#51 SUMMARY 004 EDITORIAL 005 NEWS
New high-speed categories on the Carole circuit Rotax Certification Programme Gazeau starts strongly in Rotax Max Cadet vs 60 Mini- who is the fastest at Angerville? Craig Tanic on France Info TV First race of Formula 20,000 at Marcillat - Info
023 KSP GRAND 025 INTERVIEW
Suleiman Zanfari confirms his form in Finland
019 2019 CALENDAR
031
031 INTERNATIONAL
Angerville - FIA Karting European Championship Genk - Euro Trophy Max Challenge Angerville - WSK - Euro Series Wackersdorf - FIA Karting European Championship Wackersdorf - FIA Karting Academy Trophy Genk - FIA Karting European Championship
117
INTERNATIONAL ANGERVILLE - FIA KARTING EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
087 1
ITW Juho Valtanen
KARTCOM NEWS #51
INTERNATIONAL WACKERSDORF - FIA KARTING EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
INTERNA GENK - F CHAMPI
123 NATIONAL
Fรกtima - Portuguese Championship Salbris - National Series Karting Aigues-Vives - FFSA Karting French Cup Aigues-Vives - FFSA Karting French Championship Wackersdorf - Deutsche Kart Meisterschaft
185 CARS
Silverstone - Formula Renault Eurocup Nogaro - FFSA French F4 Championship
209 VIDEO
183 PRODUCTS
Ayrton Senna Hooded Jacket
FIA Karting European Championship Round 1 Angerville Kay Oberheide CIK Executive Secretary FIA Karting European Championship Round 1 Wackersdorf Junior Karting - third event of 2019 at Aigues-Vives
Ayrton Senna cap
169
ATIONAL FIA KARTING EUROPEAN IONSHIP
137
NATIONAL AIGUES-VIVES - FFSA KARTING CHAMPIONSHIP OF FRANCE
NATIONAL SALBRIS NATIONAL SERIES KARTING
2
WHEN THE HUMAN FACTOR TAKES BACK CENTRE STAGE 3
KARTCOM NEWS #51
The first two meetings of the FIA Karting European Championships - OK & Junior enabled a new look at the forces in international competition as the beginning of the season had revealed them in Italy. We are of course referring to the six WSK Promotion races, the Winter Cup and, to a lesser extent, the Andrea Margutti Trophy.
n Angerville, then in Genk, the fore-
I
All this sounded like a reminder that no-
meeting had done everything possible to
casts were partly overturned for the
thing is decided in advance and that des-
ensure that the President's visit went off
greater good of the sport. The French
pite the constant support of the biggest
without a hitch, in a very tight schedule.
circuit, outside of the international stan-
teams behind their customers and the in-
What a pleasure to see a Jean Todt re-
dardized tracks for several seasons, posed
tensive testing filling their calendar, there
laxed, smiling, approachable and especial-
problems for drivers accustomed to the
is still room for drivers with a less busy
ly very interested, exploring the paddock
Italian surfaces of Lonato, Adria and Sarno.
schedule to shine. This is shown by Paolo
with great curiosity. He extended his stay
The Finns Juho Valtanen and Tuukka Tapo-
Besancenez's superb 5th place at Wac-
in Genk to watch the racing with Felipe
nen appeared at the top of the standings,
kersdorf, a private driver now devoting
Massa for a long time, and then gave the
while top drivers like James Wharton and
much more reasonable means to the com-
media a extra time, but not before he fi-
Hannes Janker were not at the party in
petition.
nished watching the live streaming of the
France. On the Belgian circuit of Genk, the
EDITORIAL
KARTCOM NEWS #51 race.
rainy and unstable Qualifying and the last
So there still a place for the human factor
OK heats on Saturday sowed the seeds for
to gain results in karting? This is good news
It's not much, but it's always good to see a
disruption in the hierarchy. Ben Dörr and
that we remember in a very timely way.
man take control of his multiple burdens
Morgan Porter were not used to being in
to satisfy his passion for racing in all its
the top five in OK, nor was Enzo Scionti
In a completely different register, the ar-
in Junior. Conversely Jamie Day and Ugo
rival of Jean Todt, the President of the
Ugochukwu missing their final qualifica-
FIA, at the European race at Genk created
tion, or Kas Haverkort and Taylor Barnard
some pleasant surprises. We can imagine
not participating in the OK Final is unusual.
that karting is not the main concern of the
forms.
THE HUMAN FACTOR ...
FIA. The officials and the organisers of the
+ KARTCOM NEWS #51
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4
NEWS
5
Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès
NEW HIGH-SPEED CATEGORIES ON THE CAROLE CIRCUIT
KARTCOM NEWS #51
The return of the Carole circuit to the FFSA Karting calendar is accompanied by a novelty of the most interesting. In addition to hosting the first of the three events of the French Long Circuit Championship for KZ2, KZ2 Master and KZ2 Gentleman, the event in the Paris region will also host the French Long Circuit Cup for Senior, Master and Gentleman, on 1st and 2nd June 2019 in Seine Saint-Denis.
B
y adding three additional titles, the FFSA wanted to expand the IAME X30 Senior, Master and Gentleman categories by inviting them to discover the higher speeds on a safe track used by motorcycles. After several years of absence, the return of kart racing to Carole with the support of ASK Rosny 93 provided the ideal opportunity to launch this project. The 2055 m of the Ile-de-France layout with eight corner and wide clearances will allow new competitors to safely access another dimension of karting, without changing equipment. Preliminary tests conducted by IAME France have validated the adaptation of X30 engines to this new configuration. Accustomed to tighter turns, the participants in the French Long Circuit Cup will discover the mesmerizing effects of slipstreaming and the strategy that follows. Overtaking continues at a frantic pace at each turn and the winner rarely starts the last lap in the lead. A real treat for the spectators too.
It is worth remembering that the track has hosted major CIK-FIA international competitions such as European Championships between 1997 and 2003, a World Championship in 1999 and a World Cup in 2003. It is legendary! The meeting will also be the first of the three rounds of the French Long Circuit Championship which will continue at Pau Arnos (64) on 1st September before finishing at Lédenon (30) on 3rd November for the KZ2, KZ2 Master and KZ2 Gentleman categories. Carole is located in Tremblay-enFrance, 20 km north of Paris next to Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport in the industrial area of Paris Nord 2. The first French Long Circuit Cup for Senior, Master and Gentleman will take place on 1st and 2nd June, 2019. A FFSA - IAME France prize will reward the winners. Registration is open at www. ffsakarting.org.
FFSAKARTING.ORG
+
6
NEWS
Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès
ROTAX CERTIFICATION PROGRAM BRP-Rotax is proud to announce the all-new Rotax Certification Program scheduled to be launched in May 2019. The main objective of this program is to further develop the high standards of the Authorised Rotax Karting Service Network worldwide to ensure an excellent level of service quality to its many customers.
THE ROTAX CERTIFICATION PROGRAM CONSISTS OF THREE MAIN COURSES:
T
Being a former service centre for various brands and carrying more than 28 years of experience as sealing agent with him, Steve Ogden will be the first offi- cial Rotax Training Centre supporting the Rotax Certification Program. The Rotax Certification Program will be held at his Rotax Training Centre in Boroughbridge, UK.
- Advanced Maintenance Course limited specifically to the Rotax service network (5 days) - Basic Maintenance Course OTS module (outside the seal) - open to all Rotax customers (3 days) - Basic Maintenance Course ITS module (inside the seal) - open to all Rotax customers (2 days)
"I am proud to be a partner of BRP-Rotax in helping them to achieve our mutual goal of establishing a well-trained Rotax service network around the world for the increasingly popular Rotax 125 MAX en- gine," said Steve Ogden. "Rotax has improved their quality control and the product is now far more su- perior than it has ever been, so the time is right to further educate the Rotax service network to assem- ble and maintain the engines to the same high standard."
The Basic OTS and ITS courses will run concurrently, adding up to a one-week course. Every course is limited to a maximum of five participants.
he program offers the unique opportunity to perfect the necessary skills and techniques - from entry level to karting professionals - through person- alised educational training in a workshop environment. "We are convinced that with this program we will raise the Rotax kart service network to the next level thus exceeding the expectation of our customers by providing the best service possible", said Peter Oelsinger, General Manager BRP-Rotax and Vice President Sales, Marketing RPS-Business & Communications. "We also provide the opportunity for interested customers to raise their knowledge and become an expert for Rotax engines." To successfully deliver this new initiative to its worldwide network, BRP-Rotax will work in cooperation with a very well-known engine expert in karting.
7
KARTCOM NEWS #51
Find out more about the Rotax Certification Program via
ROTAX.COM
+
8
NEWS
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KARTCOM NEWS #51
Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo DR
GAZEAU STARTS STRONGLY IN ROTAX MAX
After two great seasons in National and a title of French Vice-Champion in 2018, César Gazeau has this year moved up a category, in Rotax Max Senior, still loyal to Morgan Riche's Team RM Concept and FA Kart chassis. He has just made his international debut in Max on the Belgian circuit of Genk. On this occasion, RM Concept used the Daem's Racing awning and its engines.
C
aesar first warmed up at the Belgian Max Challenge in Genk with good speed that allowed him to move up to 2nd place at the finish. Serious things started at the Rotax MAX Challenge Euro Trophy Open which was also held on the 1360 m of the Belgian track, the "Home of Champions", as a prelude to the Rotax MAX Challenge Euro Trophy. Caesar started with a 10th fastest time among the 45 international participants, including the top seeds in the Max category. He was back in the top five of the heats before competing in two tough Finals. Demonstrating strong attacking
qualities, César finished 6th in Final 1 and was even more incisive in Final 2 in reaching 4th position, which allowed him to finish 4th in the general classification of the weekend. The very positive results of these first races suggest a very interesting season in Rotax Max. After the strong lessons of the beginning of the year, Caesar is already looking forward to Adria (ITA) where the next round of the Rotax MAX Challenge Euro Trophy will take place from 31st May to 2nd June.
10
NEWS
Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve
CADET VSWHO60IS FASTEST MINI AT ANGERVILLE?
The first outing of the 60 Mini outside of Italy took place last weekend in Angerville, during the WSK Euro Series. It was therefore the first time that we could compare the performance of this international category, open to drivers aged from 8 to 12, with the French equivalents.
T
he comparison was made with the times of the recent Ile-deFrance League Championship four weeks earlier at Angerville. The weather was undeniably cooler for the WSK, but we can also consider that the standard of driving was higher, without disrespecting the drivers in the Ile-deFrance region. It's all about getting an overall idea.
Minime FFSA 7-11 years old, IAME Gazelle 60cc engine, Vega Cadetti tyres Fastest time in practice: 1'01''014 Fastest lap in a race: 1'01''181 Cadet FFSA 10-14 years, Rotax Minimax engine, Bridgestone YDS tyres Fastest time in practice: 56''203 Fastest lap in a race: 56''599 60 Mini WSK 8-12 years, 60cc tuned engine, open brand, Vega SL 10 tyres
11
KARTCOM NEWS #51
Fastest time in practice: 56''088 Fastest lap in a race: 56''259
CONCLUSION? Despite the inevitable inaccuracy of this comparison, it seems clear that FFSA Cadet has a level of performance at least equal to that of the 60 Mini. An equivalent tyre would certainly give it the advantage. Does the Cadet prepare young talents for higher categories as well as the 60 Mini? The answer cannot be entirely positive ... In addition, the FFSA Minime is clearly behind, which is a good thing to encourage learning about racing for the youngest.
12
NEWS
Info Kartcom - FrĂŠdĂŠric Billet
CRAIG TANIC ON FRANCE INFO TV A nice bit of publicity for Craig Tanic with this full report on his career and his ambitions broadcast on a general channel, France TV.
"A
t 14, Craig Tanic is an exceptional French karting champion. In spite of the lack of infrastructure at home in Martinique (where he trains... in a car
13
KARTCOM NEWS #51
park!), The teenager succeeds in beating more in metropolitan drivers... It must be said that he has a reputation to uphold: his parents are former kart drivers, now officials, who give eve-
rything to allow Craig to pursue his passion. Today, in a new category: the young Martiniquais competes with adults on the circuits. Tomorrow, he could join the FFSA Academy, for the Formula 4 Championship. But as often, in motorsport, a good budget is essential... Report by Guillaume Papin, Julien Ababsa and Stephan Malin."
SAISON 2019
06-07 Avril : ANGERVILLE
OK
Championnat de France Féminin Championnat de France OK (1/2) Coupe de France OK-J (1/2)
Championnat de France Sénior / Master / Gentleman
20-21 Juillet : LE MANS
20-21 Avril : ANGERVILLE Championnat d’Europe CIK-FIA OK / OK-J (1/4)
OK
11-12 Mai : LAVELANET
Championnat d’Europe CIK-FIA OK / OK-J (4/4) Championnat de France Handikart
OK
27-28 Juillet : AUNAY LES BOIS
Coupe de France Sénior / Master / Gentleman
Championnat de France Minime Championnat de France Cadet
01-02 Juin : CAROLE
Championnat de France Long Circuit (1/3) KZ2 - KZ2 Master - KZ2 Gentleman Coupe de France Long Circuit Sénior / Master / Gentleman
31 Août-1er Septembre : PAU ARNOS Championnat de France Long Circuit (2/3) KZ2 - KZ2 Master - KZ2 Gentleman
08-09 Juin : BRIGNOLES
05-06 Octobre : SALBRIS
Coupe de France Minime Coupe de France Cadet Coupe de France Nationale
06-07 Juillet : LE MANS
13-14 Juillet : VALENCE
Championnat de France Nationale Championnat de France KZ2 - KZ2 Master - KZ2 Gentleman
OK
02-03 Novembre : LEDENON Championnat de France Long Circuit (3/3) KZ2 - KZ2 Master - KZ2 Gentleman Crédit photo & Création : Emmanuel Pander - Crédit photo : KSP.fr
Championnat de France OK (2/2) Coupe de France OK-J (2/2) Coupe de France KZ2 - KZ2 Master - KZ2 Gentleman
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14
NEWS
15
KARTCOM NEWS #51
Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet
FIRST FORMULA 20,000 RACE IN MARCILLAT: THE INFO The first of five 2019 Formula 20,000 Series competitions will take place on the last weekend of May in Marcillat. Remember that this new historical category is open to karts from 1986 to 2003, with bodywork, air-cooled engines, without a clutch and that comply with their original regulations. It will be a joint event with the French Cup for Histori'Kart (reliability test for karts with origins in the late 80s), which will include a total of five decades in the history of karting.
T
he event will take place on Sunday, 26th May, 2019 according to the sporting regulations of the FFSA club races, with possible testing on Saturday 25th. Three weeks from the event, Romane Didier's agency future racing commm will review the important points to remember to participate in the event, release the estimated schedule of the meeting, present the official FFSA poster and remind competitors of the deadline set at Friday, 10th May, 2019 (or seven days later with a 50% increase) which will be strictly respected for the smooth running of the event.
The meeting will be enthusiastic at the beautiful and hilly course of Marcillaten-Combraille, which has crowned several French Champions. Very well staged by the circuit manager GTR Performance, the site even offers on-site accommodation.
ACCOMMODATION
+
ASK Marcillat's leaders and volunteers are doing their utmost to make this event a success in the heart of Auvergne, near Montluçon and not far from the
central point of France! A buffet will be organised on the evening of Saturday, 25th May (subject to a sufficient number of registrations two weeks before the closing date). The French Motor Sport Federation supports Formula 20,000 and has had an official poster drawn up for the five meetings of the season. In addition, 18 companies closely related to karting wished to be among the supporters of the category. To this figure should be added the organising clubs and media partners who have agreed to publish the F20,000 news and results. Finally, the provisional schedule for Sunday competition and Saturday training has been released at
SCHEDULE
+
SEE YOU IN MARCILLAT ON 25TH AND 26TH MAY! 16
NEWS
17
Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo AZ
SULEIMAN ZANFARI CONFIRMS HIS FORM IN FINLAND
KARTCOM NEWS #51
On the heels of his excellent return to racing the previous week in Sweden, Suleiman Zanfari was very competitive in Finland on 11th and 12th May 2019 during the second round of the IAME Nordic Cup. At 63° North, more than 5000 km from his base, the young Moroccan faced 36 excellent X30 Junior drivers on the Alahärmä circuit which next September will host the FIA Karting World Championship - Junior. He confirmed his exceptional return to form by mounting the 2nd step of the podium of the race of Saturday.
F
or the occasion Suleiman was driving a Tony Kart from Sweden's West Speed Racing team with Kari Prosi. His X30 Junior engine came out of the workshop of Finland's Kalle Valtonen - MKV Engines. The Alahärmä circuit and the presence of Gabriele Bassetta, his regular mechanic, were the only landmarks for Suleiman in this Nordic challenge with low temperatures. The Moroccan driver had learned and enjoyed the Finnish circuit during the third round of the 2017 FIA Karting Academy Trophy, already performing well.
Faced with the best Scandinavian specialists in X30 Junior, Suleiman achieved good progress throughout the competition. He started with 11th in Qualifying on Saturday and climbed to 7th place in the Qualifying Heats after finishing 4th and 6th. In the 24 laps of the Final, Suleiman took the measure of his opponents and went on the attack at the end of the race. In 4th three laps from the finish, he regained some ground on the penultimate lap and crossed the line in 2nd position.
"As in Sweden a week ago, I felt very comfortable in Finland," said the driver from El Jadida. "I immediately got along with the West Speed Racing team and I had full confidence in my equipment. I was able to concentrate on enjoying driving at Alahärmä without distractions. I waited for the right moment to go on the offensive and I was able to gain four places in two laps to get on the second step of the podium. I am delighted to confirm my return to form in international kart racing." Suleiman is now in good spirits and will be back at the end of the week with the FIA Karting European Championship - Junior in Belgium at Genk, another circuit that he likes.
18
CALENDAR
2019 CALENDAR MAY 26/05
Rowrah
British Karting Championships
26/05
Castelletto
IAME - Euro Series
02/06
Adria
Euro Trophy
02/06
Carole
Championnat de France
02/06
Kristianstad
European Championship
09/06
Larkhall
British Karting Championships
09/06
Brignoles
Coupe de France
09/06
Siena
Italian ACI Karting Champ.
16/06
Laval
IAME - Series France
16/06
Sarno
Academy Trophy
16/06
Sarno
European Championship
23/06
Varennes / Allier National Series Karting
23/06
Nogaro
Championnat de France
23/06
Lonato
WSK - Euro Series
23/06
Spa Franc. (Cars)
Championnat de France
23/06
Fulbeck
British Karting Championships
30/06
Adria
WSK - Euro Series
30/06
Mansell Race.
British Karting Championships
07/07
Le Mans
Championnat de France
OK
07/07
Ledenon
Championnat de France
F4 INTERNATIONALE
07/07
Le Mans
Coupe de France
14/07
Kerpen
Deutsche Kart Meisterschaft
14/07
Valence
Championnat de France
14/07
Kristianstad
Euro Trophy
14/07
Sarno
Italian ACI Karting Champ.
14/07
Rowrah
British Karting Championships
14/07
Dijon
Championnat de France
SUPERKART
21/07
Le Mans
Championnat de France
HANDIKART
21/07
Le Mans
European Championship
28/07
Aunay-les-Bois
Championnat de France
28/07
Wackersdorf
IAME - Euro Series
28/07
Shenington
British Karting Championships
28/07
Adria
Italian ACI Karting Champ.
SENIOR ROTAX MAX 177 / ROTAX MINIMAX / ROTAX SENIOR / ROTAX JUNIOR X30 JUNIOR / X30 SHIFTER / X30 MINI / X30 SENIOR
JUNE DD2 / ROTAX SENIOR / DD2 MASTER / ROTAX JUNIOR KZ2 (LONG CIRCUIT) / KZ2 GENTLEMAN (LONG CIRCUIT) / KZ2 MASTER (LONG CIRCUIT) OK / OK-JUNIOR X30 CADET / X30 SENIOR / X30 JUNIOR / X30 MINI NATIONALE / CADET / MINIME X30 JUNIOR / X30 SENIOR / KZN / 60 MINI / KZ2 X30 GENTLEMAN / X30 SENIOR / X30 MASTER / X30 JUNIOR / X30 SUPER SHIFTER / X30 MINIME / X30 LADY ACADEMY KZ / KZ2 DD2 / ROTAX MAX / DD2 MASTER / ROTAX MASTER / NATIONALE / CADET / MINIME SUPERKART 60 MINI / OK-JUNIOR / OK / KZ2 F4 INTERNATIONALE SENIOR TKM EXTREME / HONDA CADET CHAMPIONSHIP / JUNIOR TKM 60 MINI / OK / OK-JUNIOR SENIOR ROTAX MAX 177 / ROTAX MINIMAX / ROTAX SENIOR / ROTAX JUNIOR
JULY
19
KARTCOM NEWS #51
OK-JUNIOR / KZ2 GENTLEMAN / KZ2 MASTER / KZ2 OK / OK-JUNIOR / KZ2 GENTLEMAN / MASTER / SENIOR / JUNIOR DD2 / ROTAX SENIOR / DD2 MASTER / ROTAX JUNIOR X30 JUNIOR / KZN / ROK SENIOR / X30 SENIOR / ROK JUNIOR / 60 MINI / KZ2 X30 CADET / X30 SENIOR / X30 JUNIOR / X30 MINI
OK / OK-JUNIOR JUNIOR / CADET / MINIME X30 JUNIOR / X30 SHIFTER / X30 MINI / X30 SENIOR SENIOR TKM EXTREME / HONDA CADET CHAMPIONSHIP / JUNIOR TKM ROK JUNIOR / 60 MINI / X30 JUNIOR / ROK SENIOR / X30 SENIOR / KZ2
AUGUST 04/08
Genk
Deutsche Kart Meisterschaft
18/08
Clay Pigeon
British Karting Championships
24/08
Le Mans
Rotax Max Challenge Inter.
25/08
Wigan
British Karting Championships
OK / OK-JUNIOR / KZ2 SENIOR ROTAX MAX 177 / ROTAX MINIMAX / ROTAX SENIOR / ROTAX JUNIOR
X30 CADET / X30 SENIOR / X30 JUNIOR / X30 MINI
SEPTEMBER 01/09
Salbris
IAME - Euro Series
01/09
Val Vibrata
Italian ACI Karting Champ.
01/09
Pau Arnos
Championnat de France
08/09
Wackersdorf
Euro Trophy
08/09
Alaharma
World Karting Championship
08/09
Kimbolton
British Karting Championships
08/09
Budapest
Championnat de France
08/09
Varennes / Allier IAME - Series France
15/09
Laval
National Series Karting
15/09
Forest Edge
British Karting Championships
15/09
Magny-C. (Cars)
Championnat de France
22/09
Lonato
World Karting Championship
22/09
Lonato
Academy Trophy
22/09
Lonato
International Super Cup
29/09
Whilton Mill
British Karting Championships
29/09
Le Mans
24h Karting
X30 JUNIOR / X30 SHIFTER / X30 MINI / X30 SENIOR X30 JUNIOR / X30 SENIOR / KZN / 60 MINI / KZ2 KZ2 (LONG CIRCUIT) / KZ2 GENTLEMAN (LONG CIRCUIT) / KZ2 MASTER (LONG CIRCUIT) DD2 / ROTAX SENIOR / DD2 MASTER / ROTAX JUNIOR OK / OK-JUNIOR SENIOR TKM EXTREME / HONDA CADET CHAMPIONSHIP / JUNIOR TKM F4 INTERNATIONALE X30 GENTLEMAN / X30 SENIOR / X30 MASTER / X30 JUNIOR / X30 SUPER SHIFTER / X30 MINIME / X30 LADY DD2 / ROTAX MAX / DD2 MASTER / ROTAX MASTER / NATIONALE / CADET / MINIME SENIOR ROTAX MAX 177 / ROTAX MINIMAX / ROTAX SENIOR / ROTAX JUNIOR F4 INTERNATIONALE KZ ACADEMY KZ2 X30 CADET / X30 SENIOR / X30 JUNIOR / X30 MINI GROUPE 1-2-3 ET 4
OCTOBER 06/10
Salbris
Championnat de France
06/10
Ampfing
Deutsche Kart Meisterschaft
13/10
Le Mans
IAME International Final
X30 JUNIOR / X30 SUPER SHIFTER / X30 SENIOR / X30 MASTER / X30 SUPER / X30 MINI
13/10
Le Castellet (Cars)
Championnat de France
F4 INTERNATIONALE
13/10
Whilton Mill
British Karting Championships
SENIOR ROTAX MAX 177 / ROTAX MINIMAX / ROTAX SENIOR / ROTAX JUNIOR
20/10
Whilton Mill
British Karting Championships
SENIOR TKM EXTREME / HONDA CADET CHAMPIONSHIP / JUNIOR TKM
26/10
Sarno
Rotax Challenge Grand Finals
DD2 / ROTAX SENIOR / MINI MAX / MICRO MAX / DD2 MASTER / ROTAX JUNIOR
27/10
Lonato
WSK - Open Cup
27/10
Le Mans (Cars)
European Championship
KZ2 GENTLEMAN / KZ2 MASTER / KZ2 / NATIONALE OK / OK-JUNIOR / KZ2
60 MINI / OK-JUNIOR / OK / KZ2 SUPERKART
NOVEMBER 03/11
Lonato
Trofeo delle Industrie
03/11
Ledenon
Championnat de France
10/11
Castelletto
WSK - Open Cup
60 MINI / OK / OK-JUNIOR
17/11
Adria
WSK - Final Cup
60 MINI / OK-JUNIOR / OK / KZ2
60 MINI / OK-JUNIOR / X30 SENIOR / OK / KZ2 KZ2 (LONG CIRCUIT) / KZ2 GENTLEMAN (LONG CIRCUIT) / KZ2 MASTER (LONG CIRCUIT)
20
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KARTCOM NEWS #51
© Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès
24
INTERVIEW
25
KARTCOM NEWS #51
Info Kartcom - Renaud Didier © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès
INTERVIEW WITH
JUHO VALTANEN "THE WORLD CUP IN FINLAND IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT I WANT TO SEIZE!" Juho Valtanen is currently one of the top Finnish kart drivers on the international scene. Racing in OK, he has just won the first event of the French Championship and managed to mount the second step of the podium at the opening of the FIA Karting European Championship in Angerville. Under the colours of the team Kohtala Sports, he has started an ambitious programme in 2019 with a specific goal: to win the next FIA Karting World Championship in Alahärmä, very close to his home in Finland!
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INTERVIEW
Juho, you are still young, but you have been karting for almost 20 years ... - Yes, I got into a kart at the age of three, and I'm about to celebrate my 23rd birthday in June 2019! My father, who was himself a kart racer, put me in a seat while I was still very small. I even found myself in races with other very young drivers from four years old! At first, it was really a "hobby", but I wanted to climb the ladder. First in Finland, then internationally.
Tell us about the highlights of your career? - While I was racing in KF-Junior in our family team with my father as a mechanic, I was lucky enough to be selected to participate in the FIA Karting Academy Trophy in 2011. I loved it, it was a good way to learn, progress and discover international races. I finished the year in 3rd position, which was a very good result. I also have a great memory of the 2017 FIA Karting World Championship in England, where I was on the third step of the podium in OK.
What is your opinion of OK? - This is an excellent category. I had already enjoyed KF2 and I admit that I am a little nostalgic for the manual front brake. It was very useful for overtaking. On the other hand, the OK has the advantage of being lighter and very powerful.
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What is your favorite circuit?
What are your goals in 2019?
- Alahärmä. Not just because it's in Finland, not far from my house. But especially for its very exciting and very fast track. An FIA Karting European Championship competition took place there in 2017 and I would have liked to be on the podium. I was well placed after the heats, but unfortunately I went off in the Final.
- The FIA Karting European Championship started well for me with a podium. Why not try for a win? But the big goal of the year is the World Championship. It's close to home, in Finland, so I do not want to miss this opportunity. We have already worked hard since the beginning of the season, we have shown our ability to run at the front of the pack. The season is long, we will keep up the same level of performance, or even better, to beat our rivals in the World Championship. We are getting ready for this event.
In the past, your international programme was not as full as it is today. What were the reasons? - Before, I raced more in Finland at the national level, because the international scene takes a lot of time and flying to other countries frequently. From now on, with the Kohtala Sports team, we really want to get great results in the FIA Karting Championships. We are trying to give ourselves what we need.
What do you think of your team and team manager? - Jussi Kohtala is a former driver who manages his team perfectly. Sometimes it's very hard, but that's the way you progress and become more rigorous and professional. He wants us to give our best on track, but we must be as focused in the awning. I am happy to progress in this team. With our Redspeed-IAME karts and our own engines, we are enjoying a very competitive technical package.
Have you ever thought about KZ? - Not for the moment. My goal is to compete in OK, then to try to find the best solutions for my future.
There are now very young Drivers in the OK category. What do feel about this? - Some young people sometimes make silly mistakes, or tend to try too daring maneouvres. They have to mature, that's normal. But the more we move forward, the better it goes.
THE ABSOLUTE WEAPON... #KSPREPORTAGES #SONYALPHA9 #SONY400MMF28
THANK YOU SONY!
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INTERVIEW What do you think of the penalty reduced to five seconds in case of incorrect position of the front fairing ? - Personally, I prefer it and I think a lot of drivers agree. No driver likes to be penalised. On a track like Angerville where the gaps are quite small at the finish, you can quickly find yourself at the bottom of the ranking with a 10 second penalty. It is always regrettable to miss a place in the Final because of a fairing out of position. Especially if the driver is not responsible for the impact, as can happen during a sudden slowdown on the formation lap.
The expression "Flying Finn", is just it a legend? - No, just look at the number of Finnish champions who have won track or rally titles. I think for many fans, motorsport is a religion in Finland. We take this very seriously and are determined to get the best results possible.
Do you follow Formula 1, do you have a favorite Driver? - I always follow the results of my compatriots more closely.
How do you see your future? - I hope I can become a professional driver one day. I think that opportunities could open up to me if I win the World Championship. If it can be in cars, I would be delighted, but I would be happy in karting.
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TAPONEN & PATTERSON WIN AT ANGERVILLE
KARTCOM NEWS #51
FIA KARTING EUROPEAN CHAMP. 1/4 ANGERVILLE
KEY POINTS ORGANISATEUR
+
FIA Karting
LOCATION
+
Circuit International Gabriel Thirouin, Angerville, France – 1198 m
DATE 18th-21th April 2019
ENTRIES 147 drivers– 2 categories • First FIA Karting event of 2019 • Favourites in trouble on a new circuit • Crashes and penalties • LeCont tyres in OK and Vega in Junior • Good weather, dry and mild
Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès
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JUNIOR
REVELATION OF TAPONEN
M
acéo Capietto (KR / Iame) had achieved pole position in front of James Wharton (FA Kart / Vortex) and Alex Dunne (Tony Kart / Vortex). But Tuuka Taponen (Redspeed / Iame) beat the odds by taking the lead at the end of the Qualifying Heats against Wharton, while Tymoteusz Kucharczyk (Parolin / TM) was back in 3rd after his 13th in Qualifying. Wharton was caught in a clash with Capietto and gave up immediately after the start of the Final. Taponen escaped in front of Kucharczyk and Ugo Ugochukwu (FA Kart / Vortex). The latter was then attacked by his teammates Thomas Ten Brinke (FA Kart / Vortex) and Conrad Laursen (FA Kart / Vortex). Starting 11th following a retirement in the last heat, Jamie Day (Exprit / Vortex started a strong recovery that took him to 3rd position ahead of Josep Marti Sobrepera (Tony Kart / Vortex). Taponen won 6' in front of Ten Brinke and Day, with Sobrepera and Ugochukwu completing the top five.
Provisional classification of the FIA Karting - Junior European Championship after the first round at Angerville:
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1
Tuuka Taponen
35 pts
2
Thomas Ten Brinke
25 pts
3
Ugo Ugochukwu
18 pts
4
Tymoteusz Kucharczyk
18 pts
5
Jamie Day
16 pts
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OK
PATTERSON IMPRESSES
2
nd
fastest in Qualifying, Dexter Patterson (GBR - KR / Iame / LeCont) then dominated the competition. He was in pole position for the Final and held the lead during the 26 laps. Juho Valtanen (Redspeed / Iame) recovered his 2nd position after a more difficult start, and finished seven tenths behind Patterson while Gabriele Mini' (Parolin / TM) set the fasted lap and came close at less than three tenths. Taylor Barnard (KR / Iame) was 4th against Dilano Van T'Hoff (Exprit / TM). Kas Haverkort (CRG / TM) and Lorenzo Travisanutto (KR / Iame) gained several places finishing respectively 6th and 7th, which allowed them not to lose touch in the Championship standings.
Provisional classification of the FIA ​​ Karting European Championship OK after the first round at Angerville: 1
Dexter Patterson
35 pts
2
Juho Valtanen
29 pts
3
Gabriele Mini'
24 pts
4
Taylor Barnard
19 pts
5
Dilano Van T'Hoff
18 pts
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Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès
TEN BRINKE & UGOCHUKWU ALREADY IN THE EUROPEAN TOP THREE The opening of the FIA Karting European Championship - OK & Junior proved particularly complex at the French track of Angerville. Several crashes and numerous penalties punctuated the races, and it was not easy to make a difference as the conditions of the circuit smoothed the performance gaps. Wharton, Ugochukwu, Laursen and Ten Brinke however managed to finish in the top six of the heats, but only Ten Brinke, in 2nd and Ugochukwu, 5th were able to finish the Final.
T
wo weeks earlier, the preparatory event of the OK French Championship and the OK-Junior French Cup had provided valuable information on the unique aspects of the French track. Thomas Ten Brinke was the best-performing RFM driver in OKJunior with a strong 6th place finish.
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The Dutchman was very competitive in the European Championship, but his two race wins were tempered by an incident at the start of the last heat. He once again completed a very good Final by reaching the second step of the podium and is 2nd in the provisional standings.
Ugo Ugochukwu used the lessons of the FFSA event to make a good run in the FIA Karting competition. Regularly at the front, he returned to the top five in the Final and is 3rd in the Championship standings. After an excellent performance at Lonato in the first round of the German Championship, James Wharton started with the 2nd fastest time at Angerville and maintained his rank in the heats. Very well placed to compete in a great Final, he unfortunately retired shortly after the start in a collision, but despite this is still 9th in the provisional standings. Conrad Laursen was catching up in the Qualifying Hears and moved up from 17th to 5th. He was fighting in the top five in the Final until two laps from the
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finish when a rival took him off the track. Laurens Van Hoeppen struggled to recover in the heats after his 27th time, but finally regained ground and finished 18th. Brilliant in the DJKM at Lonato where he had won two podiums, Christian Ho experienced a dark weekend at Angerville. In OK, the performance was there for Harry Thompson, while Kai Askey was consistent. The two RFM drivers were not spared the setbacks, accidents and penalties, which considerably limited their progress as they finished 20th and 24th respectively. The second meeting of the European Championship will take the whole team to Belgium, to the Genk circuit, from 17th to 19th May.
RFM.TEAM
+
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Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès
IRLANDO EMERGES FROM THE
CHAOS OF ANGERVILLE The first round of the FIA Karting European Championship - OK & Junior was held in France on the Angerville circuit. It was the scene of serious clashes generating many incidents. The competitiveness of the equipment and the talent of the drivers had much to do to overcome crashes and penalties. Only Alex Irlando was successful with his 8th position in OK to show the potential of the Birel ART Racing team.
H
owever, analysis of the French competition reveals a very interesting level of performance from the Birel ART / TM Racing factory team, both in OK and OK-Junior. The Angerville circuit unfortunately generated a large number of contacts as well as spoiler penalties. At Lissone the team is already looking forward to the 2nd meeting at Genk to highlight the quality of the equipment and the work done by everyone.
"Of course, we cannot be satisfied with the result at Angerville," said Ronni Sala, President of Birel ART. "But I want to congratulate the team for their efforts and our drivers for their commitment. I would first highlight the competitiveness of Coluccio in OK, the significant progress from Irlando and his third fastest time in the final which demonstrated the performance of our equipment, the convincing performance from Nepveu and the fighting spirit of Maya Weug. In Junior, not finishing highly in
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Timed Practice weighed heavily thereafter. Camara however managed to climb from 61st place to 15th in the Final, and Ressico D'Aloiso and Bertuca also made positive progress while their team-mates were fighting bravely despite penalties and delays." Starting well with 10th in Qualifying, Luigi Coluccio was somewhat delayed in the heats before giving up at the start of the Final after a collision. After strong heats where he managed to avoid a lot of the traps at Angerville, Alex Irlando drove a strong Final and moved up to 8th place having achieved the 3rd best time. Thomas Nepveu regained ground in the heats and took another nine places in the Final before being penalised for an unhooked spoiler. For his debut, the Thai driver Sutumno Thanapongpan kept improving despite the difficult conditions. The Juniors of Birel ART Racing were very competitive in the last free practice, but lacked success in the timed practice, which complicated their Qualifying Heats. Despite his 61st time and two spoiler penalties, Rafael Camara managed to qualify and moved up 18 places in the Final to reach 15th. Lorenzo Ressico D'Aloiso followed a similar course, finishing 19th with a 10-place gain in the Final, while Cristian Bertuca retired after two laps after taking 26
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places in the heats. Elliott Vayron was much more competitive than his results showed. He was fastest crossing the finish line of his last heat in 2nd place, but he was sanctioned several times over the weekend. The female drivers of the Richard Mille Young Talent Academy have had varying fortunes. Maya Weug was once again very combative in OK, obtaining notably a 3rd and a 2nd place in her heats. Two retirements however hampered her score and she had to retire at the start of the Final after another clash. Julia Ayoub did not have an easy job in the second half of the pack, and two retirements following race incidents prevented her from Qualifying. The Birel ART Racing team is preparing to take on new challenges in less than two weeks for the opening of the FIA​​ Karting European Championship - KZ and KZ2 at Wackersdorf, Germany.
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Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès
MINI’ FULFILLS HIS MISSION ON THE ANGERVILLE PODIUM
Gabriele Mini' and the Parolin Racing team learned their lessons from the Angerville French Championship meeting to prepare for the first round of the FIA Karting European Championship - OK, which was held on the same circuit two weeks later. Thanks to his extremely effective equipment, the Sicilian driver was able to avoid the pitfalls of this difficult race to wisely finish in 3rd place in the Final and the provisional classification.
"I
t's comforting to be able to count on the composure of a driver like Gabriele," commented Marco Parolin. "He was very calm while the event was fraught with risks, he showed that he perfectly understood the strategy for a Championship with four events. Very fast, he set several fastest laps in the race including the Final, which allowed him to reach the podium. Thanks to him, we have scored
significant points for the rest of the European confrontation. As for the Juniors, I want to highlight the performance of Kucharczyk of Team Baby Race who demonstrated the quality of the Parolin chassis with two wins in the heats and 7th in the Final, which earned him 4th place in the Championship."
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It was not just a question of pure performance at Angerville. The event was fraught with risk, as was shown by frequent incidents and the high number of penalties. In addition, the differences were small between the fastest drivers and the French track was not conducive to overtaking. However, it was easy to lose everything during a collision.
VERY CONVINCING PERFORMANCE IN OK Being able to count on top equipment, Gabriele Mini' excelled in these particular conditions. After setting the fastest time of his group, he was 5th out of the 66 participants in this European Championship. He had three fastest laps in his five Qualifying Heats and returned to 3rd on the starting grid. The positions froze quickly and despite all his efforts he could not attack his rivals, even though he finished less than three tenths of a second behind with another fastest lap in the race.
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A POSITIVE EVENT FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP
DIFFICULT WEEKEND IN JUNIOR
With the 24 points scored in France, Mini has made sure Parolin is not outdistanced and can continue the European competition with the highest hopes while many favourites have already fallen behind. The second round of the FIA ​​Karting European Championship - OK will take place at Genk, in Belgium in less than a month.
Undaunted by the specifics of the Angerville circuit, Brando Badoer and Martinius Stenshorne experienced a complicated European opening round after a disappointing Qualifying. Their efforts to come back in the Qualifying Heats came up against various incidents and penalties that did not allow them to qualify for the Final.
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Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès
MAXIME FURONCASTELAIN PROMISING DEBUT IN OK-JUNIOR
After a positive first experience in OK-Junior in the BNL Series Karting at Genk, the young Luxembourg rookie Maxime Furon-Castelain made his grand debut in the FIA Junior Karting European Championship during the opening race at Angerville (FRA). At just 11 years old, Maxime proved uncompromising and effective in his first international race at a highly contested meeting.
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W
ith many successes since his debut in competition karting, Maxime Furon-Castelain achieved an excellent season in 2018 by becoming Belgian Cadet Champion. He decided to take an important step by making his debut this year in the international OK-Junior category. The test run of the opener of the BNL Karting Series went perfectly and he got to know his team VDK Racing before the start of the European Championship at Angerville. His tender age and small size differentiated him from the greatest hopes of some thirty countries, but his speed and bravery were astonishing. Maxime tamed the Angerville course at the wheel of his Kosmic / Iame during Free Practice and was 9th fastest in his group in official Timed Practice, placing him 24th out of 81 participants. The mission was complicated in the Qualifying Heats against more experienced opponents, sometimes having competed in up to eight races since the beginning of the season. Despite the palpable pressure of this first competition, Maxime, as usual, was strong and progressed quickly, heat after heat, against his rivals. While the fight on the track was very tough, Maxime was one of the few drivers to keep his spoiler in place and avoid any penalty, a rare ability he has developed since last year. He also
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managed to avoid the many accidents that punctuated the races. Able to run within two tenths of a second of the fastest, Maxime obtained a very encouraging Final result for the rest of the season in 35th position out of 81, proving again his rapid adaptability. "In the moment, I was not very happy with myself. I would have liked to obtain a striking result immediately," confided the young driver. "The congratulations I received from all sides helped me to understand that this first competition had ended well against so many older drivers and especially those with much more experience. I also could not prepare for the event as much by participating in the French Cup two weeks earlier on the same circuit. The most important for me is my speed and my quick progression throughout the weekend. I will continue my training programme even more motivated for future events. Once again, I would like to thank the entire VDK Racing team for the quality of the equipment and their support during the event, with my mechanic Pierre-FrĂŠdĂŠric Herpin, my driving coach Didier Blot and my mental coach Marie Lanners, among all those who supported me in Angerville. I am looking forward to experiencing a European competition again in less than a month with greater ambitions."
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Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès
LECONT SPORTING
AND TECHNICAL SUCCESS AT ANGERVILLE For this 2019 season, the tyre manufacturer LeCont won the latest tender launched by the FIA Karting to equip the OK category in the biggest international competitions. The European Championship started at the Angerville circuit with the French Kart Grand Prix, where the tyres of the Italian brand, in their "Prime" version, gave complete satisfaction to the 66 drivers present.
A
partner of FIA Karting since 2011, equipped with a hightech factory and recognised for the quality of its products, the LeCont brand has contributed greatly to the sporting success of the opening round of the European OK Championship. "Seeing the drivers, the teams, the international federation
and the satisfied organisers during a meeting remains our priority," says Paolo Bombara, marketing manager at LeCont. "For this, we have to provide homologated tyres that bring performance, consistency and safety to all participants. For us, after a convincing experience in KZ, KZ2 and the Academy Trophy in 2018, rejoining the OK
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category that we supplied in 2017 was very satisfying. I really like the technical definition of this formula, with its direct drive engines and its drivers who include stars of karting and young talents representing the future hopes of motorsport. It's exciting to watch."
VERY FAST LAP TIMES Many positive things have emerged from this first meeting of the season. Starting with the performance! With the best Qualifying time of 48 "795, Spain's Pedro Hiltbrand lapped 5 tenths faster than the pole position achieved by a KZ2 driver a few weeks earlier. In addition, the window during which the tyres provide optimum performance was wide enough, allowing the drivers to achieve their best time on their third or fourth lap, or even the sixth or seventh! "As always, LeCont ensures that tyres of the same quality are delivered to all drivers," says Bombara. "That's how, in Qualifying, we saw nearly 50 drivers grouped in less than 5 tenths! Then, many of them were able to compete in their five Qualifying Heats with the same set of tyres thanks to a wear level that I will describe as quite normal, considering this very high level of competition and the intensity of the races that the drivers showed us." The weather remained fine at Angerville, not requiring the use of wet
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tyres, to which LeCont also attaches great importance. "Our wet tire is not the fastest, but it has the distinction of being very consistent and durable. Even when the track dries up, the rubber wears less than other brands. In any case, if it rains this season, all drivers will be equipped in the same brand with our tyres homologated by the CIKFIA since 2017. These will give way, from next year, to a brand new model, also very durable but with better performance."
PATTERSON WINS IN FRONT OF VALTANEN AND MINÌ During the entire meeting, the gaps remained very small between the contenders for the podium. Scotsman Dexter Patterson took the lead at the end of the heats and held on to the Final, despite pressure from Italy's Gabriele Minì and Finland's Juho Valtanen, while Britain's Taylor Barnard remained very competitive, close to the leading group. "We noticed that the top 15 of the Final were from 13 different teams, which is the proof that the usage of our "Prime" tyres did not pose any problems, for the drivers or for the technicians. The extensive positive feedback I received on Sunday evening confirmed this observation."
"I would like to congratulate all the participants for their performance, and also to congratulate the FFSA who had the good idea of organising a big national race at Angerville two weeks before this event with the same tyres as the European Championship. At the same time, it is a good way to ensure the promotion of OK at ASN level, especially as this situation will be repeated in July at Le Mans just before the Final of the FIA Karting European Championship."
LECONT’S PRESENCE IN FIA KARTING 2011
U18 + Academy Trophy
2012
U18 + Academy Trophy
2013
KF3
2015
KZ2 + KF-Junior
2016
Endurance
2017
OK + Endurance
2018
KZ + KZ2 + Academy Trophy + Endurance
2019
OK
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PRELUD TO THE ROTAX EURO TROP 59
KARTCOM NEWS #51
DE PHY IN GENK
ROTAX MAX CHALLENGE EURO OPEN TROPHY GENK
KEY POINTS ORGANISATEUR
+
Camp Company
LOCATION
+
Circuit Horensbergdam, Genk, Belgique – 1360 m
DATE 19th to 21st April, 2019
ENTRIES 127 drivers– 4 categories • Single Euro Trophy event • 3 tickets for the Rotax Grand Finals distributed to the winners • Van Vugt wins in Junior • Bruynseels wins in Senior • Gränz unbeatable in DD2 • Victory for Pesevski in DD2 Masters • Very good races • Summer weather
Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo Rotax
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JUNIOR
MIKE VAN VUGT
WINS
A
lready the winner of the Euro Trophy in 2018, Mike van Vugt (JJ Racing) took pole position and won both Qualifying Heats. The Dutchman lost time at the start of Final 1 and it was his compatriot Kris Haanen (Bouvin Power) who took the victory. Van Vugt caught up in Final 2 despite the pressure of another Dutchman, Thom Reinaerdt (GKS Lemmens Power), in 2nd position. Van Vugt won the classification of the day and his ticket for Sarno, followed by Haanen and Reinaerdt.
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SENIOR
ILIAN BRUYNSEELS DOUBLE VICTORY
T
he competition was very close in Senior. Against the clock, 43 of the 47 drivers were in the same second. Ilian Bruynseels (Bouvin Power) was the fastest and won the two heats in the process. The local hero was also unbeatable in the Finals, although he had to fight hard. Behind the winner, Sweden's Mathilda Olsson (Strawberry Racing) and Bradley Barrett (Dan Holland Racing) of Great Britain dominated the 2nd and 3rd places. This order corresponds to the results of the general classification, and Bruynseels was awarded the ticket for the Grand Final Challenge Rotax MAX.
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DD2
NIKLAS GRÄNZ
DOMINATES THE FINALS
X
en de Ruwe (SSC - Sportstil) took a magnificent pole position, but his rivals caught up in the heats. Although De Ruwe was 1st, Niklas Gränz (42 Competition) and Piotr Wisnicki (Wyrzykowski Motorsport) took the next two positions. Gränz proved unbeatable on Sunday and won both Finals without any real opposition. He won his ticket for the Rotax Grand Final in Italy. Daniel Machacek (Daem's Racing Team) finished 2nd, while De Ruwe and Ville Viiliaeinen shared 3rd position and the Finn took the lead in the overall standings.
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DD2 MASTERS
ROBERTO PESEVSKI
WINS THE FINAL VICTORY
S
lawomir Muranski (46 team) lived up to his reputation by setting the fastest lap in Qualifying and winning two heats against Roberto Pesevski (KSCA Sodi Austria Team) and Michael Becker (RS Competition). Muranski flew in the first Final. But the Pole lost positions at the start of Final 2 and it was Pesevski who won the race and the event. Muranski had to settle for 2nd place ahead of Sebastian Rumpelhardt (RS Competition).
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THE WSK EURO RETURNS TO
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O SERIES FRANCE
WSK EURO SERIES 2/4 ANGERVILLE
KEY POINTS ORGANISATEUR
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WSK Promotion
LOCATION
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Circuit International Gabriel Thirouin, Angerville, France – 1198 m
DATE April 26 to 28, 2019
ENTRIES 95 drivers– 3 categories • Less convincing entry • MacIntyre wins again in Mini • Antonelli returns to victory in Junior • Travisanutto wins in OK • Cool and windy weather • Some rainy periods
Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve
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60 MINI
MACINTYRE CONFIRMS IN THE BEAUCE
F
rancesco Marenghi (Tony Kart / TM) took pole position, but Joel Bergstrรถm (Parolin / TM) took the lead in the heats, ahead of Alex Powell (Energy / TM) and Rashid Al Dhaheri (Parolin / TM) won the prefinals. In the Final, Ean Eyckmans (Parolin / TM) attacked William MacIntryre (Parolin / TM) and took the lead on lap 7. The last lap changed the game once again. MacIntyre took the victory in front of Al Dhaheri and Eyckmans and Al Azhari kept 4th place ahead of Julius Dinesen (Parolin / TM) and Powell in 6th. Jimmy Helias (Tony Kart / Vortex finished 9th, Maxens Verbrugge (Parolin / TM) 10th and Guillaume Bouzar (IPKarting / TM) 11th, while Louis Iglesias (IPKarting / LKE) returned to 21st.
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OK-JUNIOR
ANTONELLI WINS A STORMY FINAL
T
homas Ten Brinke (FA Kart / Vortex) had taken pole position and remained leader at the end of the heats before winning the Prefinal. He was fighting against Jamie Day (Exprit / Vortex) in the Final and was back in the lead when the Dubai driver forced him onto the grass. A penalty deprived Day of the win and Andrea Kimi Antonelli (KR / Iame) won the race ahead of Robert De Haan (Energy / TM) and Laurens Van Hoepen (FA Kart / Vortex). Day was ranked 4th and Ten Brinke 5th.
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OK
THE RETURN OF
TRAVISANUTTO P
oleman Dexter Patterson (KR / Iame) was delayed in the heats and Lorenzo Travisanutto (KR / Iame) took the lead ahead of Taylor Barnard (KR / Iame) and Dilano Van T'Hoff (Exprit / TM). Patterson managed to come back to 4th in the Prefinal. Barnard lost time at the start of the Final, while Patterson was back in 2nd place. But the World Champion had the resources to win against Patterson and Van T'Hoff, the fastest in the race. Matheus Morgatto (Tony Kart / Vortex) finished isolated in 4th position and Barnard was 5th.
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Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve
TEN BRINKE DEPRIVED OF VICTORY,
VANON THEHOEPEN PODIUM
The Ricky Flynn Motorsport Junior drivers took part in the WSK Euro Series - Round 2, their third race in a month at the French circuit of Angerville. Dominant throughout the weekend, Ten Brinke was on his way to victory before an incident took him down to 5th place. Van Hoepen made a nice comeback to the third step of the podium.
T
he entry of the second meeting of the WSK Euro Series was smaller than for previous events, while the weather had improved significantly. Although threatening, the Angerville skies did not produce rain during the OK-Junior races, even though the grip was variable. Already very comfortable during the European Championship, Thomas Ten Brinke marked his territory from Qualifying onwards by achieving pole position. He confirmed his claims during the heats and won again in the Prefinal. Leader at the start of the Final, he took the lead two laps from the finish, but his rival then forced a pass and he
was forced onto the grass, which dropped him to 5th position. After starting badly with 23rd in Qualifying, Laurens Van Hoepen applied himself to move up in the heats and returned to the top 10 of the Prefinal. He continued to attack in the Final and reached an excellent 3rd place, which allowed him to progress eight places to 7th position in the Championship, while Ten Brinke is ranked 2nd. Winner of a heat, James Wharton still did not seem comfortable with the Angerville circuit. 4th on Saturday night, he finished 7th in the Prefinal before finishing 8th in the Final. Conrad Laursen
stayed on the edge of the top 10 during the entire meeting and finished 11th in the Final. Consistently at the front, Christian Ho started in the top three in Qualifying and the heats then went on to finish 5th in the Final. A spoiler penalty unfortunately dropped him down to 12th position. Ugo Ugochukwu was less competitive than usual and had a mixed race in 18th position. The Norwegian Martinius Stenshorne familiarised himself with the team and his FA Kart / Vortex during this event which he finished in 15th position after a retirement with heavy consequences at the start of his second heat. The RFM team will now head to Wackersdorf for the second round of the German Championship before returning to European competition at the Belgian circuit of Genk.
RFM.TEAM
+
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Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve
AL DHAHERI RETURNS TO WSK EURO SERIES WITH 2ND AT ANGERVILLE
On their first expedition out of Italy this season, the 60 Mini drivers discovered the French circuit of Angerville at the second round of the WSK Euro Series. Again well represented in the 8-12 age group, the Parolin chassis again demonstrated outstanding performance as the weather complicated the grip of the track. Al Dhaheri was on the podium in 2nd and Al Azhari finished 4th. Gabriele Mini' did not have an easy weekend in OK, but he managed to maintain his position in the WSK Euro Series standings.
INTENSE BATTLES IN JUNIOR AND OK
T
he month-long series of races at Angerville, from the FFSA meeting to the WSK Euro Series via
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the FIA Karting European Championship, caused some dissatisfaction in OK and OK-Junior. In the Junior category, the Brazilian Vinicius Tessaro was the only one to defend the colours of the Parolin Racing team. After some very complicated Qualifying Heats - two retire-
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ments and a penalty - he climbed 10 places to finish 21st in the Final. Gabriele Mini' was fighting at the forefront in the OK category as always with his 4th place at the end of the heats, but the Finals were less successful and he was 8th in the Final while maintaining his provisional ranking in the WSK Euro Series.
MORE REMARKABLE PERFORMANCES IN 60 MINI
G
iovanni Trentin set an excellent time at 4 hundredths off the pole of his group and took 4th place overall in 60 Mini Qualifying. After setting the 10th fastest time, Keanu Al Azhari was three times fastest in his heats and climbed to 3rd position before the Finals. Maxime Verbrugge came back from Qualifying with good heats and reached 4th position in his Prefinal. He confirmed his form by crossing the finishing line of the Final in 10th place before being demoted to 18th by a spoiler penalty. With another fastest lap in Prefinal A, he lost his 4th position because of a penalty. Meanwhile, Rashid Al Zhaheri won Prefinal B and long fought in the top three of the Final before taking 2nd place in a last-ditch effort. This excellent result allowed him to move up 10 places in the ranking where he is now in 3rd position.
Peter Bouzinelous again qualified for the Final and gained 12 places to finish 22nd. Qualified thanks to 10th position in the Prefinal, Valerio Rinicella made a good start to the Final in the top 15, but then gave up ground before the finish. Finally, Shimo Zhang reached the Finals for the first time after some complex heats to handle for the young Japanese driver. "The WSK Euro Series had very different conditions compared to the two previous meetings at Angerville and the competition proved difficult," explained Marco Parolin. "Gabriele Mini' did not regain his usual level of performance, but he managed to maintain his position in the Championship. We were very much present in 60 Mini with half of the grid equipped with our chassis. Several fastest laps in the race and four drivers in the top five proved the quality of our products once again. I'm glad that Al Dhaheri was able to finish 2nd and get closer to the top of the standings. Al Azhari was very fast while Verbrugge was finally able to express his talent. The other drivers of the team continued their progress despite changing grip conditions. Zhang gave us great satisfaction in qualifying for the Final in his second meeting in Europe. " The next meeting of the FIA ​​Karting European Championship will take the Parolin drivers to Belgium, to the Genk circuit, from 16th to 19th May.
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Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve
ALEX POWELL ONE WIN AND TWO MORE TOP SIX RESULTS
Alex Powell's last two races in Italy and France have further proved that the young and talented Jamaican kart racer remains one of the top drivers in the 60 Mini category. In mid-April at Lonato, Italy, Alex finished 5th in the prestigious Andrea Margutti Trophy. Two weeks later, the driver from the Energy Corse team scored significant points at the WSK Euro Series in France at Angerville, near Paris, thanks to a 2nd place in the Prefinal and a 6th in the Final. Between these two events, Alex went to Florida, to the Homestead circuit in South Miami, where he won brilliantly in Mini Swift.
I
n 60 Mini, the competition seems more difficult with each new race. The drivers and their teams are sharper and sharper, which does not stop Alex
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Powell being one of the most successful competitors at the front of each finish, despite particularly full grids. Rapidity and combativeness are definitely quali-
ties that the Jamaican knows how to take advantage of, with the help of his competent management: the staff of the Energy Corse team and his coach Mike Wilson.
30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ANDREA MARGUTTI TROPHY
G
oing back to 3rd and 2nd in the Qualifying Heats, Alex secured a spot in 2nd on the Prefinal grid. But on the circuit of Lonato, the rest of the competition was not to progress as he would have liked. First 4th in the Prefinal, he lost contact with the lead of the race in the Final. Alex Powell had to fight to the end in a raging pack to secure 5th place in this legendary event.
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ALEX POWELL CONFIRMS 2ND POSITION IN THE WSK EURO SERIES
A
fter several races in Italy, Alex Powell and the Energy Corse team arrived in France, at the Angerville circuit. The Jamaican hopeful quickly adapted to this new track by winning two heats after his 5th in Qualifying. Unfortunately, he also had to retire once because of an electrical problem when he was in the lead, and had a difficult start in a heat in the rain and lost places. Relegated to 11th overall, he won an incredible Prefinal despite everything. However, he lost valuable positions in a very rough start to the race and would have to be satisfied with 6th place in the Final. Alex Powell, however, retains 2nd place overall in the WSK Euro Series.
WINNER IN FLORIDA!
O
n the weekend of 20th and 21st April, Alex Powell had time to make the round trip to the United States. Racing in Mini Swift, he did not make the trip for nothing, as he won a Homestead Challenge Kart event after a magnificent and intense duel with his rivals at the wheel of his Energy Corse chassis.
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ABBASSE &SCORESKARAS MAJOR POINTS IN GERMANY
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FIA KARTING EUROPEAN CHAMP. KZ & KZ2 1/2 WACKERSDORF
KEY POINTS ORGANISATEUR
+
FIA Karting
LOCATION
+
Prokart Raceland, Wackersdorf, Allemagne – 1220 m
DATE 3rd to 5th May, 2019
ENTRIES 99 drivers– 2 categories • First of the two FIA Karting European KZ-KZ2 events • Abbasse dominates in the KZ Final • Skaras wins KZ2 Final • 100% Bridgestone meeting • Rainy weather on Saturday afternoon, dry track on Sunday
Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès
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KZ
ABBASSE
UNBEATABLE IN THE KZ FINALE
A
fter pole position for Matteo Vigano (Tony Kart / Vortex), Jorrit Pex (KR / TM) took the lead in the heats, ahead of Anthony Abbasse (Sodi / TM). But the Frenchman took the lead from the start of the Final and it was Alessandro Irlando (Birel ART / TM) who initially represented the strongest opposition. Then Vigano came back to 2nd position to try to fight for victory. But Abbasse was faster and faster and won without challenge with a lead of more than two seconds. Vigano and Irlando accompanied him on the podium while Bas Lammers (Sodi / TM) came back to 4th place ahead of Pex.
Provisional classification of the 2019 FIA ​​Karting European Championship KZ after the first round at Wackersdorf 1
Anthony Abbasse
34 pts
2
Matteo Vigano
28 pts
3
Alessandro Irlando
23 pts
4
Jorrit Pex
21 pts
5
Bas Lammers
15 pts
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SKARAS
KZ2
AT THE END OF THE FINAL
R
iccardo Longhi (Birel ART / TM) was the fastest in Qualifying, but lost his transponder in a heat. Alexander Schmitz (Tony Kart / Vortex) was then a favourite. But it was Emil Skaras (Energy / TM) who made the best start. Simone Cunati (CRG / TM) then took 2nd position before Schmitz encountered a mechanical problem and retired. While Cunati was still putting pressure on the leader, Longhi finished a superb 10-place rise to 3rd position. Against all odds, the race continued to the finish between the top three, separated by only 0.076'' on the finish line. David Vidales (Tony Kart / Vortex) had a very good result in 4th place ahead of Paolo Besancenez (Sodi / TM Racing), one of the few privateer drivers in the Championship.
Provisional classification of the 2019 FIA ​​Karting European Championship KZ2 after the first round at Wackersdorf
91
1
Emil Skaras
34 pts
2
Simone Cunati
27 pts
3
Riccardo Longhi
16 pts
4
Giuseppe Palomba
16 pts
5
David Vidales Ajenjo
15 pts
6
Philip Hall
15 pts
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Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès
ABBASSE FANTASTIC VICTORY AT WACKERSDORF
The FIA Karting European Championship - KZ started well for Sodikart with victory for Anthony Abbasse and the rise of Bas Lammers to 4th position. The Sodi Racing Team's performances since the beginning of the season have confirmed the exceptional potential of the French chassis in all conditions. In the winter freshness of Lonato as well as in the spring heat of Sarno, in the dry or in the rain, the Sodi Boys have always been able to participate in the fight for the win at the highest level of international competition.
H
appy to have been able to win with a consistent lead over his rivals, Abbasse was full of praise for his equipment and the work done by the team: "It was a very special weekend! The grip of the Wackersdorf track has been changing since the first tests, and when the weather changed on Sunday morning, we had no benchmarks. We prepared the Final set-up in the last Heat and I was able to get the best out of my Sodi during the 26 laps of the race. It was a little more difficult at the start, then the equipment gave its full measure to allow me to win with a lead of 2.3''."
With the 4th fastest Qualifying time at only 29 thousandths from pole position, Anthony honoured his reputation in the rainy heats, but was also formidable in the dry with the fastest time on Sunday morning. He started perfectly when the lights went out for the Final and achieved the perfect race by distancing his strongest opponents by several lengths. With this victory, Abbasse also took the lead of the European Championship.
Wackersdorf", added Julien Dexmier, the team manager. "I also salute the work of our engine partner, TM Racing, under the guidance of Franco Drudi. Anthony's triumph has thrilled us, but we must not forget the remarkable performance from Bas Lammers, who came 4th in the Final after a complicated race, and is 5th in the Championship. Adrien Renaudin is far from unworthy, his time proves it, but he had to fight hard in the middle of the pack. The very good 5th place by Paolo Besancenez in KZ2, powered by a TM Racing from Cédric Motor also gave us much satisfaction". After savouring its successes, the Sodi Racing Team will continue its development work to address the decisive meeting of Sarno with the best chance, in mid-June, after which the European Champion will be crowned.
"The experience gained by the whole team, in direct contact with the Sodikart factory, will have been decisive at
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Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès
BRILLIANT START FOR
BIREL ART BIREL ART WITH TWO EUROPEAN PODIUMS
The first round of the FIA Karting European Championships - KZ and KZ2 started well for the Birel ART brand, which confirms the quality of its products more than ever in the categories using with 125cc gearbox engines. Impressive throughout the weekend in KZ, Alex Irlando was rewarded for his attacking race with the third step of the podium. In KZ2, Riccardo Longhi remained in the limelight throughout the Final, making an incredible comeback from 13th to 3rd place. The two European titles appear to be within the reach of the official Birel ART team in 2019.
KZ: SENSATIONAL TOP THREE FOR IRLANDO The competition began with Alex Irlando's and Marijn Kremers' 3rd and 6th Qualifying times respectively, both less than
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one-tenth from pole position. Kremers had a fastest lap in one heat, but was sanctioned for his spoiler in the next race, losing valuable points. In the Final, the Dutchman had the fastest time among the frontrunners, but he had to be satisfied with 8th position. For his part, Alex
Irlando had a great start from the second row on the outside and was set to play a major role at the front. After his efforts, he mounted the third step of the podium, after an excellent drive in the European Championship.
KZ2: LONGHI THE SENSATION OF THE WEEKEND
M
ore than ever, the red and white colours of the Birel ART brand shone during this opening of the European Championship. With pole position, Riccardo Longhi was certainly one of the heroes of the meeting. Winner of two heats and twice 2nd, the Italian unfortunately dropped out in another, which strongly penalised him in the cumulative rankings. Thanks to an all-out
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attack and an incredible pace, Riccardo was able to pass many rivals to secure 3rd place. "When I see how fast I was able to get back to the leading pair, I think I could have won with one or two more laps. In June at Sarno, the goal will be to take the title, I know that I am capable, especially as I can count on my fantastic Birel ARTTM," said Riccardo Longhi at the finish. After the German Kart Grand Prix at Wackersdorf, the Team Manager of Birel ART Luca Filini did not hide his satisfaction after the fantastic performances of his drivers... "The team did a remarkable job. I am happy to see that all our KZ2 drivers
reached the Final despite the high number of entries and the difficult weather conditions on Saturday. This is proof that the performance was there, but also that we have been able to adapt to the situation. I congratulate Riccardo Longhi, Pierre Loubère, in the points in the Final, Alexander Dahlberg, who won a heat before finishing 11th in the Final, and Leonardo Marseglia. The latter is young, he has arrived from OK and has already managed to finish 2nd in a heat. He has yet to gain experience, but he is promising. As for Longhi, everyone could see that he was the fastest of the whole meeting. It's a pity he took maximum points in a heat. Finishing 3rd in the Final after starting 13th, is a great
achievement. I also congratulate the engine manufacturers with whom we collaborate, as well as the drivers and teams who use the Birel ART chassis, such as KSW, Solgat Motorsport, Joka Racing and Renda Motorsport."
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Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve
ENERGY CORSE WINNER AND LEADER OF THE
KZ2 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP In the wake of an already very successful start to the season, the Energy Corse team has taken podiums in different categories and competitions: WSK, Andrea Margutti Trophy, National Championships, as well as in FIA Karting. At Wackersdorf in the German Kart Grand Prix, Emil Skaras led the KZ2 Final from start to finish with an Energy Corse-TM package more effective than ever before. The Swedish driver is now a strong leader of the European Championship!
PERFECT FINAL FOR EMIL SKARAS WITH ENERGY CORSE-TM
A
lready noticed in 2018 and more recently in the WSK Euro Series at Sarno, Emil Skaras raised the
colours of Energy Corse to the top of international karting, triumphing with panache during the first round of the KZ2 European Championship. "I am pleased to see that all the development work done this winter on the equipment continues to bear fruit," said Mick Panigada, Energy Corse's team. "With Emil Skaras in KZ2,
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Robert De Haan in OK-Junior and Alex Powell in 60 Mini in particular, podiums are frequent and confirm that we have a technical package at the top level and brilliant technicians in our structure." It is true that Energy Corse has one of the best records in the category and that the Italian chassis remains a benchmark in KZ2. Emil Skaras made a brilliant demonstration of this in Germany. A strong 2nd in the heats with three wins, he made the best start in the Final and no one managed to dislodge him from 1st place. On the podium, the Swede savoured his victory with his team manager!
TWO PODIUMS FOR DE HAAN IN OK-JUNIOR
I
n addition to his dominance during the first of the three FIA ​​Karting Academy Trophy events (victories in the Final and in all three heats with four fastest laps!), this season Robert De Haan is one of the main players in the OK-Junior pack. The Dutchman leads the WSK Euro Series after a 2nd place finish in the Prefinal and 4th in the Final at Sarno, then another 2nd place in the Prefinal and the same P2 in the Final at Angerville. In addition, he mounted the second step of the podium at the opening of the French Championship! He was also at the forefront of the European Championship, before running out of luck. Russia's Maksim Soldatov has also made a name for himself on a number of occasions, while the Energy Corse team continues to support the progression of Marcos Flack and Connor Zilisch.
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60 MINI: SUCCESS AND PERFORMANCE
A
s Alex Powell continues to fight for the podium, the Energy Corse chassis are ubiquitous in the leading pack in the category of young drivers. Kirill Kutskov, Dmitriy Matveev, German Foteev, Vladimir Verkholantsev, Alexander Plotnikov, Yaroslav Trukhin, Marcus Saeter (ASD Revolution Motorsport) and Rui Chi Zhen were prominent in the WSK Promotion series. As for Powell, he won at La Conca in the WSK Super Master Series, which ended with a magnificent 3rd place overall for the Jamaican, out of a total of 137 drivers classified!
ENERGY CORSE DOMINANT IN RUSSIA
T
he excellent organisational work done by Energy Russia Niracing has been rewarded with many successes in the Russian Championship. In the first event, Team Akopov enabled Skulanov to win in Mini and Mateev to win in Super Mini, while Plotnikov (SilverRain team) was 3rd in the Super Mini category. The Energy Corse chassis won again in the second round of the Championship. In Super Mini, Batyta (Prima Racing team) won ahead of Mateev (Akopov team). And in Mini, Skulanov won again with team Akopov, who also placed Dzitiev on the third step of the podium.
WITHOUT DOUBT, ENERGY POWER IS STILL FULLY CHARGED IN 2019!
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DE HAAN MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
FIA KARTING ACADEMY TROPHY 1/3, WACKERSDORF
KEY POINTS ORGANISATEUR
+
FIA Karting
LOCATION
+
Prokart Raceland, Wackersdorf, Allemagne – 1220 m
DATE 3rd to 5th May, 2019
ENTRIES 50 drivers– 1 category • First of the three events of the FIA Karting Academy Trophy • Record of 47 nationalities • Training from Formula Medicine • One-design Exprit / Vortex / B'stone karts • Very close performances • De Haan dominates faultlessly • Rainy weather on Saturday afternoon, dry track on Sunday
Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès
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DE HAAN
UNDENIABLE DOMINATION
A
lthough Christian Ho (SGP) achieved pole position, the talent and experience of Robert De Haan (NLD) were decisive at Wackersdorf. He won his first three Qualifying Heats before leading the Final from start to finish, setting the fastest lap of the race and taking a brilliant 4.5'' win in front of the 2nd-placed Joshua Coertze (ZAF) in full battle with Magnus Germansen Daae (DNK). Gael Julien (IDN) and Charlie Wurz (AUT) completed the top five, while Paolo Ferrari (ITA) finished just 7th and Lucas Mendes (BRA) was the big loser of the race.
Provisional ranking of the 2019 FIA Karting Academy Trophy after the first Competition at Wackersdorf
111
1
Robert De Haan
35 pts
2
Joshua Coertze
26 pts
3
Magnus Germansen Daae
24 pts
4
Paolo Ferrari
18 pts
5
Gael Julien
16 pts
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Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès
MAXIME FURONCASTELAIN HOISTS THE COLOURS OF LUXEMBOURG HIGH IN THE ACADEMY TROPHY
After a promising test drive in the FIA Karting European Championship - Junior at Angerville, Maxime FuronCastelain made his debut in the FIA Karting Academy Trophy in Germany at the Wackersdorf circuit. During a competition made difficult by the erratic weather conditions, the young Luxembourger proved his talent once again by moving up from 31st to 13th position on Sunday, 5th May, 2019.
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A
lthough Maxime is not the first driver to represent Luxembourg in the FIA Karting Academy Trophy, he is certainly the youngest to wear the colours of the Grand Duchy. At the age of 11, Maxime is also the youngest of the field of 50 drivers from 47 nations around the world who competed on equal terms in Bavaria on identical Exprit / Vortex / B'stone karts.
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On Friday, having made his mark during the Free Practice sessions, Maxime pushed in Qualifying in the sun. He achieved the 5th fastest time of his group and took 13th place in the general classification, an inspiring performance against opponents who were generally much more experienced. Encouraged on Saturday by the presence of Henry Schwirtz, head of karting of the Luxembourg federation, the ACL Sport, Maxime started in 7th position for his first Qualifying Heat. Equipped with slick tyres, the karts found themselves in difficulty when rain started on the formation lap. As the accidents multiplied, Maxime kept his cool under the deluge. He went off-track, but controlled his kart so as not to lose too much time and then came back to 6th position when more than half of the drivers had retired. The second heat was still in the rain, but this time with wet tyres. Starting well, Maxime was hit by the driver behind him and hit two competitors in distress on the first lap, leading to retirement.
launched to attack his opponents chaining great time. He came back close to the top 10, but was losing ground on the last lap due to not controlling his pursuers enough. Maxime finished in an excellent 13th position, totalling 18 places gained during the day.
Maxime was in 31st place after this complicated day during which he had not made a mistake. He started Sunday with intense focus and the objective of a good place in the Final. His 6th place allowed him to qualify 21st among the 34 finalists. Careful at the start of the Final which was held on a dry track, Maxime avoided the incidents of the first lap and
Maxime will now return to the wheel of his Kosmic / Iame for the second round of the European Junior Championship in a week at Genk, while the second meeting of the Academy Trophy will take place at Sarno from 14th to 16th June.
"It was a difficult week-end, but very informative," commented Maxime. "I planned to be among the finalists first of all and this goal was largely exceeded despite my retirement from the second heat. I am very happy to have mastered my Exprit / Vortex in this new category where I am still the youngest: I have got used this situation since my debut! Coming back from 31st to 13th place in one day gave me much satisfaction, especially as I learned a lot with my mechanic Ulysse De Pauw. Thanks also to Eric Verdaasdonk for his support and advice throughout the weekend, and ACL Sport and FIA Karting for allowing me to participate in the Academy Trophy."
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LESS WEEKEND
FIA KARTING EUROPEAN CHAMP. OK & OKJ 2/4, GENK
KEY POINTS ORGANISATEUR
+
FIA Karting
LOCATION
+
Circuit Horensbergdam, Genk, Belgique – 1360 m
DATE May 17-19, 2019
ENTRIES 146 drivers– 2 categories
• Second FIA Karting European OK & OK-Junior event • Shuffled rankings during Timed Practice • Crashes and penalties in the heats • OK Final interrupted after 20 laps due to a storm • Two new winners • Several favourites drop back • Capricious weather, but dry track for most of the heats and for the Finals • LeCont tyres in OK and Vega in Junior
Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès
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JUNIOR
FIRST WIN FOR
AMAND T
he situation at Genk proved to be deceptive: the poleman of the strange Timed Practice, Conrad Laursen (FA Kart / Vortex) retired in the Final, the leader of the heats Nikita Bedrin (Tony Kart / Vortex) finished 2nd before being penalised and it was an outsider who did well at the end of a brilliant weekend. Frenchman Marcus Amand (Kosmic / Iame), who joined his former VDK Racing team for the occasion, was leading the Final after a difficult start and took an important victory for the rest of the season. Alex Dunne (Tony Kart / Vortex) took 2nd place ahead of Championship leader Thomas Ten Brinke (FA Kart / Vortex), solid whatever happens. Robert De Haan (Energy / TM) could have done better than 4th without his incident with Bedrin. Badly off after Qualifying, Andrea Kimi Antonelli (KR / Iame) finally recovered to 6th place ahead of Macéo Capietto (KR / Iame). Suleiman Zanfari (Kosmic / Iame) and Enzo Scionti (Tony Kart / Vortex) finished in the top 10, while Tuuka Taponen (Redspeed / Iame) came back from 63rd to 10th.
Provisional ranking of the FIA Karting European Championship - Junior after the second event at Genk: 1
Thomas Ten Brinke
49 pts
2
Marcus Amand
43 pts
3
Alexander Dunne
38 pts
4
Tuuka Taponen
35 pts
5
Nikita Bedrin
23 pts
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OK
THE RETURN OF
TRAVISANUTTO A
s confusing as Qualifying was, it was not totally determinant for the Final result. The pace of the poleman Luigi Coluccio (BirelART / TM) weakened in the closing stages, while Pedro Hiltbrand (CRG / Iame) took control of the heats before losing places in the Final and suffering a broken engine. The 28th fastest in Qualifying, Lorenzo Travisanutto (KR / Iame) honoured his title of World Champion by returning to 2nd after the heats and making a magnificent solo run at the front of the Final. He returned to 2nd place in the Championship thanks to this victory with a lead of more than 10'' on a dry track. Penalised for an unhooked spoiler, Dilano Van T'Hoff (Exprit / TM) left Dexter Patterson (KR / Iame) to take 2nd place ahead of Dino Beganovic (Tony Kart / Vortex). Ben Dörr (KR / Iame) and Morgan Porter (KR / Iame) finished in the top five ahead of Gabriele Mini' (Parolin / TM) returning from his 43rd in Qualifying. With ignition problems, Coluccio finished only 16th.
Provisional classification of the FIA Karting European Championship - OK after the second event at Genk:
121
1
Dexter Patterson
58 pts
2
Lorenzo Travisanutto
43 pts
3
Gabriele Mini'
35 pts
4
Dilano Van T'Hoff
30 pts
5
Juho Valtanen
29 pts
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SPECTACULAR IN CHANGING WEA
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RATHERRACES
PORTUGUESE KARTING CHAMP. KIA 2/5 - FÁTIMA
KEY POINTS ORGANISATEUR
+
FPAK
LOCATION
+
Kartódromo Internacional de Fátima Funpark, Fátima, Portugal - 1180m
DATE 12th - 14th April 2019
ENTRIES 71 drivers– 6 categories
Info Karting Global - Jorge Cabrita © Photo VVL Sport Image Lourenço José
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INICIAÇÃO
ROMEU MELLO
STANDS OUT AT THE RIGHT TIME
X
avier Lázaro (Birel ART) and Guilherme Morgado (Parolin) had each won a race, but Romeu Mello (Birel ART) took the lead in the Final to win against Morgado. Joana Lima (Birel ART) was on the third step of the podium, while Lázaro and Vasco Moreira (Parolin) finished in the top five.
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CADETES
MARIA GERMANO CONTINUES IN THE LEAD
T
iago Lima (EKR) took pole position and won the first heat, while Santiago Alves (Mad Croc) won in the second. But Maria Germano (Praga) was unbeatable again in the Final. She won the race 0.319" ahead of João Maria Gouveia (Praga), Alves finished 3rd ahead of Lima and Noah Monteiro (Parolin), the son of Tiago Monteiro.
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JUVENIS
ADRIÁN MALHEIRO STILL STRONG
A
s in the first event in Bombarral, Adrián Malheiro (Praga) won again by winning the heats and the Final. José Pinheiro (Praga), already 2nd in Heat 1, took 2nd place in the Final while João Miguel Oliveira (Tony Kart) finished on the podium ahead of Pedro Carvalho (Tony Kart) and Manuel dos Santos (Parolin)
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JÚNIOR
TOMÁS RIBEIRO
WINS AT FATIMA
I
van Domingues (Croc Promotion) started on pole after Qualifying in difficult weather conditions, then Henrique Cruz (KR) won the first heat. Domingues took the lead in the second heat, but fell at the start of the Final. Duarte Pinto Coelho (Tony Kart) was very strong in the wet, but Tomás Ribeiro (Tony Kart) took advantage of the dry track to take the lead and win against Pinto Coelho and Luis Leão (Exprit). Luis Alves (KR) and José Barros (Kosmic) completed the top five.
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X30
GUILHERME DE OLIVEIRA FASTEST
G
uilherme de Oliveira (Tony Kart) was in pole position, but was surprised in the rain in the first heat by Tomás Guedes (DR). De Oliveira caught up in the second heat and dominated the Final 1.6" ahead of Manuel Leão (Exprit). Zdenek Chovanec (Exprit) followed in 3rd position, with Álvaro Garcia (Tonykart) and Tomás Caixeirinho (KR) finishing in the top five.
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X30 SUPER SHIFTER
A WINNING RETURN FOR
YOHAN SOUSA D
efending champion Rodrigo Ferreira (Praga) took pole, but it was Yohan Sousa (KR) who won the first heat while the track was drying. Sousa also won the second heat before confirming his return to form with a 6" Final victory over Fรกbio Mota (CRG). Rita Teixeira (KR) finished on the podium, ahead of Tiago Teixeira and Miguel Ramos, both on CRG karts.
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2 FOR THE
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MORE THAN 200 DRIVERS OPENING OF THE 2019 SEASON
NATIONAL SERIES KARTING 1/3 SALBRIS
KEY POINTS ORGANISATEUR
+
3MK Events
LOCATION
+
Circuit International de Salbris, France – 1477 m
DATE 3rd - 5th May, 2019
ENTRIES 203 drivers– 7 categories • First round of NSK 2019 • Entries rising sharply • Spectacular races • Good organisation and friendly atmosphere • First tickets for the Rotax Max Challenge International Trophy • Variable weather with rain
Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve
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MINIME
DORISON ESCAPES TO VICTORY
T
he Minime drivers produced a great show for their Final. Carnejac, Martiniello, Dorison, Avril, Billard and Roussel long clashed at the front. Arthur Dorison (KR) finally managed to escape to victory in front of the pack led by Mathis Carnejac (Parolin) and Hugo Martiniello (Parolin). 4th at the chequered flag, Lisa Billard (Parolin) was penalised for partial exit from the corridor. Romeo Roussel (Tony Kart) recovered 4th position ahead of Luca Salignon (Formula K), Paul Grisel (Parolin) and Thomas QuincĂŠ (Sodi). The race could have been different if Pacome Weisenburger (KR), who took pole on Saturday and 4th in the heats, had not disappeared at the start.
Provisional Ranking of NSK 2019 - Minime
139
1
Arthur Dorison
172 pts
2
Mathis Carnejac
152 pts
3
Romeo Roussel
144 pts
4
Hugo Martiniello
138 pts
5
Thomas QuincĂŠ
112 pts
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CADET
SCHULZ
WINS AFTER POULAIN'S FALL
A
rthur Poulain (Birel ART) and Karel Schultz (Parolin) had succeeded each other in the lead, in both Qualifying and the heats. Unfortunately, Poulain was relegated to the back of the grid at the start of the Final. Schulz took the lead against Alessandro Giusti (KR) and progressively escaped to victory. Augustin Bernier (Birel ART) and Jolan Raccamier (Birel ART) came back to 2nd and 3rd positions, while Paul Alberto (Birel ART) came back to 4th after his disappointment at the start. Iliano Couture (Birel ART) won his duel with Corentin Rousseau (Top Kart) for 5th place.
Provisional Ranking of NSK 2019 - Cadet 1
Walter Schulz
162 pts
2
Paul Alberto
144 pts
3
Jolan Raccamier
130 pts
4
Augustin Bernier
128 pts
5
Corentin Rousseau
120 pts
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NATIONALE
NOAM ABRAMCZYK ON THE LAST LAP
D
ylan Leger (Tony Kart) was in pole position, Sacha Maguet (Kosmic) was leading the qualifiers, but it was Esteban Masson (Kosmic) who took power in the Prefinal. Masson and Maguet escaped in the Final, but an attempt to attack Maguet on the last lap resulted in a collision. 16th after the heats, Noam Abramczyk (Exprit) returned to 6th in the Prefinal. He passed Joran Leneutre (Redspeed) and Leger, before pushing hard at the front of the Final. Leger had a good 2nd place and Gaspard Simon (Exprit) completed the podium. Leneutre finished 4th in front of Florian Rousseau Ricci (Kosmic).
Provisional ranking of NSK 2019 - National
143
1
Noam Abramczyk
150 pts
2
Dylan LĂŠger
148 pts
3
Florian Rousseau Ricci
136 pts
4
Joran Leneutre
132 pts
5
Gaspard Simon
130 pts
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ROTAX MAX
TREILLARD WINS AGAINST FOURQUEMIN
A
recent defector from National, Guillaume Treillard De Quinemont (Kosmic) first took the pole position. Paul Fourquemin (Sodi) was ahead of him in the heats and a magnificent battle marked the Final. Treillard De Quinemont emerged victorious ahead of Fourquemin. César Gazeau (FA Kart) managed to take the third step of the podium, ahead of Marc Cammarata (Sodi), isolated in 4th position. Jonas Venier (Tony Kart) gained 11 places to reach 5th position after several penalties for his opponents.
Provisional classification of the NSK 2019 Rotax Max 1
Guillaume Treillard de Quinemont
166 pts
2
Paul Fourquemin
162 pts
3
César Gazeau
146 pts
4
Marc Cammarata
132 pts
5
Charles Tesnière
112 pts
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NATIONAL
ROTAX MAX MASTER
ANTOINE ANTIER
AT THE FINISH
A
ntoine Viano (Sodi) and Clément Morin (Tony Kart) were favourites in the Final after winning a heat each. But it was Antoine Antier who headed for the Final victory. Delayed at the start, Morin pushed to get back to the leader. With the fastest lap in the race, he finished in the wake of Antier, before being penalised for his spoiler and ending up 4th. Viano recovered 2nd place ahead of Charly Langlois (Sodi), while Max Nerambourg (Tony Kart) took 5th place.
Provisional classification of the NSK 2019 Rotax Max Master
147
1
Antoine Antier
162 pts
2
Antoine Viano
162 pts
3
Clément Morin
144 pts
4
Charly Langlois
134 pts
5
Florian Bourdon
124 pts
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ROTAX DD2
PICOT
DOMINATES
N
icolas Picot (Tony Kart) largely dominated the category while a battle involved the Belgian Xander Przybylak (Tony Kart), Andrew Williamson (Tony Kart) and Lucas Joly (Sodi). These three drivers finished in this order behind Picot and Brian Ancher (Redspeed) took 5th place. With 5th in Qualifying and 5th in the heats, Maxime Gravouille (Sodi) retired very early in the Final.
Provisional Ranking of NSK 2019 - DD2 1
Nicolas Picot
172 pts
2
Andrew Williamson
152 pts
3
Lucas Joly
150 pts
4
Brian Ancher
132 pts
5
Maxime Gravouille
128 pts
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NATIONAL
DD2 MASTER
CHAMPION WINS
W
ell back after dropping out in a race on Saturday, Rudy Champion (Sodi) won while his main opponent Charly Hipp (Tony Kart) disappeared early in the race. Long in the wake of Bruno Dos Santos (Sodi), Franck Lavergne (Sodi) managed to find the opening to win 2nd place. Franรงois Durand (Exprit) and Christophe Adams (Sodi) finished in the top five.
Provisional Ranking of the NSK 2019 - DD2 Master
151
1
Rudy Champion
166 pts
2
Franck Lavergne
148 pts
3
Bruno Dos Santos
146 pts
4
Franรงois Durand
128 pts
5
Charly Hipp
122 pts
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Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve
PKS SEVEN PODIUMS AND
TWO DOUBLES AT NSK In May 2018 the transfer of power took place between Eric Benes and Arnaud Sarrazin for the relaunch of the famous racing team Pole Karting Services. Since then, the former top-level driver has worked tirelessly to give the PKS team a new dynamic and meet the requirements of its drivers.
S
ince last year, PKS has won three tickets for the Grand Rotax World Finals in Brazil thanks to a success at the French Cup for Rotax Max with Paul Fourquemin, and two NSK titles with Esteban Masson in National and Rudy Champion in Rotax Master. At the start of the 2019 season, PKS set the bar even higher by taking podiums at Salbris during the opening round of the NSK. "In addition to our many recent successes in the League Championship, I really attached great importance to the preparation of this major event at Salbris: engines, organisation,
equipment assembly, preliminary testing, development of the structure, choice of mechanics and chassis development," admitted Arnaud Sarrazin. "The performance was very good and the results show that we have worked in the right direction." The gaul of trophies was particularly abundant for this first NSK event of the year. In Rotax Max, Guillaume Treillard De Quinemont and Paul Fourquemin, recently crowned League Champion, dominated their opponents all weekend to take a convincing double to the advantage of Guillaume in front of Paul.
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A brilliant 4th in Qualifying and 7th in the Final, Hugo Bac was a revelation at this level of competition. Arthur Roché achieved convincing progress to 5th place in the Final, before being penalised and falling to 11th. In Rotax Max Master, Antoine Antier and Antoine Viano (2019 Center-Loire Valley Champion) gave PKS another double, although they just missed the treble with Clément Morin, 4th after a spoiler penalty. As for Jérôme Rousseau, he has pursued his apprenticeship seriously, before retiring from the Finals. For a first attempt, it was a master stroke in Rotax DD2 Master for Rudy Champion, the strong winner of the category. In Cadet, Eliott Couche Guillou gained five places in a very competitive Final to finish in 8th position! And in National, Esteban Masson led the Final solidly, before going off on the last lap! The team managed by Arnaud Sarrazin however was able to congratulate itself on the 3rd place of new driver Gaspard Simon, just behind Dylan Léger, powered by PKS. The Touraine team also offers rental engines to all interested drivers. In addition, PKS still has a few places in its race team for 2019.
CONTACT
Tél. +33(0) 6 20 42 74 04 email : asarrazin@teampks.com
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Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve
SACHA MAGUET A REMARKABLE START TO THE SEASON
Discovered in Cadet in 2017 with a notably brilliant 2nd place at the French Cup, Sacha Maguet continued his training the following year as part of the French Junior Championship, where he learned a lot with the FFSA Academy. At the start of the 2019 season, he was able to reap the benefits of this investment and demonstrate his progress with successive victories.
"A
fter the conclusive experiment carried out at the end of last year with the PB Kart team managed by Bertrand Pechon, for 2019 we decided to continue with this very professional team, dedicated to the main events of the National category. After many victories at the regional level, we are expecting a lot more and I am more motivated than ever to play leading roles," said Sacha Maguet.
In the space of two months, Sacha Maguet has won no less than five races at the wheel of his Kosmic chassis in PB Kart colours! In February, he dominated the Open Kart at the Salbris circuit, as part of the first event of the Stars of Karting. Traveling to Brignoles at the beginning of March, the Ile-deFrance driver was again on the top step of the podium in front of some of the best drivers in the South of France. "It's encouraging, because it is precisely Salbris and Brignoles will be the venues
for the 2019 French Championship and the French Cup." Also racing in the League Championship in Center-Val de Loire, Sacha completed the perfect race. He won the three meetings at Salbris, Mer and Saint Amand Montrond. This faultless run deservedly earned him the title of 2019 Regional Champion! He hoped to confirm his form during the first NSK event. But while he had won the three Qualifying Heats, a collision in the Final deprived him of another podium. "It's always unfortunate because the performance was really there, but I hope to erase this lesssuccessful performance as soon as possible," admitted Sacha, ready for new conquests...
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NATIONAL
159
FERNANDEZ & RICCI CROWNED IN ARIÈGE
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FRENCH CUP FOR SENIOR, MASTER AND GENTLEMAN AIGUES-VIVES
KEY POINTS ORGANISATEUR
+
FFSA Karting
LOCATION
+
Circuit International d’Aigues-Vives, France – 1390 m
DATE May 11th and 12th, 2019
ENTRIES 88 drivers– 3 categories • Return of Lavelanet (Aigues-Vives) to the FFSA calendar • Entries down from 2018 • Wet track for the Qualifying • Good weather for the Finals • Many twists and turns • Suspended classification in Gentleman
Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès
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NATIONAL
SÉNIOR
FERNANDEZ UNBEATABLE IN SENIOR TO THE END
T
he Senior category was first marked by pole position for Loïc Réguillon (Top Kart), Yohan Soguel (Oberon) and Milane Petelet (Sodi) in Qualifying. Nicolas Picot (Tony Kart) then came to challenge them in the heats. The Prefinal ended with victory for Réguillon while Petelet crashed with Picot on the last lap. Louan Fernandez (Exprit) was already back in 3rd place and dominated the Final by dislodging Yann Bouvier (FA Kart) from 1st position to win by 2” and win the French Cup. Picot was back on track to reach the third step of the podium. Enzo Joulié (KR) finished 4th and Romain Bonetto (Tony Kart) 5th. Alessandro Astruc (Kosmic) was 6th in front of Bastien Gassin (Praga) and Réguillon 8th.
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MASTER
RICCI
AT THE TOP ON THE DRY
J
ulien Poncelet (Top Kart) got off to a good start while wet weather limited the grip, but Thomas Ricci (KR) took the lead in the dry and the two men had a good duel in the Prefinal. Ricci flew to the Final victory and the French Cup while Poncelet was outdistanced. Sami Nerguti (Tony Kart) regained his 3rd position with a battle with Eric Chapon (Compkart) who lost contact in a final attempt. Vincent Arnould (Exprit) and Thibault Rinaudo (Tony Kart) completed the top five.
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GENTLEMAN
OSTIER
IN THE LEAD UNDER THE CHEQUERED FLAG
W
illy Runget (Tony Kart) was in pole position and Jean-Charles Saliba (Exprit) took the lead before FrĂŠdĂŠric Ostier (Kosmic) overhauled him. Winner of the Prefinal against Jerome Roca (Kosmic), Ostier took the lead in the Final while Saliba competed against Pierre Allemand (Tony Kart) and Runget came to join the battle. He attempted an attack on Saliba at the start of the last lap and the two drivers ended up in the gravel trap. Allemand recovered 2nd position on the finish line, followed by Yannick Le Moing (Kosmic) well up to 3rd place ahead of Franck Darbonville (Exprit) and Thierry Abiven (Alpha). Allemand was then declared technically non-compliant and appealed the decision, which resulted in the suspension of the result.
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MASSON REIN HIS ASCEND
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NFORCES DANCY
FRENCH JUNIOR KARTING CHAMP. 3/5, AIGUES-VIVES
KEY POINTS ORGANISATEUR
+
FFSA Academy
LOCATION
+
Circuit International d’Aigues-Vives, France – 1390 m
DATE 11th and 12th May, 2019
ENTRIES 20 drivers– 1 category • Third round in Ariège • Organisation by FFSA Academy • Training and detection of young talents • Very close equipment performance • Wet track for Qualifying • Good weather for the Finals
Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès
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MASSON UNBEATABLE IN ARIÈGE
W
hether in the rain during Timed Practice when he achieved his first pole position of the season, during the heats or in the Final stages, Esteban Masson continually dominated his opponents in Aigues-Vives. His main rivals had various fortunes that prevented them from challenging him for the lead. Macéo Capietto was delayed in Qualifying, Louis Pelet was penalised in one heat before going off the track at the start of the Prefinal, while others were delayed by various penalties.
PARLANT OUT OF THE GAME
M
athis Parlant proved to be the best opponent to Masson by consistently taking 2nd places. He was also able to resist the return of Capietto in the Final stages to keep the second step of the podium. Gaspard Simon was consistent at the front to finish in 4th place ahead of Pelet, who came back well in the Final. The positions have not changed in the provisional standings, but the scores have widened. Only Parlant improved, to 6th place.
Provisional classification of the 2019 French Junior Karting Championship after the third round at Aigues-Vives 1
Esteban Masson
150 pts
2
Macéo Capietto
116 pts
3
Gaspard Simon
101 pts
4
Louis Pelet
82 pts
5
Arthur Rogeon
78 pts
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Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès
NOAH ANDY REUNION DRIVER MAKES PROGRESS AT AIGUES-VIVES
The third event of the 2019 French Junior Championship took place last weekend at the international circuit of Aigues-Vives Lavelanet at the foot of the Pyrenees. On this fast and demanding track, despite showers, Noah Andy showed good progression from the beginning of meeting by finishing in the top 10 several times. Delayed in the Prefinal, Noah recovered three more places during the Final to confirm his strong performance in the south of France.
F
rom the Free Practice on Friday, Noah was highlighted at Lavelanet, known for its technical difficulty. In the rain on Saturday morning, he managed to qualify in 15th position in the official Qualifying. As the weather became dry again, Noah started the Qualifying Heats with confidence. Without making any mistakes, he started a good recovery of five places in the
first heat and finished 10th again in the second. These excellent performances earned him 9th place in the intermediate ranking on Saturday night.
drivers crashing on the first lap and he had to retire. Not discouraged, Noah started the afternoon Final with a sustained morale. 18th on the starting line, he avoided incidents and began to recover, despite the widening gaps on the Ariège track. He finally reached 15th position, a satisfactory result in these circumstances. The regret of having to give up in the Prefinal was mitigated by his very encouraging performances throughout the weekend. Noah left Lavelanet with a reinforced mindset for the next event that will take place from 12th to 14th July on the famous circuit of Valence (26).
The Sunday morning warm-up confirmed his top 10 finish. Unfortunately, he could not take advantage of it to obtain a good result during the Prefinal. He was unable to avoid two
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NATIONAL
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SURPRISES AT THE RETURN TO GERMANY
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DKM GERMAN CHAMP. 2/5 – WACKERSDORF
KEY POINTS ORGANISATEUR
+
DMSB
LOCATION
+
Prokart Raceland, Wackersdorf, Allemagne – 1220 m
DATE 10th to 12th May, 2019
ENTRIES 185 drivers– 4 categories • Second meeting of the German Championship • One week after the KZ-KZ2 European Championship • New winners • Variable weather, from sun to heavy rain • Vega tyres
Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo Loredana Ivancov
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NATIONAL
DKM
KR WINS WITH
HUGO SASSE & LORENZO TRAVISANUTTO H
ugo Sasse (TB Racing Team) dominated the OK category on Saturday against the clock and in the heats. He took the lead in Race 1 and won his first race of the year. Lorenzo Travisanutto (CV Performance Group) came in 2nd place followed by Miklas Basil Born (Innovate Competition), Aleksey Sizov (TB Racing Team) and Nico Hantke (3G Racing) to make up the top five. After a turbulent start in Race 2, Sasse hit technical problems and finished only 11th. Travisanutto won his second victory after Lonato, followed closely by Alexander Tauscher (Junior TEAM75) and Felix Arnold (TB Racing Team). Bastian Buus (RS Competition) and Sizov finished 4th and 5th.
Provisional ranking of the DKM OK after 4 out of 10 races
175
1
Lorenzo Travisanutto
111 pts
2
Hugo Sasse
87 pts
3
Kas Haverkort
72 pts
4
Aleksey Sizov
56 pts
5
Alexander Tauscher
44 pts
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NATIONAL
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DJKM
ROBERT DE HAAN
AT THE TOP WITH ENERGY
N
eo Ringdahl (Bamberger Kartracing) took the OKJunior pole position on a wet track, but Robert De Haan (Energy Corse) already took the lead in the heats. He also proved unbeatable in both Sunday races and consolidated his leadership position in the Championship. Behind the leader, the battle was intense. Luca Leistra (RS Schumacher Racing Team) took the lead over Levente Revesz (KR Motorsport), Enzo Riccardo Scionti (WARD Racing) and Jakob Bergmeister (Millenium Racing Team) in Race 1. Then Revesz finished 2nd in Race 2 against Leistra, followed by Bergmeister and Mathias Bjerre Jakobsen (TK Racing).
Provisional ranking of the DJKM OK-Junior after 4 out of 10 races: 1
Robert De Haan
119 pts
2
Luca Leistra
80 pts
3
Jakob Bergmeister
64 pts
4
Levente Revesz
56 pts
5
Enzo Riccardo Scionti
56 pts
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NATIONAL
DSKM
RICCARDO LONGHI ET STAN PEX THE WINNERS
B
enjamin Tornqvist Persson (CRG Holland) showed his ease on wet track with a win and a 2nd place in the heats. Riccardo Longhi (BirelART Racing KSW) won the first Final in the dry ahead of Fabian Federer (SRP Racing Team). Emilien Denner (CPB Sport) managed to take the lead over Stan Pex (SP MotorSport) and Tornqvist Persson for 3rd place. Starting 6th, Jeremy Iglesias (RS Schumacher Racing Team) took control of Race 2, but he had to let Stan Pex win in front of Federer while Longhi took 3rd place against Jorrit Pex (SP MotorSport) and Iglesias.
Provisional ranking of the DSKM KZ2 after 4 out of 10 races:
179
1
Fabian Federer
114 pts
2
Stan Pex
86 pts
3
Jeremy Iglesias
69 pts
4
Riccardo Longhi
66 pts
5
Émilien Denner
62 pts
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NATIONAL
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DSKC
FIRST WIN FOR ROOKIE
VAN WALSTIJN M
exico's Rafael Villagomez (BirelART Racing KSW) dominated Qualifying and the heats. His team-mates Valentino Fritsch and Robert Kindervater then took over, each winning their Prefinal. Fritsch made a perfect start to the Final, but Senna Van Walstijn (SP MotorSport) came back strongly and took the lead up to the finish to earn his first DSKC victory. Several penalties then changed the result and Konstantin Kapetanidis (Valier Motorsport) was 2nd to Fritsch, Valdemar Risom (RS Competition) and Jan Bednar (Gregor Kart S.R.O.).
Provisional ranking of the DSKC KZ2 after 4 races out of 10 1
Valentino Fritsch
76 pts
2
Valdemar Risom
66 pts
3
Senna Van Walstijn
60 pts
4
Rafael Villagomez
52 pts
5
Konstantin Kapetanidis
50 pts
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PRODUCTS
ITAKA SHOP
+
HOODIE AYRTON SENNA
119
McLaren co-branded Ayrton Senna World Champion 1988 black hoodie (with fluorescent orange/coral details) McLaren and Ayrston's logo in the front like on one of sleeves and Ayrton Senna's logo in the back. Two zipped pockets on each side and a zipped pocket on one of the sleeves. This technical and lightweight jacket offers freedom of movement thanks to it's composition.
THIS COLLECTION BRINGS : - Ease - Lightness - Hybrid construction - Synthetic insulation
Sizes avaible : L and XL. *Reduces heat loss and increases the temperature, even in very cold weather. Official Ayrton Senna License Reference : EQ716.08T
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.90€
TTC
ITAKA SHOP
+
AYRTON SENNA "NACIONAL" CAP
Refonte couleur logotype ITAKASHOP
PANTONE 485C
29.
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The Cap symbolizes the successful partnership of Ayrton Senna and the Banco Nacional. The brazilian Banco Nacional was one of the main sponsors of Ayrton Senna during his Formula 1 career. Ayrton Senna's signature is stitched on the sides and the lettering of the Banco Nacional logo is made with a 3D-stitch technique. All letters are seperated from the background. Color : Blue / 100% Cotton / Size : Ajustable Official Ayrton Senna License Référence : EQ715.031
Black
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CARS
Info & Š Photo Renault Sport
OSCAR PIASTRI REPEATED SUCCESS The first double winner with the new Formula Renault FR19, Oscar Piastri gave his team R-ace GP a sixth consecutive success on the Silverstone circuit. Already victorious the day before, the Australian repeated his success on Sunday ahead of his team-mate Alexander Smolyar and Victor Martins (MP Motorsport), his closest rivals in the overall standings. The top rookie, Renault Sport Academy driver Caio Collet (R-ace GP) won the Hankook Trophy.
PIASTRI DOMINATES QUALIFYING
O
n a dry track, Oscar Piastri quickly took the lead in Qualifying. Despite the efforts of Alexander Smolyar, Victor Martins and Lorenzo Colombo (MP Motorsport), the Australian accelerated the pace at the end of the session to take his
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second pole position of the weekend with 1'57''022. More than half a second behind the poleman were Alexander Smolyar, Victor Martins, Lorenzo Colombo and rookies Caio Collet and Ugo de Wilde (JD Motorsport). Yves Baltas (M2 Competition), Kush Maini (M2 Competition), Callan O'Keeffe (FA Racing by Drivex) and JoĂŁo Vieira (JD Motorsport) completed the top ten.
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CARS
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R-ACE GP TAKES THE DOUBLE
U
nlike the day before, Oscar Piastri made a perfect start to keep his lead against Alexander Smolyar and Victor Martins. Behind that, Caio Collet took the lead over Lorenzo Colombo while Kush Maini gained two positions to finish 6th. In the pack, the start of the race was enlivened by the rises of Amaury Cordeel (MP Motorsport), who start last, and Petr Ptáček (Bhaitech Racing), who lost seven places on the first lap. At the same time, Federico Malvestiti (Bhaitech Racing) had to go through the pits to change his damaged front wing. At the front, Oscar Piastri quickly pulled away and responded immediately when Alexander Smolyar began to nibble into his lead half-way through. Never worried, the Australian won without hesitating against Alexander Smolyar and Victor Martins to become the first driver to win two races this season. Under pressure from Lorenzo Colombo until the finish, Caio Collet was 4th and received the Hankook Trophy for the top rookie. In 6th, Kush Maini preceded Callan O'Keeffe, but the South African was found guilty of gaining an advantage by leaving the track at Copse to overtake Ugo de Wilde on the 13th lap. Ugo de Wilde recovered his 7th place ahead of Callan O'Keeffe, Yves Baltas and João Vieira. The third meeting of the season in the Formula Renault Eurocup will take place in Monaco as part of the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix (23rd-26th May).
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THEY SAID Oscar Piastri (R-ace GP): "No victory is easy. My start was better than yesterday, but I really could not hesitate in the first few laps. I had a great pace and that allowed me to pull away to impose myself. It's a good thing to be at the top of the overall standings even though that does not mean much after just four races. All I know for the moment is that I want more after this double win! "
Alexander Smolyar (R-ace GP): "After my retirement yesterday, I was hoping to fight for victory to score maximum points, but Oscar was just too fast today. This may not be the result I wanted, but I had a good race and this double is a great result for the team and me in terms of the title. Our testing has paid off and I hope we can continue this momentum in Monaco."
Victor Martins (MP Motorsport): "Consistency will be the key to winning the title, so this podium could be important when it comes the standings. Today, our pace was better and I also made fewer mistakes than yesterday in Qualifying. It's always difficult to get on a circuit with a new car, but we continue to work hard with my team-mates and the team to find more performance. In Monaco, we will have to quickly be on the pace to aim for victory, but I cannot wait to be there."
Caio Collet (R-ace GP): "This first rookie win underlines our progress. The team really did a good job winning both races and placing all three of us in the top four. It had been more difficult than expected at Monza, but I have now returned to the top five and I hope to stay there in the upcoming meetings. I continue to learn from session to session, lap after lap and this result represents a real step forward!"
PROVISIONAL GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
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1
Oscar Piastri (R-ace GP)
62 pts
2
Victor Martins (MP Motorsport)
46 pts
3
Alexander Smolyar (R-ace GP)
43 pts
4
Ugo de Wilde (JD Motorsport)
41 pts
5
Kush Maini (M2 Competition)
33 pts
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HADRIEN D OPENS THE 201
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DAVID 19 SEASON
FRENCH F4 CHAMP. 1/7 NOGARO
KEY POINTS ORGANISATEUR
+
FFSA Academy
LOCATION
+
Circuit Paul Armagnac, Nogaro, France – 3636 m
DATE 20th - 22nd April 2019
ENTRIES 19 drivers– 1 category • FFSA Academy Championship • F4 Mygale to FIA standards • Good weather • Three races during the weekend • Two wins for David and one for Gazil
Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve
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The first race weekend began with Hadrien David's prophetic pole position ahead of Enzo Valente as the gaps between Jules Mettetal and the 3rd place contenders was small.
D
avid finally managed to take the lead over Valente in Race 1 to win the first race of the year. Reshad De Gerus took 3rd place ahead of Nicky Hays and Mettetal. The inverted grid for the top 10 gave Ugo Gazil a great opportunity to shine with De Gerus recovering well. Gilian Henrion beat Victor Bernier for 3rd place, while David ended up 4th in front of Hays. David had a good start in Race 3 and withstood the pressure from his opponents before taking off for another victory. Behind De Gerus, in 2nd, Hays emerged in 3rd position against Valente, while Henrion confirmed his form in 5th place.
Provisional classification of the French F4 Championship after Nogaro
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1
Hadrien David
63 pts
2
Reshad De Gerus
45 pts
3
Nicky Hays
33 pts
4
Enzo Valente
31 pts
5
Gillian Henrion
26 pts
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Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve
VICTOR BERNIER TAKES THE LEAD IN THE FRENCH F4 JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2018 World Junior Champion in Karting, Victor Bernier made his grand debut in single-seaters at the famous Easter Cups in Nogaro, one of the most popular meetings of the season in motorsport. Aged 14 and a half, Victor is one of the youngest drivers in F4 in 2019, which did not stop him getting noticed in Free Practice.
"O
n Friday, I was consistently among the fastest, but I did not get the same level of performance the next day, especially during the Qualifying session, which is essential in single-seaters," said Victor. "I'm also going to have to work on the strategy to get the most out of the tyres when they're most effective. Starting 10th in Race 1 and 12th in Race 2, that's really not what I was hoping for."
The circuit of Nogaro not being known to be a track favouring overtaking, the driver from the French FFSA Karting team however completed a solid Race 1, but without being able to do better than 9th. With the grid reversed for the top 10 in Race 2, Victor was on the front row and managed to hold his place on the podium for much of the race. "Unfortunately, I experienced overheating of the tyres and the last laps were very difficult, I dropped to 6th."
This position, however, allowed him to get on the podium to receive the trophy awarded to the top Junior, a performance that he repeated in Race 3. "My first lap was not good, however, and I had to push to come back to 12th and 1st Junior, and in the end I left Nogaro top of the French F4 Junior Championship, which is satisfactory, but I am sure I can do a lot better in the general classification. I will work towards my goal in Pau on 18th-19th May. In the meantime, I want to thank all my partners for their support."
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Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve
PIERREFRANÇOIS DURIANI JUMPS INTO THE BIG
POOL OF SINGLE-SEATERS Originally from Corsica and aged 16 and a half, PierreFrançois Duriani is participating in his first season in motorsport in 2019, after several successful years spent in karting. He has also integrated sport with his education, at the Pole France with the FFSA Academy at Le Mans, where he continues his education in 1st ES and benefits from the infrastructure at the federal training centre.
S
even meetings with three races are scheduled as part of the French F4 Championship of 2019, which began during the presti-
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gious Easter Cups at Nogaro. At first, his ambitions to score points in the Championship were upset... "The Free Practices on Friday were really instructive, I
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progressed well throughout the day," said Pierre-Franรงois. "But during the last Free Practice on Saturday morning, I made a small mistake and the car hit the wall, when I had just set the 5th fastest time." The mechanics from the FFSA Academy were busy on the car of the Corsican driver, but the Qualifying session turned to disaster despite the repairs. "The car was just not the same as the morning and I found myself unable to set a good lap, and on Sunday I had to start from 19th in Race 1. Certainly I was able to move up to 14th, but I felt that there was still an issue. We followed up with Race 2 which was even more difficult, as I dropped to 16th position." The technical team decided to inspect the car more deeply and found another new problem at the back of the Mygale-Renault F4 FIA. For Race 3, scheduled for Easter Monday, Pierre-Franรงois Duriani ended up with a good feeling. "At last I was able to gradually regain confidence in the car and attack again, I made a good start, before passing several times to move up from 19th to 11th, but most of all, my lap times were comparable to drivers who finished in the top six, which is promising for the rest of the French F4 Championship," concluded the young French hopeful.
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Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve
WINFIELD GUIDES ITS DRIVERS
TO PODIUM FINISHES IN FRENCH F4 OPENER AT NOGARO The Easter Cups launched the 2019 FIA French F4 Championship from the Nogaro circuit, where drivers flying the Winfield colours enjoyed strong starts to their campaigns, during a weekend where the performance level was particularly high.
T
ravelling to Circuit Paul Armagnac was instructor Cyrille Sauvage and mental trainer Laurent Sauriat who joined Anne-Charlotte Rémy and Frédéric Garcia, representing Winfield Racing School and Winfield Talents, to manage the young drivers. Winner of the 2019 Volant Winfield, Jules Mettetal immediately battled at the front, while finalist Nick Hays impressed with his progression throughout the weekend. The American flew to third in the final race and leaves the French venue third in the French F4 drivers' standings.
pace during free practice and clinched an encouraging third in qualifying.
Promising youngster Isack Hadjar, who won this year's Trophée Winfield, showed remarkable pace, winning the Junior class in race one before bad luck robbed him of a similar result in the second and third.
"This was Jules' first ever single-seater race and he was understandably hesitant during his starts. He lost some places, which prevented him achieving better than fifth in race one and ninth in the second. In race three, he was fighting for fourth place when he made a small mistake. Winfield will continue to support him to help his progression, as the potential is truly there."
Giving his view on the first French F4 meeting of 2019, Winfield Group President, Frédéric Garcia, said: "The Winfield drivers have shined in Nogaro and this was confirmed by a maiden podium. As he was able to show during his Volant Winfield victory, Jules Mettetal demonstrated his very high level of performance once again. He improved his
"Regarding Nicky Hays, he was one of the revelations of the meeting. He arrived from California without attending any of the collective tests organised by the FFSA Academy before this first event in Nogaro. He gained positions in each of the races. In the opener he was fourth having started sixth, then fifth from seventh and finally third from fifth. He has shown an
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continued Frédéric Garcia. "Isack is still young, but very promising. He has the qualities to target the Junior class title, like Théo Pourchaire did last year." This opening French F4 round has underlined the quality of training provi-
ded by the Winfield Racing School more than ever, as championship leader Hadrien David, was also one of the 2019 Volant Winfield finalists.
Ines Trocchia - Ph: Sirio Serughetti - Art Direction: Guido Monfrini / Makelab.it - Make-up: Lorenza Bacchieri - Location: Vega Srl, Saronno (VA) - Riproduzione vietata - Imposta di pubblicitĂ a cura di chi lo espone in pubblico - Backstage:
www.vegatyres.com/backstage
www.vegatyres.com
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Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve
ISACK HADJAR THE ADVENTURE STARTS AT NOGARO The first chapter of Isack Hadjar's single-seater career was written in the south-west of France during the famous Nogaro Easter Cups. With his main background in karting, Isack got acquainted with motor racing during the first round of the French F4 Championship. The winner of the Winfield Trophy was able to reveal some of his talent, notably fighting for the top three in Monday's race, in which he was second fastest. However, the meeting was not easy for Isack, faced with sometimes overexcited rivals, small technical problems and the rigour of the regulations. Another opportunity to learn from racing thanks to his usual conscientiousness.
"I
was looking forward to this first round of the French F4 Championship with the FFSA Academy. I know I need to gain experience and I learned a lot during this first single-seater race at Nogaro," said Isack calmly. Showing a growing maturity, Isack was able to temper his natural sense of attack to make the most of his first competition.
Attentive during the four Free Practice sessions, he was able to run among the five fastest and confirmed this in the Qualifying Practice by setting the 7th fastest time and the 6th fastest second time determining his place on the starting grid for Races 1 and 3. A most encouraging start! From Race 1, Isack discovered a technical problem during the start procedure.
"Because of my size, it is difficult to adjust the pedal optimally and therefore to keep my car at its equilibrium point on the grid while waiting for the lights to go out. That made me lose some places and I finished 8th, scoring my first points in the championship." For Race 2, probably the riskiest of the weekend, Isack adopted a well thought out strategy: "With the reverse grid system for the top 10, Race 2 was very hectic. It was sometimes necessary to play safe to avoid clashes. I finished 10th, but I managed to preserve my tyres for Race 3, to take advantage of my good position on the grid." Isack had decided to give the best of himself in the last race. Starting very well, he gained two places in the first corner and quickly followed with a third, with 2nd place close in sight. "I was faster than the driver who preceded me, but he closed all the doors despite the instructions given at the briefing to limit blocking after the
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first laps." Isack was then forced back into the pits for a "drive through", penalty following the problem he faced on the grid. Back on track and more determined than ever, Isack proved his top speed by achieving a much noticed second fastest lap in the race. His coach Pierre SancinĂŠna analysed this first positive round: "Isack has learned many lessons in a few days and the times achieved during Race 3 show that he is able to quickly implement everything he learns. The rules are sometimes hard to accept at the moment, but I am convinced that he has all the qualities to approach the rest of the Championship with confidence and determination by learning from this first experience." Isack thanks his partners John Dalia, GeFi Insurance and Sportone, as well as the supervision of the FFSA Academy and the Winfield Racing School. He is currently in 11th position in the provisional classification of the French F4 Championship and is preparing for the second meeting of the season, the legendary Grand Prix de Pau, a spectacular street race.
F4 FRENCH CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE 1st round: April 20-22 - Nogaro 2nd round: May 17-19 - Pau 3rd round: 21-23 June - Spa Francorchamps 4th round: 5-7 July - LĂŠdenon 5th round: 6-8 September - Hungaroring 6th test: 13-15 September - Magny-Cours 7th round: October 11-13 - Paul Ricard
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FIA Karting European Championship Round 1 Angerville
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FIA Karting European Championship Round 1 Wackersdorf
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Kay Oberheide CIK Executive Secretary
RACE
Junior Karting third event of 2019 at Aigues-Vives
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