KZ: A masterful Pedro Hiltbrand takes the reins

• After winning the first heat in style thanks to a comeback of three positions, Pedro Hiltbrand (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing) takes advantage of the contact between Senna Van Walstijn (Sodikart - Sodi - TM Racing) and Noah Milell (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) in the second heat to score the double. The driver of the Birel ART Racing team expresses an impressive pace and sets the fastest lap in the last lap, being about three tenths faster than his closest rivals. The only two drivers, in addition to the Spanish driver, able to break the 46-second wall on the flying lap in the second heat are Matteo Viganò (Leclerc by Lennox Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing) and Paolo Ippolito (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), third and sixth respectively. and both in comeback. Hiltbrand ends the day with a second place in the last heat, in a race that sees him following Van Walstijn like a shadow and once again signing the fastest lap. The reigning European vice-champion thus obtains the leadership in the general classification, thus gaining the departure from pole for tomorrow's final and making his chances of winning the title even more concrete.


• A remarkable Senna Van Walstijn confirms himself at the top of the standings with the second absolute position. After being first in the start of the second heat, just like in the other two, the Dutch standard bearer suffers the attack of Noah Milell, who brakes so hard that he goes long and collides with the standard bearer of the Sodikart team. The poleman on Friday was forced to retire and was also sanctioned for the maneuver with a penalty of ten seconds, while Van Walstijn returned to the track and finished in seventh place. The reigning European KZ2 runner-up complains of a lack of grip, but recovers in the last heat, winning and defending himself very well from an arrembante Hiltbrand, whom he will join tomorrow in the front row of the final.


• Juho Valtanen's (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) path is also positive. Still among the first eight and second in the second heat, the Tony Kart Racing Team driver gains two positions with respect to qualifying and climbs to third place overall.


• He recovers three positions with respect to qualifying after having always finished in the top eight even Paolo Ippolito (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), which makes him fourth in the overall standings. The KR Motorsport team bishop is the only driver, together with Hiltbrand, able to go under the 46 second wall on the flying lap in the last heat. At the moment they seem to be the two main contenders for the title, so it will be curious to see the challenge tomorrow.


• Matteo Viganò (Leclerc by Lennox Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing) will also compete for the title, fifth overall. The standard bearer recovers five positions in the first heat and finishes ninth, signing the fastest lap and being the only driver capable of breaking down the 46-second wall on the flying lap. The Italian bishop completes another extraordinary comeback in the second heat and grabs third place, while he seems to struggle more in the last race on Saturday, which sees him cross the finish line in 12th place. Viganò is still a candidate for the role of great protagonist for tomorrow.


• The sixth overall position is the prerogative of Simo Puhakka (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), author of an excursion on the lawn at the first corner of the second heat following a fortuitous contact with his teammate Tuukka Taponen (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex). The Finnish expert resumes the race and crosses the finish line in 21st place, but nevertheless returns to the top of the standings thanks to the two fourth places obtained in the other two heats.


• After completing two excellent comebacks in the first two heats, Lorenzo Camplese (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) is relegated from 11th to 18th place in the last heat by a five-second penalty due to the nose being in the wrong position. The reigning vice world champion thus sees the possibility of starting in the first three rows in the final vanish and finds himself seventh overall, just ahead of Jeremy Iglesias (CRG Racing Team - CRG - TM Racing) and Stan Pex (SP Motorsport - KR - TM Racing ). Both drivers recover four positions with respect to qualifying thanks to encouraging performances.


• The retirement in the second heat following the contact with Van Walstijn significantly affects Noah Milell's weekend, but the reigning world champion still closes the total top ten thanks to the two third places obtained in the other two heats. The poleman on Friday does not seem to express the same potential shown in qualifying and is always beaten by Van Walstijn in the shot when the traffic lights go out. The Tony Kart Racing Team rider also tries starting from the outer side of the track, but the outcome does not change and tomorrow he will be determined to try to get back up.


• Completing the top 15 in the general classification are Francesco Celenta (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing), Marijn Kremers (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing), Tuukka Taponen, delayed by a retirement in the second heat following a contact with Emilien Denner (Sodikart - Sodi - TM Racing), which occurred while trying to overtake the French driver in a risky area, Davide Forè (Renda Motorsport - Birel ART - TM Racing) and Lorenzo Travisanutto (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing), relegated from 16th place at 23rd in the first heat from a ten second penalty, received for causing a collision.


• A particularly troubled path sees Emilien Denner relegate to 16th overall position. Slipped from ninth place to 22nd in the first lap of the first heat following an excited start and then recovering up to 15th place, the dominator of the first round in Genk was forced to retire in the second heat following a puncture in a rear tire. The French driver declares that he was thrown out by Juho Valtanen in the first heat and also regrets the traffic found in qualifying during his best lap, which could have hoisted him in second place. . Being able to count on the support of team mate Senna Van Walstijn, who would have finished third, would have been precious for Denner, but this morning the young rider was still determined, aware of the length of the weekend and the opportunities that can be created. With the cancellation of the Super Heat, the mission to win the title becomes even more difficult for the Sodikart standard bearer, but he will certainly not give up.


• A few hitches also characterize Riccardo Longhi's weekend (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing). Having retired from the first heat following an error and subsequently an accident, the European champion finds himself spinning on the first lap of the last heat and starts from the back to cross the finish line in 29th place. The Birel ART Racing team driver still boasts a fourth place in the second heat and tomorrow will start from 24th position on the grid in the final.

KZ2: An extraordinary Moritz Ebner in the lead

• Three drivers boast three victories at the end of the heats of a particularly disputed KZ2, but among these Moritz Ebner (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing) is the only standard bearer able to finish all his five heats in the top three. Thanks to his perseverance and a disarming coldness, the driver of the Birel ART Racing team wins the first position in the general classification and will therefore start from pole in tomorrow's final.


• To complete a front row signed by all Birel ART will be Alessio Piccini (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing), who is hoisted in second place overall thanks to three second places, a third and a fourth. The Italian driver gains ten positions with respect to the qualification and expresses excellent potential.


• Total third place is the prerogative of Tom Leuillet (Leclerc by Lennox Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing), who is confirmed as the main candidate for the championship victory. After replacing the defective tire in qualifying, the winner of the first round in Portimao is deprived of success in his first heat and relegated to 13th place by a five-second penalty, received for moving before the lights went out and added to a penalty of five seconds due to nose in incorrect position. There is a bit of controversy over this last penalty, considering that Leuillet's nose releases with an unusual dynamic: when the drivers line up on the grid, the traffic lights do not light up and after a while waiting, Arvid Lindblad ( SP Motorsport - KR - TM Racing) and the standard bearer of the Leclerc by Lennox Racing team leave. No signals are given by the stewards and therefore the participants believe they are in the race, but the yellow flags are displayed right at the end of the first lap. Lindblad suddenly brakes, finding himself also the commissioner with the red flag on the straight, and Leuillet crashes him. The team manager of the Leclerc by Lennox Racing team, Jordon Lennox-Lamb, explains to the commissioners that following the valid start his driver dominates the heats and it is evident that the nose did not release during the "official race", but the commissioners keep the penalty valid and the young Frenchman is forced to accept it. In the same heat even Lindblad was relegated from second place to fifth due to a five-second penalty, received for moving before the traffic lights went out, and Daniel Vasile (DR - DR - Modena Engines) from third place to ninth following a a five second penalty causes the nose to be in the wrong position. This is how Giuseppe Palomba (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing) inherits the victory, while Leuillet continues his path with three wins and a third place. The current championship leader continues to show exciting performances and set the fastest lap in three heats.


• To give further proof of the competitiveness of Birel ART chassis on the Cremona circuit, Cristian Bertuca (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing) takes fourth place in the overall standings. The rookie is the first driver to achieve three successes, winning his first three heats in an exemplary way, complete with a fast lap, but he sees the possibility of starting in the front row in the final just in the final stages fade. The young standard bearer crosses the finish line of heat B-C in fifth place following a complicated start from the outside row and is relegated from third place to 13th in his last heat by a five-second penalty due to the nose being in the wrong position. Bertuca is still a candidate for the role of great protagonist for tomorrow.


• Also an excellent Tim Gerhards (CPB Sport - Sodi - Tm Racing), fifth overall, reaffirms his presence at the top of the standings. Slipped from second place to 15th in the first lap of his first heat following a frantic start and then recovering to tenth position, the CPB Sport team rider wins two second places and two thirds in the following four heats.


• The path of Thomas Imbourg (CPB Sport - Sodi - Tm Racing) is equally remarkable, sixth overall. The French driver wins three heats, but is relegated to 15th position in heat D-E by a ten-second penalty, received for having made a mistake in the restart phase at the end of the Slow procedure.


• Also authors of encouraging performances are Paavo Tonteri (CRG Racing Team - CRG - TM Racing), seventh in the general classification and in the top six of all his heats, Daniel Vasile (DR - DR - Modena Engines), eighth overall and third in the heat B-D, and Jean Luyet, ninth overall. Relegated from ninth place to 11th in his first heat by a five-second penalty due to the nose being in the wrong position, the Tony Kart Racing Team standard bearer gives promising signals and even gets two second places.


• A surprising Arthur Carbonnel (CPB Sport - Sodi - Tm Racing) closes the top ten in the general classification, recovering 14 positions compared to qualifying. Michael Barbaro Paparo (IPK Official Racing Team - IPK - TM Racing), 11th overall and third in the C-D heats, and Oscar Targett (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing), 12th overall, are also in great comeback compared to qualifying. and third in the heat A-D.


• David Trefilov (Maranello SRP Factory Team - Maranello - TM Racing) boasts one victory and three second places, but finds himself 13th in the overall standings. Leuillet's direct rival in the championship makes a mistake in the A-E heat while he occupies the second place and then retires following a contact in the rear. If there is still hope for Trefilov, Kris Haanen (SP Motorsport - KR - TM Racing) sees his dreams of glory fade after reaching the third step of the podium in the first round in Genk. The standard bearer of the SP Motorsport team retires from his last two heats and does not gain access to the final.


• They are hampered by a few hitches, but Giorgio Emiliano Carrara (Novalux - Lenzokart - LKE) and Giuseppe Palomba, who complete the total top 15 and are both winners of a heat, also prove to be competitive, as well as Michael Rosina (TBkart Racing Team - TB Kart - TM Racing), 18th overall and second in the A-B heats, and Alex Maragliano (Fina Mangione - Drago Corse - TM Racing), 19th in the general standings and author of two second places in the heats.


• Arvid Lindblad's path is characterized by a series of errors, especially in the starting phase, and penalties, but also by the usual flashes of his talent. The poleman on Friday slips 17th total, but he wins his last heat and signs the fastest lap in three heats. Certainly the Red Bull Junior Team driver does not give up.


• Troubled path also for other protagonists as well as authors of convincing performances, including some top three placings, such as Jorge Pescador (CRG Racing Team - CRG - TM Racing), 24th overall, Jean Nomblot (CPB Sport - Sodi - Tm Racing), 25th, Matteo Spirgel (CPB Sport - Sodi - Tm Racing), 33rd, Danilo Albanese (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), 35th, and Robert Kindervater (Birel ART Racing KSW - Birel ART - TM Racing), 43rd and therefore deprived of access to the final.

Academy: Impeccable Matias Orjuela, but tie with Thibaut Ramaekers

• In case it wasn't clear enough with yesterday's pole position, Matias Orjuela dominates his two heats complete with a fast lap. The young Colombian remains in command of every single lap and consolidates his first position in the overall standings.


• Nobody manages to put the wheels in front of Orjuela, but the long-awaited direct confrontation between the poleman on Friday and Thibaut Ramaekers is postponed to tomorrow. The Belgian driver writes a monologue in both of his heats and keeps his second place overall. Ramaekers will certainly be determined to take on his Colombian rival in heat A-B tomorrow morning, although he will start from the outside of the track.


• A very good Iwo Beszterda is hoisted in total third position thanks to two second places, confirming the good results shown yesterday.


• Guillaume Bouzar also expresses his skills, gaining seven positions with respect to qualifying and making him fourth in the overall standings thanks to a second place and a third. The Luxembourg standard bearer precedes Aleksandar Bogunovic and Mark Dubnitski, both authors of a third place and convincing performances.


• Equally remarkable is the path of Caleb Gafrarar, who recovers six positions with respect to the qualification and obtains the seventh place overall.


• They complete the top ten and reaffirm their presence at the top of the rankings Dinu Sabin Stroescu, eighth total and second in heat A-D after having slipped from second place to eighth in his first battery, thanks above all to an excited first lap, Santino Panetta, ninth, and Joel Pohjhoa, tenth overall and forced to recover from 13th to seventh in heat A-D following a complicated second lap.


• Already protagonist in the first round in Genk, Nikolas Roos gains three positions compared to the qualification and moves to 11th place, while William Go, 21st overall and third in his first battery, but retired from the B-C heat to the last one, are delayed by some hitch lap while competing for sixth position, Luca Houghton, 28th, Chiara Battig, 31st, and Arthur Dorison, 33rd and left the scene together with other riders in the reconnaissance lap of the B-D heat.


• Following an unfortunate qualifying, in which he does not complete even a flying lap, Ketsiri Vongsapat climbs to 40th place overall. The young Thai recovers 12 positions in his first heat, but retires from heat B-C.


• Henry Joslyn is also recovering from qualifying, recovering positions in both of his heats, but in both cases he is relegated by some penalties. The English standard bearer thus finds himself 39th in the overall standings.

©Photo: Sportinphoto