as possible, it was also necessary that the inevitable decrease in performance accompanying tyre wear be limited and gradual. Our LH 03 G1 (in GP1) and LH 03 EES (GP2) fulfill these conditions very well as after four hours of driving, the differences culminated around a second, or even slightly more in the worst case, and that the degradation remains linear. Finally, we did not encounter any problem with any of the tyres delivered for this long race, which were recognised as being very consistent over the whole batch."

category, foreshadowing the range for 2019. The tread was identical, but the carcass has undergone a slight change intended to provide better driving accuracy. "LeCont is very pleased to supply the tyres for the 24 H Karting of Le Mans as part of the FIA Karting Endurance Championship. This is undoubtedly the major meeting of the season, without which we could not offer such successful products. The very positive feedback from the specialists encourages us to continue along this path. We are already preparing for the launch of some innovations. I can not say more for now, but it is certain that tyre marking, with a barcode or other solution, is receiving our full attention. In endurance it is a particularly sensitive subject, but it also concerns sprint racing."

To achieve this level of quality on a large scale, LeCont conducted preliminary tests with a 4-hour relay before starting the production for the entire endurance season. Taking advantage of every opportunity to develop its tyres, LeCont developed an evolution LH 03 G1 for the GP1

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Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

SODI

HISTORIC DOUBLE IN THE FIA KARTING ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP

KARTCOM NEWS #46

Sodikart is again part of the history of endurance karting after winning the 33rd edition of the 24 hours of Le Mans. It was the first time that an factory team from a major manufacturer has won the FIA â&#x20AC;&#x2039;â&#x20AC;&#x2039;Karting Endurance Championship since the first edition in 2016. The success of the French brand was completed by the presence of the JFJ Performance team and its Sodi chassis on the second step of the podium.

ndurance is a very specialised discipline in kart racing," said Bertrand Pignolet, Sodikart's president. "We have taken a closer interest since the creation of the Endurance Championship by the CIK-FIA. Until 2016, Sarthe RTKF had carried the colours of Sodi to victory eight times in a row at the 24 hours. We had to face the challenge from other major manufacturers and I am very happy that we managed to impose ourselves this year, in our second participation, while achieving a double that reveals the quality of our products. A specialist in endurance, Nicolas Scelles has been involved with Sodikart since the preparatory phase of the 2018 24 H Karting which began more than six months before the event. The Racing Team and other departments of the Nantes factory have worked extensively to adapt the equipment to the specificities of endurance before carrying out

several tests on the track. The goal was to rationalise the adjustments to the kart during the race in order to lose the minimum of time during the pit stops and to anticipate any problems. Building on last year's experience, the engine manufacturer TM Racing also sharpened its weapons to meet the challenge. "A race of 24 hours and 2000 km is still a big challenge in karting," explained Julien Dexmier, the team manager. "In sprint we are used to races of about 20 minutes. In endurance, the equipment constraints are very different. I think Sodikart has demonstrated once again its adaptability. The technical team and our driver training have been up to the job. The JFJ Performance team gave us a hard time and we shared their disappointment when they suffered a broken chain. In the end, Sodi won on all counts by achieving the double in the 24 H 2018 with the factory team on the top step and a private team in 2nd position."

Anthony Abbasse, Alex Irlando, Tom Joyner and Bas Lammers completed a firstrate performance combining speed and reliability. The official No. 3 kart fought at the front of the race for the first five hours before encountering several breakages and mechanical problems that lost valuable time for the team. While JFJ Performance settled convincingly at the controls, the Sodikart team remained in ambush for a long time with the aim of preserving its full potential. When the opportunity came 1:30 from the finish, Sodikart grabbed the lead. The emotion was at its height when Abbasse passed the chequered flag as the winner after 1504 laps completed. With its Sodi chassis, JFJ Performance finished 2nd only one lap behind: an incredible performance. Already crowned European Champion in KZ2 with Adrien Renaudin and the CPB Sport team, Sodikart achieved a another international victory in 2018 after these 24 Hours of Karting.

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W O H S 30

X D N A GR

KARTCOM NEWS #46

L T A W

S N A M E

IAME INTERNAT. FINAL LE MANS

KEY POINTS DATE 8th to 14th October, 2018

LOCATION

Le Mans International Karting Circuit, Le Mans, France - 1384 m

ENTRIES 466 drivers - 6 categories • 7th edition of the IAME International Final, fifth time at Le Mans • Participation up with 466 drivers and 47 nations • Drivers from age 8 to over 50 selected in their country • Highly contested races • Many spectators • Rain for Qualifying, Finals in the sun

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Matthieu de Faria

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KARTCOM NEWS #46

LLOYD

AT THE FINISH

lex Lloyd (FA Kart) won both in the Prefinal and the Final. Dilano Van't Hoff (Exprit) and Loris Cabirou (Kosmic) joined the fight for victory with Lewis Gilbert (Kosmic), in 9th. Gilbert crossed the finish line first, but a penalty was waiting for his spoiler. Performing well throughout the weekend, Lloyd was declared the winner. While Cabirou was disqualified, Joshua Rattican (Tony Kart) made a nice comeback to 2nd place ahead of Dilano Van't Hoff. Taylor Barnard (KR) and Sam Balota (Exprit) completed the top five.

R O I N U X30 J

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R O I N E S X30

TURNEY WINS A CRAZY FINAL

inner of the Prefinal, Harry Thompson (Exprit) did not take advantage of his pole position for long after an attack by Nicolas Picot (Tony Kart). Joe Turney (Komsic) took the lead and several incidents changed the situation. Clayton Ravenscroft (Kosmic), Charles Tesniere (Kosmic) and Thompson took the opportunity to return in the wake of Turney, but he was fast and imposed his will. Ravenscroft was 2nd. TesniĂ¨re and Thompson were penalised for their spoilers, leaving Siim Leedmaa (Kosmic) to mount the third step of the podium in front of Stephen Letts (Kosmic) who made up 24 places, and Louis Westover (FA Kart).

KARTCOM NEWS #46

NIELSEN EMERGES IN THE FINAL

scramble lost several places for Callum Bradshaw (CRG), who had dominated the event so far, and Andreas Hebert (Redspeed). Nicklas Nielsen (Praga) took the lead, followed by Danny Keirle (KR). Incidents eliminated Ruben Moya (Kosmic) and Filippos Kalesis (Tony Kart), Bradshaw passed Adrien Renaudin (Sodi) and Yannick De Brabander (Praga) to pursue Nielsen and Keirle. But the lead duo was too far ahead for Bradshaw who had to be satisfied with 3rd place. Nielsen controlled Keirle to the end to win with his new Ralf Schumacher RSâ&#x20AC;&#x2039;â&#x20AC;&#x2039; team colours. De Brabander was 4th ahead of Hebert.

R E P U S X30

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A FANTASTIC RUN FOR

MORGAN RICHE 13

in Qualifying, 7th after the heats and 6th in the Prefinal, Morgan Riche (FA Kart) spared no effort to return to fight for the Final victory. He quickly passed Gary Turkington (Kosmic), then Wilfrid Lecarpentier (Kosmic), before closing the gap on François Peurière (Tony Kart), who had dominated since the beginning of the weekend.

Both driver and manager of the RM Concept team, Riche won a magnificent international victory. Raymie Eastwood (Tony Kart) slipped into 2nd position, but dropped back due to his spoiler. Gérard Cavalloni (CRG) finished strongly and reached 2nd place by starting 13th. He was ahead of Lecarpentier, Alexandre Leotta (KR) and Johan Renaux (CRG).

R E T S A X30 M

KARTCOM NEWS #46

In X30 Veteran, Franck Rouxel (Sodi) dominated in the B Final and won the category for the third time in a row. Mario Barros (Gillard), Willy Runget (Exprit) and Patrick Guidici (Kosmic) challenged for a while, but Rouxel held out, while Guidici and Franck Brive (Kosmic) completed the top three.

X30

R E F I H S SUPER

THOMAS BALE CREWS DOES DOMINATES THE THE DOUBLE FINAL STAGES L

fter some hard-fought races, the situation gradually cleared up on Sunday. Racing problems delayed Kevin Lüdi (Kosmic) and Frédéric Op De Beeck (Formula K) in the Prefinal and Thomas Bale (Kosmic) then took command and confirmed in the Final. Nicolas Rohrbasser (Kosmic) tried to follow the leader, but Bale escaped. Only Sten Dorian Piirimagi (Exprit) managed to keep up the high pace of the leaders in 3rd position. Prassetyo Hardja (Tony Kart) and Christof Huibers (Gillard) completed the top five.

eader after the heats, 2017 winner Brent Crews (KR) lost three places in the Prefinal, while William Macintyre (KR) won. At the start of the Final, a scramble pushed Crews into 12th place and there was a superb duel between Macintyre and Freddie Slater (KR). But Crews made a spectacular return to the forefront along with Juan Francisco Soldavini (Parolin). In a mad last lap, Crews and Slater exchanged the lead several times. Crews won by 7 thousandths ahead of Slater. Soldavini was ahead of Macintyre for 3rd place, followed closely by Miguel Peiro Luzarraga (FA Kart).

I N I M 0 X3

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Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo Mathieu de Faria

FRENCH PERFORMANCES IN THE INTERNATIONAL FINAL AT LE MANS

The IAME International Final, a major meeting for X30 drivers from all over the world, brought together the best 465 from over 55 countries at Le Mans for nearly a week of fierce competition. Eight young Frenchmen from the Minime category made their debut at the international level on this occasion with the support of the FFSA.

KARTCOM NEWS #46

fter the real marathon of the Qualifying Heats in which strong performances, incidents and penalties shaped the hierarchy, the final stages of the IAME International Final 2018 further increased the pressure by a notch. Although the battles were superb, they were also very rough and many drivers left their illusions at the side of the track. The eight young Frenchmen entered in X30 Mini competed in their first international event in a field of 70 participants, selected from the best of more than 20 countries around the world. Trained in France in Minime, they discovered international competition with more or less success. Six of them managed to cross the very diffi-

cult hurdle of qualifying for the Finals, which is already a great achievement. The French Minime Champion Minime Maxens Verbrugge (Parolin) has long carried the hopes of the tricolour. With the third fastest time in Qualifying, he moved to the top of the Qualifying Heats before finishing 8th in the Prefinal as the clashes became more intense. The Final unfortunately did not enable him to show his true potential as he was eliminated during a collision in the first round. It was Arthur Raphanel (Energy) who achieved the best French performance by finishing 12th, a real feat when he started 49th in Qualifying. Unhappy in the Prefinal, Augustin Bernier brilliant-

ly came back to 13th place in the Final with a 13-place gain. Very consistent, Guillaume Bouzar (Parolin) finished in 18th position ahead of Hugo Martinello (Parolin) up nine places. 36th at the end of the heats, Clément Outran (Energy) found his place among the 34 finalists thanks to his victory in the B Final. He regained another 10 positions to finish 20th in the Final. France had the most success in the X30 Master category. Eight French drivers ended up in the top 10, monopolising

the top five positions. Morgan Riche (FA Kart) won a magnificent victory over Gérard Cavalloni (CRG) and Wilfrid Lecarpentier (Kosmic), Alexandre Leotta (KR) was 4th and Johan Renaux (CRG) 5th. The undisputed leader until the Prefinal, François Peurière (Tony Kart) fell to 21st in the Final.

legated him to 11th place at the start of the Final and took down his spoiler. Brilliantly 3rd on the finish line, he was ranked 7th. Etienne Chéli (Tony Kart) achieved a superb progression of 21 places to finish 9th in the Final.

In X30 Senior, Charles Tesnière was among the favourites thanks to his 2nd position at the end of the heats as well as his 2nd place in the Prefinal. A collision between several drivers re-

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Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Matthieu de Faria

RAPHANEL 12 AND TOP FRENCH DRIVER TH

IN X30 MINI AT THE WORLD FINAL

KARTCOM NEWS #46

A true World X30 Championship, the 2018 IAME International Final took place at the Le Mans circuit from October 8th to 14th with 465 drivers from 55 countries and five continents. The X30 Mini category brought together the top 70 drivers from around the world. Qualified with the support of the FFSA thanks to his performances in the French Minime Championship and IAME Series France, Arthur Raphanel began a real race against the clock as soon as his last-minute selection was announced. Alexandre Ravoire of RK Competition struggled to get hold of an engine and tyres specific to this competition. His experience of X30, confirmed by the performances of Romain Bonetto and Louan Fernandez last year, allowed him to make the most of this tight timing, especially with regard to carburettor settings. For the chassis, Arthur could count on Energy Corse, a very famous international brand. At the same time, Tony Lavanant, the French importer, brought his help and his great knowledge of the

equipment. A3PI took part in the adventure with the choice for the seat. After this rush to prepare, the competition itself started with Timed Practice on Thursday 11th, and it was not easy for Arthur. With 24th time in his session, he was 49th in the overall standings, with the direct result of starting from the 13th row in the Qualifying Heats. The challenge was likely to be difficult... Arthur threw himself bravely into the battle and regained a lot of ground in each race. Successively 15th, 14th and 13th, he was unfortunately demoted to 23rd in the second heat because of a spoiler penalty. After an anxious wait, the classification of the heats was announced: Arthur had qualified 33rd and last for the Final stages. The first objective had been reached and the pressure relaxed on his young shoulders. At first, Arthur drove a beautiful Prefinal as the fight intensified around him. Calm and determined, he gained no less than 13 positions to finish 20th. He continued his momentum without faltering in an epic Final and reached an unexpected 12th place, as well as taking the best French result of the event.

"It was not easy this year! Despite some good performances early in the weekend, we did not manage to put it together until the end of the competition. He is a young driver who has good qualities, but sometimes suffers from lack of motivation and concentration. At Le Mans, in difficult conditions because of his age and the very high standard, he did his best to move up without making any mistakes. He has made tremendous progress in managing his races and defending his position by competing at the international level. It is also a pity that he cannot stretch himself more often during the season." Accompanied by his loyal mechanic Valentin GuĂŠrinot and CĂŠdric Touchard of the TTC team, Arthur and his family took advantage of this beautiful sporting moment, rewarding the investment and the sacrifices of those around him. The Cadet category will be the next step of Arthur's progress next year. He will race on a Birel ART chassis, the brand that Thomas and Patrice Mich support, which he has always used since his debut.

Ludovic Baetz, who has worked with him for two years, looks back on the 2018 season.

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WORL ROKKERS DAY

KARTCOM NEWS #46

ROK CUP INTERNAT. FINAL 2018 LONATO

KEY POINTS ORGANISER

Vortex Rok

DATE 10th to 13th October, 2018

LOCATION

South Garda Karting, Lonato, Italy - 1200 m

ENTRIES 420 drivers - 7 categories • 16th edition • 143 Mini Rok and 64 Shifter Rok drivers • Suspense until the Final • Rok Cup International Final Mobile App

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo ROK Cup

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KARTCOM NEWS #46

MINI ROK

ANTONELLI BEATS POWELL

t the start, Alex Powell (JAM) took the lead, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli (ITA) quickly returned to Bohra Akshay (USA), Cristian Berduca (ITA) and Ariel Elkin (RUS) who had overtaken him at the start. On lap 6, the Italian passed the Jamaican and flew to victory. The podium was completed by Powell and Akshay, while Bertuca finished 4th in front of Elkin.

JUNIOR ROK

CECCHI WINS AGAIN

ietro Ragone (ITA) and Ugo Ugochukwu (USA) escaped until the Slow procedure. At the restart Federico Cecchi (ITA) threatened Ugochukwu and overtook him on lap 8 and won the Junior victory after being crowned in Mini the previous year. Davide Locatelli (ITA) was 2nd in front of Ugochukwu, then Ragone and Albanese, while James Wharton (GBR) moved up from 30th to 8th.

SENIOR ROK

DELLI GUANTI FINALLY WINS

them. Pietro Delli Guanti (ITA) took the opportunity to take the lead on the 10th lap and won without any doubt. Molinari came back to 2nd, before being penalised then appealing. Szyszko Maciej (POL) was 3rd ahead of Giuseppe GaglianĂ˛ (ITA) and Davide Cordera (ITA).

SUPER ROK

MACHADO THE ABSOLUTE CHAMPION

ROK EXPERT

ZAJAC UNSTOPPABLE

aniel Zajac (POL) drove a perfect race from start to finish. Only Gaia Magno (BRA) was able to keep up the pace for any length of time. Magno easily retained 2nd place after the fall of Ariel Castro (USA). Erik Jackson (USA) took 3rd place.

EXPERT ROK PLUS

CHIARI AT THE FINISH

SHIFTER ROK

ianluca Todeschini (ITA) recovered the lead after Tino Donadei (ITA) dropped out early in the race. But Marco Chiari (ITA) made an incredible comeback and took the lead on lap 11 to win a great victory against Todeschini and Welson Jacometti (BRA).

omenico Cicognini (ITA) first attacked the leader Luca Bosco (ITA), but Alexandre Machado (AND) surprised everybody by taking the lead on lap 5. Reigning Champion Mattia D'Abramo (ITA) faced Bosco and Cicognini and attempted an attack on the leader who did not let it go. Machado won the race ahead of Bosco and Cicognini.

ZEMIN UNBEATABLE

ndrea Zemin (ITA) took control of the Final from the start while Zani (ITA) tried to follow him. The poleman Riccardo Cinti (ITA) ended up overtaking the youngster Jean Luyet (CHE) for 2nd place while Zemin savored his victory.

lex Brown (SNG) and Giorgio Molinari (ITA) competed for the lead until a crash eliminated

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KARTCOM NEWS #46

BEAUTIFUL BATTLES IN THE OCTOBER SUN

WSK FINAL CUP 1/3 LONATO

KEY POINTS ORGANISER

WSK Promotion

DATE 19th to 21st October 2018

LOCATION

South Garda Karting, Lonato, Italy - 1200 m

ENTRIES 259 entries - 4 categories • First of three WSK Final Cup events • Very high entry • Some famous absentees in KZ2 • Newcomers to OK and OK-Junior • Interesting battles • Good weather for the season

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve

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MINI

CELEBRATION FOR

POWELL J

amaican Alex Powell (Energy / TM) was the undisputed leader in the heats and Finals despite strong resistance from Brando Badoer (Parolin / TM). Coskun Irfan (Parolin / TM) and Ean Eyckmans (Parolin / TM) led the chasing pack, while Nikola Tsolov (BirelART / TM) joined the top five. Ashkay Bohra (Parolin / TM), Keanu Al Azhari (Parolin) / TM) and Cristian Bertuca (Parolin / TM) fell back in the final stages.

KARTCOM NEWS #46

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KARTCOM NEWS #46

www.vegatyres.com

The Polish poleman Nikita Bedrin (Tony Kart / Vortex) and newcomer James Wharton (FA Kart / Vortex), leader of the heats, raced brilliantly, but it was Taylor Barnard (KR / Parilla) who won. Bedrin was 2nd in front of Krill Smal (Tony Kart / Vortex) while Andrea Kimi Antonelli (KR / Parilla) finished his first Junior race in 4th position. Winner of his Prefinal, Marcus Amand (KR / Parilla) was demoted to 13th.

Nicole Colleoni - Ph: Sirio Serughetti - Art Direction: Guido Monfrini / Makelab.it - Make-up: Lorenza Bacchieri - Location: Pista 7 Laghi Castelletto di Branduzzo (PV) - Riproduzione vietata - Imposta di pubblicitĂ a cura di chi lo espone in pubblico - Backstage:

BARNARD WINS, REVELATION OF BEDRIN & WHARTON

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TRAVISANUTTO THE BOSS 83

KARTCOM NEWS #46

orld Champion Lorenzo Travisanutto (KR / Parilla) laid down the law throughout the weekend. Dexter Patterson (KR / Parilla), Nicklas Nielsen (Praga / Vortex) and Dino Beganovic (Tony Kart / Vortex) appeared as his main opponents, but Kas Haverkort (CRG / TM) and Luigi Coluccio (BirelART / TM) accompanied him on the podium. Gabriel Bortoleto (CRG / TM) and Tijmen Van der Helm (KR / Parilla) finished in the top five.

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KZ2

BACK TO BUSINESS WITH

SODI FOR LAMMERS A

nthony Abbasse (Sodi / TM) took pole position and Bas Lammers (Sodi / TM) took the win for Sodi, with a special mention for the engine builder CÃ©dric Sport. Marco Ardigo (Tony Kart / Vortex) was 2nd in the Prefinal, but gave way to Simo Puhakka (Tony Kart / Vortex) in the Final with Matteo Vigano (Tony Kart / Vortex) 4th and Emilien Denner (Kali'Kart / TM) 5th. Delayed at the start of the race, Abbasse came back to 10th.

KARTCOM NEWS #46

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KARTCOM NEWS #46

Info KARTCOM - Renaud Didier © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve

ROSBERG RACING IN A SUCCESSFUL DYNAMIC One month after Travisanutto won the Karting World Championship title in OK, the colours of Rosberg Racing, Petronas, Arexons and KR Motorsport shone brightly at the first round of the 2018 WSK Final Cup at Lonato.

his time, they celebrated a double victory in Italy, with the domination of the Italian Lorenzo Travisanutto in OK and the distant win by the Briton Taylor Barnard in OK-Junior. The Rosberg Young Drivers Academy also welcomed a very promising performance from the new rookie, the Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli, already 4th in his first OK-Junior race.

ANTONELLI: THE RISING STAR

Rosberg Racing does not intend to rest on its laurels. The team of the 2016 Formula 1 World Champion took advantage of this new major international event to enrich the CV of the young operation. "The FIA Karting

World and European Championships are over, but there are still important events to be held at the end of the season," said Dino Chiesa, the team manager. "This year, the WSK Final Cup is decided over three meetings and our goal is to continue our harvest of victories and the training of our young drivers. Of course, we are taking the opportunity to start preparation for 2019, both technically and on track. So, at Lonato, another challenge was to welcome the youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli to the Rosberg Young Drivers Academy in the optimal conditions." Fresh from the Mini category, with many podiums and victories, the young Italian Antonelli has already made a big impression in OK-Junior. From Timed Practice, he set the fastest time of his group, the 2nd out of a total of 81 drivers. "In front of the more experienced drivers, he needs to learn to find his place in the pack. His 4th place in the Final is in any case very encouraging. He also set the absolute best time of the meeting," said Dino Chiesa.

VICTORIES FOR BARNARD & TRAVISANUTTO

In front of Antonelli, the star of the day was Taylor Barnard. "He's been around for a while now his first big win confirms his progress since joining the Rosberg Young Drivers Academy. This time, he knew to believe in his chances," continued the Italian team manager. After winning his Prefinal, he was solid in the Final to cross the finish line as a major winner in the OK-Junior category. The competitiveness of Rosberg Racing's KR-Parilla continued in OK. "For me, it was a perfect weekend," said Lorenzo Travisanutto. "I managed to get pole position, to win my three heats, my Prefinal and the Final with a sizeable gap on my opponents. Congratulations to all the team and thank you to my partners." For the Rosberg Young Drivers Academy, Petronas, Arexons and Kart Republic, the WSK Final Cup could not have started any more positively ...

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KARTCOM NEWS #46

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KARTCOM NEWS #46

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve

SODI

CONTINUES ITS MOMENTUM AT LONATO After victory at the Le Mans 24-hour Karting Championship with the FIA Karting Endurance Champion title, the Sodi Racing Team set sail for Australia for another haul of success at the "Race of Stars". Last weekend, it was time to join the elite of international racing in KZ2 in Italy for the first round of the WSK Final Cup to continue with this winning streak.

lready in full preparation for next season, the French team spared no effort to further promote the Sodikart products. Bas Lammers knew how to use the complete potential of the French chassis to dominate the international competition and to take a superb victory on the circuit

of Lonato. This great success was completed by the excellent performances by his team-mate Anthony Abbasse, poleman in Qualifying and unfortunately delayed by a collision early in the Final. At the wheel of their Sodi karts with TM Racing engines carefully prepared by Cédric Sport, Anthony Abbasse started with pole position in Qualifying, while Bas Lammers posted the 3rd fastest time. The flying Dutchman took the lead in the first heat and won three clear victories against leading opponents. Abbasse followed him twice in 2nd place before suffering a tough blow in the third race. The Frenchman was 4th in the Prefinal and kept his chances of a good result. Meanwhile, Lammers won again in front of a formidable rival and took pole position for the start of the Final. After a good start, Lammers was fighting to keep the advantage. He overtook Marco Ardigo on the fourth lap and then resisted the return of Simo Puhakka by posting successive fast laps

despite the pressure. The effectiveness of his Sodi / TM kart allowed him to finish an extremely convincing event for the French brand with a well deserved victory. Abbasse was less fortunate as he was pushed on the first lap and dropped to 24th. He did not, however, give up fighting and made successive passes to finish in the top 10 despite everything, with very competitive equipment. On a very selective Italian circuit and valued by many teams, Sodi made a beautiful demonstration at the beginning of autumn. The main mission of the Sodi Racing Team was to perfect the development and to test the efficiency of the 2019 chassis in race conditions. Lammers currently ranks 1st with 90 points, almost double his direct pursuer, while Abbasse has not had his last word in 6th position. The result is clearly positive and promising for the next two events of the WSK Final Cup at Castelletto then Adria.

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Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve

PAROLIN, BOOSTS YOUNG TALENTS

Parolin's new strategy for young drivers continues to bear fruit. During the first round of the WSK Final Cup at Lonato, the influence of the Italian brand in 60 Mini was impressive. Quality and performance were in evidence, as demonstrated by Brando Badoer's excellent progress at the forefront of 60 Mini and Matheus Morgatto's debut in OK. At the same time, Gabriele Mini' confirmed the effectiveness of the Parolin OK-Junior with his 3rd position on the finish line.

KARTCOM NEWS #46

"We are of course very satisfied with the current usage of our products in the Mini categories", explains Marco Parolin. "In major events such as the international finals for the Rok Cup and for IAME that have just finished, or the WSK Final Cup that has just started, the breakthrough Parolin chassis is very strong with many teams using it. At Lonato, Parolin was the most represented brand in all categories. The performance was also there, as shown by the results of Brando Badoer in 60 Mini for example." With 38 Parolin chassis out of 95 participants 60 Mini, the WSK Final Cup set consisted of 40% Parolin productions. A dozen teams had chosen the performance with the Italian brand. At the finish there were three Parolins in the top four of the Final and four in the top five of the championship. Not to mention the pole position, the record of the event, six wins and eight fastest laps in the heats, and the second step of the podium for Brando Badoer. The son of the former Formula 1 driver had a superb weekend at Lonato. He first

clinched pole position in Qualifying and ensured four victories in five heats. Also the winner of his Prefinal, he was still fighting with the best in the Final and was on the 2nd step of the podium with the satisfaction of being the fastest driver of the meeting.

revealing great skill and speed in his first race. Injured at the start of the Final, he unfortunately had to stop there. The third qualifier of the three drivers in the team, Alessandro Cenedese also retired during this incident which affected a dozen drivers.

The other members of the official Parolin Racing team performed well in the top three of the heats such as Keanu Al Azhari, Douwe Dedecker and Maksimilian Popov, or in the top five like Ashkay Bohra and Zachary David. The intensity of the races did not allow them to be consistent enough to confirm their form, but the potential is undeniably present.

Finally, the debut in OK of the Brazilian Matheus Morgatto was exceptional and his speed impressed the specialists. Up to 5th to his Prefinal, he was pushed back to 10th place, but then moved up from 20th to 12th position in the Final.

Still among the fastest in OK-Junior, Vice World Champion Gabriele Mini' was about to confirm his talent by finishing in 3rd position in the Final at Lonato, but a detached spoiler penalty later dropped him back in the standings. The WSK Final Cup also gave the opportunity to young people to take the step from 60 Mini to OK-Junior as Mini' had done last year. Martinius Stenshorne made a perfect transition from 60 Mini to OK-Junior,

The racing season is far from over and Parolin still has great opportunities to strengthen its reputation on different tracks before starting the 2019 preparation from the excellent base of 2018.

INTERNATIONAL

Info KARTCOM - Renaud Didier Â© Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve

COLUCCIO & BIREL ART CONFIRM THEIR WORLD PODIUM

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Contested over three rounds, the WSK Final Cup started at Lonato from 19th to 21st October. The Birel ART Racing team raced at this important international event with professionalism and competitiveness, allowing Luigi Coluccio to mount the OK podium once again. As he was able to at the World Championship a month earlier, the young Italian raced at the forefront throughout the meeting with his Birel ART / TM equipment.

conditions and it was Luigi Coluccio who was able to exploit it best in OK."

In OK-Junior, Esteban Masson again had the opportunity to show his speed on his second appearance on a Birel ART. Alas, an retirement in his Prefinal barred access to the Final. Lorenzo Ressico d'Aloisio had a difficult time, and was among the many victims of a major collision early in the race. Used to racing in his home country, the Brazilian Eduardo Venancio Ritzmann took advantage of the advice of members of the Birel ART team to progress in the rankings.

ANOTHER TOP THREE FOR COLUCCIO From one event to another and from one type of tyre to another, the team and the Birel ART Racing chassis continue to perform well. "September was very busy with the KZ, OK and OK-Junior World Championships. However, the season is not over and the events resumed quickly," says Davide Fore, team manager of the Italian team. "As we are accustomed to, we worked very well upstream to allow our drivers to race in the best

THE NEXT GENERATION EXPRESSES ITSELF WITH BIREL ART

Indeed, Coluccio posted the 4th fastest time in Qualifying, before he had three excellent runs in the top six. After a solid Prefinal, he regained a place on the second row for the Final, which he used perfectly to complete his superb performance in 3rd position. "Luigi has been fast and steady in this very high standard of competition. The big players of the season in OK were present so this is another positive result," continued Davide Fore.

In 60 Mini, the Birel ART Junior Team's showing was very good for team manager Giorgio Pantano and the Bulgarian driver Nikola Tsolov. Tsolov returned gradually but brilliantly to 6th place. We must also congratulate Andrea Filaferro (10th) and Francesco Amendola (retirement) for qualifying for the Final at the wheel of their Birel ART karts, in a category with 95 starters.

INTERNATIONAL

Info KARTCOM - Renaud Didier © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve

VICTORY WITH PANACHE FOR

ALEX POWELL The 2018 Karting season is progressing very positively for Alex Powell. The young Jamaican driver continues to increase his level of performance race after race, with the invaluable support of the Energy Corse team. Racing in 60 Mini on the circuit of Lonato, Powell successfully started the WSK Final Cup, a very competitive international series in Italy over three meetings from October to November.

ALWAYS IMPROVING... At the Rok Cup International Final, Alex Powell knew he was close to victory, as a gap of only 48 thousandths forced him to be satisfied with 2nd place. "Since the beginning of the year, Alex has been fighting for the top spots as he faces more experienced drivers," said team manager Mick Panigada. "What he's doing is very impressive for his young age and his Rok Cup Vice-Championship remains a great result." Returning a few days later to the location of this exploit, at Lonato, Jamaican hopeful this time had the aim of doing even better, and winning. He did it, and in what a way!

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ALEX RELIES ON THE ENERGY CORSE TEAM Fast in Free Practice, Alex achieved an excellent 4th in Timed Practice, with 95 drivers! He then impressed during his Qualifying Heats, winning four out of four, including two with the fastest lap of the race. The Energy Corse team played a major role in

preparing the Jamaican driver's Energy-TM package to perfection. "In addition to being quick, Alex listens to the technicians who work with him," said Mick Panigada. "Such international races are difficult for a young driver to handle, but we are here to help and advise him." Energy Corse's skill was confirmed in Prefinal A, where Alex Powell added another new success and another lap record.

Starting on pole position in the Final, Alex did not give in to the pressure and finished the first lap in the lead. Fast and steady, he managed to widen the gap. Nobody would succeed in depriving him of his magnificent victory. "I could not dream of a better start to the WSK Final Cup," said Alex, when he received his trophy on the top step of the podium. "I will do everything to stay on this path and keep 1st place overall..."

INTERNATIONAL

ELKMAN

SECURES HIS SECO

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OND TITLE

FIA KART. EUROPEAN CHAMP. SUPERKART 3/3 - LE MANS

KEY POINTS ORGANISER

CIK-FIA

DATE 26th - 28th October 2018

LOCATION

Bugatti Raceway, Le Mans, France - 4185 m

ENTRIES 29 drivers - 1 category • 3rd round of the 2018 European Championship • Cool, wet weather • Pole position and Race 2 for Kout • Race 1 and title for Elkmann • Successful return for Emmanuel Vinuales

Info KARTCOM Jean Christophe Bourlat © Photo KSP - Eric Sévère

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dam Kout (MS Kart / DEA) posted the fastest time against Emmanuel Vinuales (MS Kart / VM). Race 1 was run on wet tyres and Peter Elkmann (Anderson / VM) joined Kout and Vinuales in the leading trio that pulled away. Elkmann went on the attack on the fourth lap and headed for a decisive victory over Kout and Vinuales. Alexandre Sebastia (Anderson / DEA) overtook Yannick De Brabander (MS Kart / VM) for 4th place. Kout took the lead in Race 2 against Vinuales, while Elkmann was cautiously in 3rd position, only worried about his second crown. De Brabander in 4th passed Andreas Jost (Anderson / VM) after a penalty for Daniel Clark (Anderson / VM) and Sebastia’s retirement.

Final classification of the FIA Karting European Championship - Superkart 1 2 3 4 5

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Peter Elkmann Adam.Kout Yannick De Brabander Andreas Jost Marcel Maasmann

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116 pts 105 pts 82 pts 75 pts 58 pts

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TUTO SUPER ONE SERIES, LAST ROUND, PFI

KEY POINTS ORGANISER

Super One Series

DATE 28th to 30th september 2018

LOCATION

PF International, Brandon, United Kingdom – 1382 m

ENTRIES 177 drivers - 10 categories

FALL CONCLUSION AT PFI

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo Kartpix - Chris Walker

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MSA BRITISH CADET KART CHAMPIONSHIP

axwell Dodds took pole just 2 thousandths ahead of William MacIntyre with Freddie Slater 0.05s behind in 3rd. Dodds retired in one heat while Slater was disqualified for driving issues but keeps his 2nd position pending an appeal decision. MacIntyre therefore took the upper hand in the Intermediate Classification with two wins, ahead of Slater and Vinnie Phillips. Dodds gained 12 places to win Final 1. The battle raged between Dodds, Arvid Lindblad, Maximus Hall and Brandon Carr. Dodds took the lead three laps from the end and Slaterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s penalty promoted Carr to 2nd while Harley Keeble slipped through to a podium position. Determined to win the final round, Slater made up an amazing 26 places to win Final 2 in a race which had five different leaders over the 12 laps. Dodds led the first five laps before Keeble, MacIntyre and Phillips led the large lead pack while Slater was making his way through after gaining 13 places at the start. He hit the front with two laps to go to win ahead of MacIntyre and Phillips. Lindblad drove a relatively quiet meeting to ensure this year's British Championship win by just five points ahead of MacIntyre with Dodds finishing 3rd.

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MSA X30 JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

uke Whitehead took pole in X30 Junior followed by Reggie Duhy, and Clayton Ravenscroft. Duhy went ahead after the heats with a 1st and 2nd ahead of Ravenscroft while Alex Lloyd moved up to 3rd. Poleman Duhy won the first Final but he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have it all his own way with Lloyd taking the early lead and Ravenscroft and Gilbert also having a turn at the controls. Duhy retook the lead with for laps to go, with Lewis Thompson gaining a couple of spaces to 2nd on the same lap and Dimitrov moving into 3rd a lap later. In Final 2 Duhy was quickly deposed by eventual winner Dimitrov, but Dimitrov still had to contend with Duhy and Thompson before he made his lead stick halfway through. Caden McQueen came through to 2nd while Duhy and Thompson both dropped back with Duhy later disqualified. Dimitrov finished 1.32s ahead of McQueen and Gilbert. Ravenscroft is the new Champion by 30 points from Gilbert with Dragan Pinsent 3rd.

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MSA X30 SENIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

homas Turner finished at the top of a tight Qualifying session ahead of Oliver Hodgson and Levi King. Lewis Malin headed the hierarchy after heats though with 1st and 2nd to start Final 1 ahead of Turner and Derek Morgan while Elliot Harvey, back from injury, made up eight places to 4th. In Final 1 Malin and Turney battled throughout the race before Hodgson in 3rd took his opportunity to take the lead on the last lap, leaving Malin 2nd and Turney 3rd. Hodgson had started 8th on the grid and once 3rd reeled in the leaders as they fought. Morgan Porter won Final 2 following a lively race with eight lead changes, the battle for control also including Hodgson, Harvey, Turney and King. Porter took the lead on the last lap to win ahead of Hodgson, who was later disqualified for technical non-compliance which promoted Morgan to 2nd and Jenson Brown to 3rd. Turney has built up a massive 40 point lead over Porter to become the 2018 Champion, in addition to his vice-Championship in the ABkC Senior Rotax class.

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MSA JUNIOR TKM NATIONAL CHAMP.

eggie Duhy returned to the class for the final round of the year and qualified on pole ahead of Scott Smith and Zak Oates a further . However, the hierarchy was disrupted in the heats with several bumper and driving penalties. Archie Strong lined up on pole for Final 1 next to Abbi Pulling with Spencer Stevenson and Smith on the second row. In Final 1 Stevenson took the lead for the last two laps to cross the line a hair’s breadth ahead of Pulling. Strong led from pole with Stevenson on his tail before Oates swooped in to pass them both. Next to come out on top of the lead battle was Pulling, but she couldn’t get away and fell victim to Stevenson. Dan McKeown gained a magnificent 18 places during the race to finish 3rd. Duhy made one of the weekend’s exceptional comebacks in Final 2 when he came through from 25th to 1st after a brake problem in Final 1. Stevenson was the early leader but Oates, Pulling and Ben Watson passed him. Oates retired from the lead on the penultimate lap and by then Duhy was waiting for his chance to win, which he took followed by Louis Harvey, with Pulling crossing the line 3rd.

Abbi Pulling has won a historic second Super One Championship in a row, the first double for a female driver. Butterworth is 2nd in the points after dropping the scores from this meeting and Stevenson 3rd.

MSA TKM EXTREME NATIONAL CHAMP.

yan Cole was the fastest ahead of Kyle Sproat and Chris Whitton. Adam Sparrow moved to the top of the Intermediate classification with two wins, the other win going to Sproat who had problems in Heat 1 and was down in 14th. Cole took two 2nd places in the heats but a driving penalty dropped him down to 17th on the Final 1 grid. Final 1 was an epic battle between Owain Rosser, Sparrow and Joe Fowler with Sparrow taking the win by 0.16s ahead of Rosser. Whitton and Louis Beaven joining in too towards the end. Final 2 saw Sparrow win by a quarter second ahead of Rosser after a typically animated battle between Rosser, Sproat and Bingham. Towards the end Rosser seemed settled in the lead but Sparrow swooped in on the last lap to win ahead of Rosser and Bingham. Fowler is the new Champion, just four points ahead of Whitton with Sparrow 3rd.

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THE STORY STA

FOR VARENNES AND KZ2

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ARTS AGAIN

FRENCH KZ2 CHAMP. VARENNES/ALLIER

KEY POINTS ORGANISER

FFSA

DATE 5th - 7th October 2018

LOCATION

Jean Brun International Circuit, Varennes sur Allier, France - 1500 m

ENTRIES 140 drivers – 3 categories • Thrilling races • Frequent crashes • Confirmed enjoyment of Varennes • Quality field • Warm weather on Friday and Saturday

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KZ2

VALENTE

WINS THE TITLE

efending Champion Pierre Loubère (Praga / Parilla) took pole position, but Hubert Petit (Sodi / TM) dominated the heats against Paul David (BirelART / TM) and Gillian Lay (DR / TM). However Enzo Valente (BirelART / TM) took the lead in a hectic Final 1, ahead of Lay and Petit. Valente confirmed in Final 2, while Paolo Besancenez (Sodi / TM) returned to 2nd position. Adrien Renaudin (Sodi / TM) won Final 3 after many problems early in the meeting. Besancenez finished 2nd and Valente’s 3rd confirmed the Championship.

Ranking of the French KZ2 Championship 1 2 3 4 5 6

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Enzo Valente Paolo Besancenez Adrien Renaudin Hubert Petit Gillian Lay Kevin Breysse

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275 pts 240 pts 216 pts 194 pts 181 pts 181 pts

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KZ2 MASTER

NUVOLINI, UNBEATABLE

ean-Pierre Girardet (Sodi / TM) finished Qualifying ahead of Yoann Sanchez (Sodi / TM) and Stephen Nuvolini (DR / Modena). Nuvolini was ahead of Girardet and Charles Fiault (Sodi / TM) in the heats. Ă&#x2030;milien Grosso (Birel ART / TM) and Laurent Marchandise (CRG / TM) then dominated Final 1 with Christophe Benoit (Rosso Korsa / Vortex). Nuvolini took the lead in the second Final despite Sanchez's return, while Benoit clung to Fiault. Sanchez lost the win in Final 3 because of an unhooked spoiler. Declared the winner, Nuvolini did not need it to be crowned. Girardet finished 2nd ahead of Vincent Fontenille (CRG / TM).

Ranking of the French Championship KZ2 Master 1 2 3 4 5

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Stephen Nuvolini Jean-Pierre Giradet Vincent Fontenille Yoann Sanchez Arnaud Roseo

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300 pts 229 pts 215 pts 211 pts 186 pts

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KZ2 GENTLEMAN

DUCROT, CHAMPION F

ranck Lassalas (Sodi / TM) was fastest in Qualifying, but Emmanuel Ducrot (Sodi / TM) took the lead in the heats against BenoĂŽt Portmann (Birel ART / TM), while Brice Pianet (RK / TM) stayed in 3rd place in front of Lassalas. Pianet narrowly won in Final 1 against Erik Preuvost (Sodi / TM) who was penalised. Ducrot finished 6th, but restored the situation by winning Final 2 despite the pressing threat from Portmann. The third Final was decisive for the conquest of the title. Portmann took the lead, but Ducrot responded to him quickly. The duel resumed with the finish in view. Ducrot confirmed his title with a nice victory against Portmann, with Pianet having had to give up with mechanical troubles.

Ranking of the French KZ2 Master Championship 1 2 3 4 5

Emmanuel Ducrot BenoĂŽt Portmann Franck Lassalas Brice Pianet Franck Favret

263 pts 257 pts 222 pts 214 pts 195 pts

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ENZO VALENTE,

FRENCH KZ2 CHAMPION AT 17! Enzo Valente has just won his first French Championship title, in KZ2, after three outstanding Finals on the Varennes-sur-Allier circuit. This remarkable result rewards a talented young driver who had already been much talked about since his debut.

e remember that Enzo started by winning the French Minikart Cup in 2010 before progressing at the national level in Minime and Cadet. He came back to the limelight in 2016 with a 4th place in the French National Championship. But it was espe-

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cially his performance at the Rotax Grand Final in Sarno that caught the eye. After 69th in Qualifying in Max Junior, Enzo made a great comeback to mount the third step of the Final podium.

Mich," said Enzo. "He shared his great experience in this difficult category with me by giving me very useful advice. In addition, the Birel ART / TM is very powerful and the atmosphere in the MGT awning is excellent."

Little tempted by Rotax Max, he turned straight to the power of KZ2 the following year. Thanks to the advice of Thomas Mich, it didn’t take him long to master 125 gearbox and won in his first season of NSK. This allowed him to participate in the 2018 Winter Cup on a Sodi chassis. The experience was interesting, before the season started at the wheel of his usual Birel ART / TM equipped with an engine from Cédric Sport.

Enzo confirmed his potential at the French Cup at Anneville by climbing on the third step of the podium at the end of a strong race at the forefront. The goal of the season was the French Championship, in early October on the circuit of Varennes-sur-Allier, a must for 125 gearbox. The standard of the 2018 edition was extremely high with many talented drivers with international experience.

"I could not have progressed so fast in KZ2 without the support from Thomas

Yet Timed Practice brought slight disappointment with a 17th time that

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did not meet his expectations. Enzo pushed to move up in the heats while avoiding taking too much risk. Back in the top 10, he regained confidence without delusions about the Championship. At the start of the first Final, he was aiming to finish in the top five. "I made a very good start and I immediately realised that my kart was strong. I was able to attack with a margin of safety. I found myself 4th on lap three, then the fight started again. At the end of the race, I felt that I could exceed my goal, so I gave it everything. I was able to take the lead three laps from the finish and win Final 1. It was a nice surprise that made me want to believe in it." Once again when the lights went out for Final 2, Enzo managed the race according to his rivals. He took the lead in his duel with Paolo Besancenez for another victory. Slightly less fast at the restart of Final 3, he drove a strategic race, carefully avoiding making the slightest mistake. He was 5th before the halfway mark and came back to 3rd position to secure his first French Championship title with a comfortable lead. To conclude, Enzo did not forget to salute his partners: "I thank MGT Distribution, Birel ART and CĂŠdric Sport for their fruitful collaboration during the French KZ2 Championship". Currently a high school student in Terminale S, Enzo savoured his success by seriously preparing for his baccalaureate before thinking about his sporting programme for 2019.

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COLLET CROWNED EARLY

FRENCH F4 CHAMP. 6/7, JEREZ

KEY POINTS ORGANISER

FFSA Academy

DATE 5th - 7th October 2018

LOCATION

Circuito de Jerez Angel Nieto, Spain - 4428 m • FFSA Academy Championship • New F4 Mygale to FIA standards • Three races during the weekend • Two wins and the title for Collet • Double for the Muth brothers • Revelation of Ghiretti

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Caio Collet was once again the fastest in Qualifying and assured pole position for Races 1 and 3. Adam Eteki and newcomer Alessandro Ghiretti followed him in the top three.

ollet clearly dominated Race 1 after having distanced his rivals. Eteki lost his 2nd place in a drive-through for exceeding the track limits. Arthur Leclerc was thrilled to be on the second step of the podium, while Ghiretti earned an unbelievable 3rd place finish in his first race. ThĂŠo Pourchaire was the best Junior against Reshad De Gerus. O'Neill Muth won Race 2 after the reverse grid despite the urgent return of his brother Esteban in the final laps. Pierre-Louis Chovet resisted the threat from the pack to finish 3rd ahead of Ugo De Wilde and Ulysse De Pauw.

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Collet won brilliantly again in Race 3 which assured him of being crowned French F4 Champion before the last event. The fight was intense behind him and it was finally Ghiretti who was confirmed in 2nd position in front of Esteban Muth. Chovet and De Pauw were in the top five.

Provisional classification of the French F4 Championship after Jerez 1 2 3 4 5

Caio Collet (BRA) Ulysse De Pauw (BEL) Arthur Leclerc (MON) Ugo De Wilde (BEL) Adam Eteki (FRA)

270,5 pts 196 pts 194 pts 181 pts 167 pts

JUNIOR 1 2 3 4

ThĂŠo Pourchaire (FRA) Reshad De Gerus (FRA) Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill Muth (DEU) Shihab Al Habsi (OMN)

346,5 pts 248 pts 243 pts 205,5 pts

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THÉO POURCHAIRE CROWNED FRENCH F4 JUNIOR CHAMPION OF 2018

Théo Pourchaire continues to climb the motorsport ladder with talent, success and hard work, as he has since his debut in karting. Already crowned French Champion in Minime, Cadet and Junior in this discipline, in addition to having finished on the podium of the World Championship, the driver from Grasse has won a fourth French

Championship at only 15 years of age, but this time in F4 single-seaters.

t the Jerez circuit on October 5th to 7th, Théo Pourchaire has again progressed among the best FFSA Academy drivers racing in the FIA F4 Championship, where he hasn’t had his last word in the race for the overall podium. In the meantime, he took advantage of his trip to the south of Spain to secure the French F4 Junior Championship, even before the last race of the year on the Paul Ricard circuit.

FLAWLESS DOMINATION In total, Théo Pourchaire has won 15 out of 18 races in Junior on prestigious circuits such as Nogaro, Pau-Ville, Spa Francorchamps, Dijon, Magny-Cours and Jerez. In addition to this fantastic collection of trophies, Theo can also be proud of his performances in the general classification, where he is the youngest driver racing regularly in the top four to five. But Theo is a perfectionist. At Jerez, the young French hopeful had hoped for a higher level of performance.

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"In the Qualifying session, I was clearly aiming for a spot on the front row," he admitted. "Unfortunately, by just a tenth, I dropped from 2nd to 4th place on the grid of Race 1, while I had to settle for 7th place for Race 3. I made some small mistakes that have been significant." On Saturday afternoon under the hot Spanish sun, ThĂŠo Pourchaire was to maintain his place in 4th position on the finish line of Race 1.

PAUL RICARD TO FINISH ... The next day in Race 2, he started in 7th place, according to the inverted grid principle for the top 10 of the previous race. "I lost a place, which I did not manage to regain later. It was pretty frustrating not being competitive enough and not being able to get away from the rivals that I have often led this season." In Race 3, a technical problem with the anti-roll bar forced him to drop to 10th position. "Fortunately, the victory in Junior in Race 1 and the French Junior F4 Championship won at the end of the race gave me a lift. My goal now is to finish 2018 in style during the last round of the French F4 Championship at the Paul Ricard circuit on October 12th to 14th."

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DE WILDE FINISHES AS A STUNNING VICE-CHAMPION

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FRENCH F4 CHAMP. 7/7, PAUL RICARD

KEY POINTS ORGANISER

FFSA Academy

DATE 12th - 14th October 2018

LOCATION

Paul Ricard Circuit, Le Castellet, France - 3800 m • Conclusion of the FFSA Academy Championship • New F4 Mygale to FIA standards • Three races during the weekend • Nine different winners during the season • Pole position and two wins for De Wilde First victory for Chovet • Gillian Henrion and Evan Spenle debut

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Caio Collet was already assured of his French F4 Championship, so the Brazilian did not overdo it during the last event. Ugo De Wilde took pole position and at the start of Race 1, he retained his lead over Theo Pourchaire and Adam Eteki. An excellent 6th on the starting grid for his debut in F4, Gillian Henrion lost valuable places, as did Theo Nouet. Pourchaire was surprised by Eteki, but recovered 2nd place on the last lap. Collet moved up from 7th to 4th position ahead of Alessandro Ghiretti, who was penalised afterwards.

ierre-Louis Chovet was on pole for Race 2 thanks to the reverse grid and withstood the pressure from Nouet to take his first win of the season. Eteki managed a nice overtake on Collet to take 3rd place while Reshad De Gerus finished in 5th place.

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Like the first race, De Wilde won in Race 3 after a superb solo race in the lead that allowed him to return to 2nd place in the Championship. Behind the leader, the battle was particularly intense between ThĂŠo Pourchaire and Adam Eteki, as well as between Caio Collet, Ulysse De Pauw and ThĂŠo Nouet. Eteki snatched 2nd place from Pourchaire and Nouet finished 4th in front of De Pauw.

Final classification of the French F4 Championship 1 2 3 4 5

Caio Collet Ugo De Wilde Ulysse De Pauw Adam Eteki Arthur Leclerc

303,5 pts 237 pts 224 pts 213 pts 199 pts

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EVAN SPENLE

SUCCESSFUL INTRODUCTION TO F4 Moving from karting to cars is an uncertain exercise, especially without completing multiple testing sessions. Evan Spenlé did well in his single-seater debut on the 13th and 14th of October at the last round of the French F4 Championship of 2018 at the Paul Ricard circuit.

t was great!", confided the French Junior Vice-Champion. "I immediately felt comfortable driving the FFSA Academy F4 and it was a real pleasure to finally compete in a single-seater race. At the start, when the lights went out for the first time, I could not help thinking about F1!" Beyond the satisfaction of driving an F4, Evan can also be proud of its

constant progress over the weekend. While he had only one day of testing on the Bugatti circuit at Le Mans, Evan progressed significantly in each of his sessions. Not knowing the layout of Le Castellet, he first followed at 2'' from the fastest in Qualifying and in the first race. On Sunday morning, in Race 2, he gained several tenths on the clock and went up to 13th position, passing several times. He confirmed in Race 3 by getting even closer to the fastest times and finished his first round in 15th place. "Having done so little before the competition, I did not expect to improve my time this much or to be able to attack drivers who have done the whole season. I am well aware that the room for improvement is significant, but I am delighted to have already achieved this first step. Now I need to prepare well for the 2019 season

to approach the 2019 French F4 Championship in the best circumstances." The supervision of the FFSA Academy played a big role in the success of this first experience. Accustomed to the operation of the federal training structure in karting during the French Junior Championship, Evan was not disoriented when he arrived in F4. He was able to count on the advice of Malo Olivier who showed him how to approach the technical sections of Paul Ricard and how to approach the limits of the car. "After meeting him several times in karting, I knew that Evan had the basic qualities of a good single-seater driver," said Malo Olivier. "He is methodical and attentive and knows how to benefit from the lessons we give him. As he is also very motivated, he does everything he can to learn and progress quickly. I think he'll be a good rookie next season!"

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THÉO POURCHAIRE A SUCCESSFUL FIRST SINGLE-SEATER SEASON

Théo Pourchaire took on a major challenge in 2018 by choosing to start single-seaters in the year of his 15th birthday, after brilliant achievements in karting. He was one of the youngest drivers in the elevated field of the French F4 Championship. In the end, the balance sheet remains extremely positive, as Theo climbed on the 3rd step of the podium in the general classification and

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was titled French F4 Junior Championship. At the last event at Paul Ricard, he finished his season with two more top threes, won with speed and fighting spirit.

A SUCCESSFUL QUALIFIER DESPITE INJURY The French F4 Championship finished on the Paul Ricard circuit at Le Castellet in PACA, in Théo’s home region. "I was really motivated to finish the season in style on this track. I already had the title of French F4 Junior Champion in

my pocket, so the goal was to secure my place on the final podium of the general classification against drivers all older than me." In Free Practice, Theo was unfortunately the victim of an incident with another driver. He got away with a thumb sprain, which was to force the driver from Grasse to grit his teeth during the weekend. "However, the performance was really good," said Theo. "In the Qualifying session, I was very fast. Without a small mistake in one area, I think pole position was possible. In the end, I qualified 3rd for Race 1 and 2nd for Race 3, which was a good omen."

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A POSITIVE BALANCE SHEET Paul Ricard, the duels were incessant and Theo had the opportunity to demonstrate his determination. "In Race 1, I found myself in a position to take the lead, but he made no mistakes that would allow my passing attempt to succeed. Then the driver behind me overtook and the leader took the opportunity to take a step ahead." Stung, ThĂŠo Pourchaire managed a final overtake on the outside of the chicane to recover a superb 2nd place, well received on the podium. After Race 2 was made difficult because of the reverse grid for the top 10 of the first race, Theo again played a leading role in Race 3, which marked the ultimate clash between

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the drivers of the 2018 vintage of F4. Ignoring his painful thumb, Pourchaire was still one of the great leaders of the race, but also one of the fastest! His 3rd place on the track was also his final ranking in the FFSA Academy. "At the end of this 2018 season, I had the opportunity to finish 3rd overall in the FFSA Academy French F4 Championship, with eight podiums including a victory. Meanwhile, I won the Junior F4 Championship with 16 successes in 21 races! I think it's very positive when we come to make a decision for 2019. Whatever my choice, the goal will be the same: to win!"

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GILLIAN HENRION

A REMARKABLE ENTRY IN F4 A French driver noticed in national karting in Minime and Cadet, and international OK-Junior, Gillian Henrion has just taken his first steps in cars for the last round of the French F4 Championship on the Paul Ricard circuit. And the least we can say is that it went well!

t the circuits as an attentive observer of the 2018 season of French F4, Gillian participated in parallel with a few days of testing with the FFSA Academy. He arrived at Le Castellet

with no experience of car racing against the regulars in FFSA F4 fighting for places of honour. "These were not the easiest circumstances to start in!” Gillian confided. "All my rivals were in top form for their seventh meeting of the season. They all wanted to score more points in the standings or get noticed for next season." In this context, Gillian has nevertheless managed a more than honourable meeting. With the 8th fastest time in Free Practice he quickly got into the swing of the competition by adapting to his car and the Paul Ricard track to increase his speed. From the Qualifying sessions, Gil-

lian made a big impression by posting the 6th fastest time of the 19 participants in front of the new champion and only a few tenths from pole position. Gillian made his mark in Race 1, the very first of his career in cars, and discovered the subtleties of fights in the pack. In Race 2, he missed his start and was 16th on the first lap. With his pride stung, Gillian went on the attack and managed several passes to go back to 12th place. During the third race he best showed his potential. Already more confident, and with his experience of the first two races, Gillian proved more incisive to regain ground. He was running at a very good

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pace and finished with a very encouraging 9th place. "A top 10 for my first competition in F4 is satisfying. I quickly adapted to driving a car and I was able to use many new parameters during this meeting. Learning about the racing was very pleasant! I am only at the beginning of my apprenticeship in cars and I must add to my experience. But this good result gave me confidence in preparing for the 2019 French F4 Championship. I thank all my partners, because without them this magnificent opportunity could not have been taken". Peintures Maestria, Toul DĂŠcoration, Sas GTE, Isoplaquiste, Axa Toul, Alucolor, Qualiface, K Brewery, Flock Est, Vaiani CARSmobiles, BR CARS, Nord Est Pneus ...

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FINAL RACE TO SARGEANT, TITLE FOR 153

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The winner of the first race of the season, Logan Sargeant (R-ace GP) finished the year as he had begun. The American won in front of three drivers from the Renault Sport Academy, Christian Lundgaard (MP Motorsport) - crowned yesterday in the rookies -, Victor Martins (R-ace GP) and Max Fewtrell (R-ace GP). Thanks to his 4th place, Max Fewtrell succeeds Sacha Fenestraz in the list of Formula Renault Eurocup Champions!

RECORD POLE FOR VICTOR MARTINS Under bright sunshine, Qualifying turned to the advantage of Victor Martins. Although Logan Sargeant dominated the first group with 1'42''094, the Frenchman was even faster with a time of 1'41''864 against Max Fewtrell and Christian Lundgaard, both in the running for the title. After setting a new lap record for the category in Barcelona, â&#x20AC;&#x2039;â&#x20AC;&#x2039;Victor Martins lined up on pole position ahead of Logan Sargeant, Max Fewtrell, Lorenzo Colombo (JD Motorsport) and Christian Lundgaard. Thomas Maxwell (JD Motorsport) completed the third row, followed by Eliseo Martinez (AVF by Adrian Valles), Neil Verhagen (Tech 1 Racing), Charles Milesi (R-ace GP) and Yifei Ye (Josef Kaufmann Racing).

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SARGEANT CONTROLS THE RACE When the lights went out, Logan Sargeant made the best start to take control of Victor Martins and Max Fewtrell. Behind the leading trio, Christian Lundgaard was in 4th place ahead of Thomas Maxwell and Lorenzo Colombo. As he needed to win to hope to win the crown, Christian Lundgaard quickly went on the offensive. The Dane first passed Max Fewtrell, who did not offer much resistance, before tackling Victor Martins. Further back, the pack was led by Yifei Ye, who passed Charles Milesi and Eliseo Martinez. On lap 15, Christian Lundgaard found the opening on Victor Martins before going after Logan Sargeant in the last five minutes. The American, however, left him little hope by immediately posting the fastest lap in the race. Logan Sargeant finally won by three seconds ahead of Christian Lundgaard and Victor Martins. In 4th, Max Fewtrell sealed the title ahead of Thomas Maxwell and Lorenzo Colombo. Neil Verhagen, Yifei Ye, Eliseo Martinez and Charles Milesi completed the top ten for the last race of this generation of Formula Renault. Formula Renault Eurocup is now preparing to open a new chapter in its history with the introduction of new Renault formulae. The first session of collective tests will take place on 5th March 2019 on the Circuit de Nevers at Magny-Cours.

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THEY SAID Logan Sargeant (R-ace GP): "It's always good to finish with a win. We started and finished the season on the top step of the podium, but it is not the case in the overall standings! Today, however, we have demonstrated what we are capable of with the fastest time in my Qualifying group, a perfect start and start to finish race. As I had nothing to lose, I was extremely relaxed to manage my lead and my pace and it enabled me to win."

Christian Lundgaard (MP Motorsport): "This morning, we did not have the pace needed in the third sector to fight for pole. In the race, I had to do my best and everything else depended on Max. Unfortunately, it was not enough, but I'm proud of my season, the incredible work the team did, and the progress I made over the year. This 2nd place is a great success for all of us!"

Victor Martins (R-ace GP): "I tried to stay behind Logan after my bad start, but I was struggling with the balance of the car. I made too many mistakes and Christian knew how to exploit them to overtake me. I am a little disappointed to end the season this way. I'm convinced that I had the pace to fight for victory and I wanted to finish better than 3rd place."

Max Fewtrell (R-ace GP): "I have no words... What a season! We had started the year well before dropping to 5th place overall after Monaco. We stayed calm, did not panic and continued to work tirelessly to regain control. I think we have shown everyone what we are capable of and I want to congratulate Christian, a formidable opponent who pushed me into every corner."

Provisional general classification * 1 2 3 4 5

Max Fewtrell (R-ace GP) Christian Lundgaard (MP Motorsport) Yifei Ye (Josef Kaufmann Racing) Logan Sargeant (R-ace GP) Victor Martins (R-ace GP)

275,5 pts 258 pts 239 pts 218 pts 186 pts

* subject to confirmation of the results after scrutineering and sporting checks.

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A NEW ERA FOR THE FORMULA RENAULT EUROCUP! 159

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Launched in 1971, the Formula Renault, which has trained more than two out of three F1 drivers, is about to open a new chapter in its rich and long history. With its strengths developed over the decades, the category will use a car meeting the F3R regulations in the 2019 season.

A NEW CAR

o achieve such results, Formula Renault has always evolved with the times to adapt to the needs of the most promising drivers of their generation and become a must after karting or national championships. In 2019, Renault Sport Racing and Tatuus will continue their historic relationship with the arrival of the Tatuus F.3 T-318 chassis, equipped with 1.8L turbo engines derived from the blocks of the new Mégane RS, capable of delivering power between 270 and 300hp. In parallel, Michelin will continue to be the single tyre manufacturer. Safety, the main concern of Renault Sport Racing, will be reinforced with the introduction of this car that meets the latest standards in the field, as evidenced by the presence of the halo and intrusion panels. Safer, more powerful and more modern, this car will allow the Formula Renault Eurocup to contribute to the motor sport pyramid set up by the FIA by preparing its competitors for the higher categories.

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THE SAME PHILOSOPHY

s the only single-seater class with the support of a builder involved in F1, the Formula Renault Eurocup will continue to build on this relationship to offer the best tools for detecting and training the elites of tomorrow. True to its reputation, Renault Sport Racing will ensure that it remains the benchmark for technical and sporting fairness while drastically controlling costs. The regulations will be in line with those already in force. The format of two 50-minute collective practice sessions, two 30-minute Qualifiers and two 30-minute plus one lap events will be repeated. In parallel, 12 days of collective tests will be organised. Thanks to a proven schedule, the Formula Renault Eurocup will place the emphasis on training, with the first nine confirmed circuits for the 2019 season also being used by F1: Barcelona, Paul Ricard Circuit, Hungaroring, Monza, Nürburgring, Red Bull Ring, Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps and, subject to confirmation, Monaco, as curtain raiser of the Formula 1 Grand Prix. Another track will be added soon to reach a total of ten meetings throughout the season. Finally, as is the case since 2017, the winner of the Championship will be able to join the Renault Sport Academy, in addition to financial support and access to many tools at Enstone and ViryChâtillon as part of their development.

AN ALREADY COVETED GRID

s a guarantee of the competitors' confidence in Renault Sport Racing's system, all the teams already involved have expressed their intention to be on the grid next year, while several other teams have expressed their interest in the Championship. In total, a field of some 30 cars is expected on the starting grid of the first race of the 2019 season, the 49th in the history of Formula Renault.

Benoît Nogier, Renault Racing Racing's Commercial Racing Racing Customer Director: "Since 1971, Formula Renault has always established itself as one of the world's leading promotional vehicles. With our vast experience and the introduction of this new efficient and accessible singleseater, the most ambitious and talented drivers of their generation will be able to continue their learning in a relevant and recognised category. The Formula Renault Eurocup has the foundations, the knowledge and the assets necessary to carry out this transition. We are already looking forward to seeing what the future holds! "

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Varennes

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WSK FINAL CUP LONATO

OK Final

R VIDEO WSK FINAL CUP LONATO

OK-Junior Final

IAME INTERNATIONAL FINAL

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