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One month after the first edition of the Winter Series, the RGMMC group is back on track in Portimao for the first of the four rounds of the Champions of the Future Euro Series. The protagonists of the direct drive categories, OK and OKJ, have the opportunity to compete in a "preparatory" race on the circuit that in two weeks will host the inaugural round of the FIA Karting European Championship. 64 drivers present themselves at the start of the championship in the premier class of single-speed karting and 64 young bishops are also ready to compete in the OKJ.

The usual qualifying sessions took place on Friday, before continuing with the first qualifying heats, which will end on Saturday afternoon.

OK: David Walther achieves his first pole position in OK

• David Walther (Koski Motorsport - Tony Kart - Vortex) had already accustomed us to his speed in OKJ, to the sound of pole position, but a few adaptation races were enough for him to reaffirm his skills also in OK. The rookie makes the difference in group 3, setting the absolute best time in 55.700 and trimming more than two tenths to Nicolò Cuman (Forza Racing - Exprit - TM Racing), author of an excellent performance with second place in the group and fourth overall . Behind the Italian driver is the champion of the Winter Series Tomass Stolcermanis (Energy Corse - Energy Corse - TM Racing), who confirms his competitive position with the third position in the group and the seventh in the general classification.


• Even the performance of Artem Severiukhin (Ward Racing - Tony Kart - Vortex) is remarkable, printing a 55.762 in group 1 and returning to the top with the second place overall. The driver of the Ward Racing team precedes Matheus Morgatto (DPK Racing - KR - IAME) by 80 thousandths, second in the group and fifth overall to inaugurate his European season with his new team in style. Excellent qualification also for Dion Gowda (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), third in the group and eighth in the general classification.


• The fastest in group 2 is a surprising Zachary David (Sauber Academy - KR - IAME), who gets the third overall position thanks to a 56.059. The Sauber Academy rider beats Rintaro Sato (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), which has its say with second place in the group and sixth overall. Completing a trident signed by all KR is the young Mercedes recruit Yuanpu Cui (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), candidate for the leading role with third place in the group and ninth overall.


• Convincing qualifications even for Ean Eyckmans (EGP Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), who closes the absolute top ten after earning the bronze medal at the OKJ European championship last year. The Belgian driver is followed by the Tony Kart couple formed by the reigning world vice-champion Luigi Coluccio (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) and by Joseph Turney (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), who graduated as vice-champion of the Champions series. of the Future in 2020 and vice world champion in the same year on the Portimao circuit.


• The top 15 is completed by Enzo Deligny (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing), Mercedes pupil Alex Powell (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME) and Maxim Rehm (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), who finds himself just ahead of the champion of world in charge Tuukka Taponen (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex).


• Qualifying slightly below expectations for reigning OKJ European champion Freddie Slater (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), 19th after winning the Champions of the Future series in OKJ last year and being crowned world champion OKJ in 2020 right on the Portimao circuit. Slight disappointment also for Juho Valtanen (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), 21st, Maksimilian Popov (Ward Racing - Tony Kart - Vortex), 30th after winning the bronze medal in the Champions of the Future series in OKJ last year, Gabriel Gomez (CRG Racing Team - CRG - IAME), 33rd, Rashid Al Dhaheri (Forza Racing - Exprit - IAME), 37th with the new team, the European KZ2 champion in 2020 Viktor Gustavsson (CRG Racing Team - CRG - IAME), 41st, and James Egozi (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), 43rd.


• Some complications also for the two new recruits of the Alpine Academy Affiliate Program: Matheus Ferreira (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME) and Kean Nakamura Berta (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME). The reigning OKJ European runner-up and fresh runner-up of the Winter Series is 27th overall, while the reigning OKJ world champion is 48th after taking the third step of the podium at the Winter Series.


• Unlucky qualification for Francesco Marenghi (DPK Racing - KR - IAME), who manages to complete only one lap and finds himself 64th.

OKJ: Oleksandr Bondarev sets the pace

• The tracks and the races change, but Oleksandr Bondarev (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex) always remains at the top. Thanks to a 57.502 in group 1, the rider of the Ricky Flynn Motorsport team gets the absolute pole position and starts the championship in the best possible way. As proof of his speed, Bondarev trims more than two tenths to Andy Consani (Sodikart - Sodikart - TM Racing), who demonstrates his progress with second place in the group and fourth overall. Just behind the young Frenchman is Maciej Gladysz's other LN (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex). The champion of the Winter Series is confirmed competitive with the third position in the group and the seventh in the general classification.


• To complete a double by Ricky Flynn Motorsport in the Portuguese qualification is Thomas Strauven (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), who signs the best time in group 3 in 57,596 and thus gains the second place overall. The Belgian driver precedes Rene Lammers (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing) by 24 thousandths, who returns to the top of the standings with second place in the group and fifth overall. He closes a trident made up of three different Lucas Fluxa chassis (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), still the protagonist with the third position in the group and the eighth in the overall standings.


• A surprising Gerasim Skulanov (Leclerc by Lennox Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing) won in group 2 with a 57.621, which earned him third place overall. The driver of the Leclerc by Lennox Racing team is the author of his best qualifying of the season and beats Kirill Dzitiev (Ward Racing - Tony Kart - Vortex) by just seven thousandths, who does not miss the appointment with the fastest in the category thanks to his second place in the group as well as sixth total. Also noteworthy is the performance of Guillaume Bouzar (Koski Motorsport – Tony Kart – Vortex), third in the group and ninth in the overall standings.


• Positive results even for Adam Hideg (DPK Racing - KR - IAME), tenth overall and just ahead of team mate Tiziano Monza (DPK Racing - KR - IAME). Nathan Tye (Sodikart - Sodikart - TM Racing), Winter Series runner-up Andres Cardenas (Energy Corse - Energy Corse - TM Racing), Kian Fardin (Ward Racing - Tony Kart - Vortex) and Miguel complete the top 15 with convincing performances. Costa (Sauber Academy - KR - IAME).


• Qualifying slightly below expectations, however, for Dmitry Matveev (Koski Motorsport - Tony Kart - Vortex), 18th overall, Anatoly Khavalkin (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing), 23rd after climbing on the third step of the podium at the Winter Series as well as at last year's world championship, Jan Przyrowski (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), 24th, the reigning vice-champion of the Champions of the Future series Kirill Kutskov (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing ), 28th, Douwe Dedecker (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), 30th, and Enea Frey, 36th.


• The new pink quota of the Mercedes Junior Team as well as rookie in OKJ Luna Fluxa (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME) wins the 49th place in the general classification, while Jindrich Pesl (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing), Niklas Schaufler (DPK Racing - KR - IAME) and Jensen Burnett (Energy Corse - Energy Corse - TM Racing) finish their first qualifying in OKJ in 38th, 54th and 57th overall position respectively.


• Unlucky qualifying for Zac Drummond (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing), who finds himself 63rd.

©Photo: Sportinphoto