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In Castrezzato the curtain also opens on the Champions of the Future season, a championship created and promoted by the RGMMC group with the aim of allowing drivers and teams to compete in a series of "preparatory" races on the tracks that will then host the FIA ​​competitions Karting. In its third year of activity and four months after the last round of last year, Champions of the Future is presented in 2022 with a novelty: the Winter Series. The first edition of this new event is inaugurated on the Franciacorta Karting Track with a good turnout of drivers in all three international categories present in the race: 56 in OKJ, 42 in OK and 34 in KZ2, for a total of 132 participants.

After free practice, Friday ended with the usual qualifications and the starting grids for the qualifying heats, which will take place tomorrow, are therefore established.

KZ2: An unmatchable Simo Puhakka signs the fastest lap

• Simo Puhakka (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) really makes the difference in the premier class of karting and wins the absolute pole position thanks to an amazing 46.653 in group 1. In a category used to seeing extremely narrow gaps between the drivers , the Tony Kart Racing Team standard bearer trims more than two and a half tenths to Giuseppe Palomba (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing). The driver of the Birel ART Racing team confirms his speed skills, but he has to be satisfied with the second position in the group and the third total. Just six thousandths from Palomba stops the time trial Adrien Renaudin (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), who reaffirms the state of form of Tony Kart on the new Franciacorta circuit with third place in the group and fifth in the general classification.


• After making his debut in Formula 4, the two-time European OK champion Andrea Kimi Antonelli (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME) returns to driving a kart to keep in training. And it's the usual Kimi. The pupil Mercedes imposes itself in group 2 with a 46.865 and thus earns the second overall position. The KR Motorsport team driver is just nine thousandths ahead of a surprising Laurens Van Hoepen (Leclerc by Lennox Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing), who proves to be competitive with second place in the group and fourth overall. The standard bearer of the Leclerc by Lennox Racing team is just ahead of teammate Tom Leuillet (Leclerc by Lennox Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing), author of another convincing performance with third place in the group and sixth in the standings general.


• The reigning KZ world champion Noah Milell (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) makes him the seventh place overall. David Liwinski (Leclerc by Lennox Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing), Jean Luyet (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) and Danilo Albanese (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME) follow him, completing the top ten.


• Considering the pace expressed in free practice, qualifying was slightly below expectations for Paolo Ippolito (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), 12th overall and just behind Robert Kindervater (Birel ART Racing KSW - Birel ART - TM Racing).


• The top 15 is closed thanks to good performances by Oscar Targett (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing), William Lanzeni (Power Competition - EKS - TM Racing) and Leonardo Marseglia (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing).


• Slight disappointment for Juho Valtanen (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), 16th overall, and for the reigning European KZ2 champion Giacomo Pollini (Renda Motorsport - Birel ART - TM Racing), 23rd.

OK: Amazing debut Tomass Stolcermanis

• Tomass Stolcermanis (Energy Corse - Energy Corse - TM Racing) made a great debut in the premier category of single-speed karting. After taking home the bronze medal from the last round of the Champions of the Future series last year in OKJ, the Energy Corse standard bearer amazes everyone in his very first qualifying in OK and takes the absolute pole position thanks to a 46,922 in group 1. The performance of Maksim Orlov (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing), another promising rookie, is also remarkable. Just 45 thousandths of a second behind Stolcermanis, the standard bearer of the Parolin Motorsport team earns the second position in the group and the third overall. Following the two very young drivers is Gabriel Gomez (CRG Racing Team - CRG - IAME), who proves to be competitive with third place in the group and fifth in the overall standings.


• Reigning OKJ world champion Kean Berta Nakamura (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME) gives yet another proof of his speed, establishing himself in group 2 with a 46,955 and thus taking second place overall. The standard bearer of the KR Motorsport team precedes his teammate Alex Powell (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME) by just 32 thousandths, confirming the excellent feeling with the OK through the second position in the group and the fourth overall. Three thousandths from the talent in orbit Mercedes stops the time trial the reigning world champion Tuukka Taponen (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), third in the group and sixth in the general classification.


• Graduated as vice-champion of the Champions of the Future series in 2020 and vice-champion of the world in the same year, Joseph Turney (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) reaffirms his role at the top of the standings with the seventh place overall. He is followed by the two KR of the current OKJ European vice-champion Matheus Ferreira (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME) and Rashid Al Dhaheri (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME).


• After welcoming 2022 with a victory and two podiums in the first two rounds of the season, reigning world vice-champion Luigi Coluccio (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) completes the top ten, just ahead of Rintaro Sato (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME).


• Crowned champion of the Champions of the Future series in OKJ in 2020 and vice-champion in OK in 2021, Arvid Lindblad (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME) is certainly among the favorites, but the qualification sees him 12th overall. The Red Bull Junior Team driver precedes Zachary David (Sauber Academy - KR - IAME), Joel Bergstrom (Forza Racing - Exprit - TM Racing) and Luka Sammalisto (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), who closes the top 15.


• Freddie Slater's (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex) performance is also slightly below expectations. Indeed, after winning the Champions of the Future series in OKJ last year, the reigning European OKJ champion and world champion in 2020 is only 17th.


• Slight disappointment also for the European KZ2 champion in 2020 Viktor Gustavsson (CRG Racing Team - CRG - IAME), who returns to driving single-speed karts together with his new team and obtains the 27th position in the general classification.


• At his absolute debut in OK, the young Mercedes recruit Yuanpu Cui (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME) occupies the 19th place overall.

OKJ: Anatoly Khavalkin is the fastest driver on track

• Anatoly Khavalkin (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing) seems to have gotten used to the appointment with the top of the standings. Third in the world championship last year, the standard bearer of the Parolin Motorsport team is the best interpreter of the new Franciacorta circuit and wins the absolute pole position thanks to a 48.324 in group 2. The young driver precedes by 34 thousandths an exceptional Enzo Tarnvanichkul (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), who finds himself second in the group and third overall. Just behind the Thai driver is his teammate Jan Przyrowski (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), author of a satisfactory performance with third place in the group and fifth in the overall standings.


• After a promising start to the season, Nathan Tye (Sodikart - Sodikart - TM Racing) reaffirms his excellent form and signs the best time in group 1 in 48.666, which earned him the second overall position. The Sodikart standard bearer only trims Douwe Dedecker (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME) by just nine thousandths, confirming his competitive position with second place in the group and fourth overall. Stops the chronometer just 28 thousandths from Tye and also Maciej Gladysz (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), third in the group and sixth in the general classification, expresses his speed.


• Positive qualifying sessions also for Salim Hanna Hernandez (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), seventh overall and followed by two great protagonists of the category such as Lucas Fluxa (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME) and Rene Lammers (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing) .


• Last year's runner-up in the Champions of the Future series, Kirill Kutskov (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing) closes the top ten in the overall standings.


• Completing the overall top 15 are Maxens Verbrugge (Forza Racing – Exprit – TM Racing), Alfie Slater (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), Luviwe Sambudla (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), Thomas Quince (Privateer - Tony Kart) and Oleksandr Bondarev (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), author of a performance slightly below expectations.


• Andres Cardenas (Energy Corse - Energy Corse - TM Racing), 27th overall, Tiziano Monza (DPK Racing - KR - IAME), 35th, Ena Frey (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), 39th, and Miguel Costa (Sauber Academy - KR - IAME), 52nd.


• The new female driver of the Mercedes Junior Team as well as rookie in OKJ Luna Fluxa (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME) earns 40th place in the overall standings.

©Photo: Sportinphoto