The FIA ​​Karting European Championship OK and OKJ 2020 kicked off under the beating sun of the Circuito Internacional de Zuera. After free practice, the day ended with the Qualifying Practice which set the starting grid for the rounds of Qualifying Heats that will last until Sunday morning.

OKJ: Valerio Rinicella pips Brando Badoer

• Valerio Rinicella (Parolin Racing Kart - Parolin - TM Racing) conquers the first pole position of the 2020 FIA ​​Karting season by lining up all the competitors of group 3, the fastest with 10 drivers under the wall of 01.02 "00. The time of 1'01 "588 clocked by the Italian allowed him to stay ahead of Brando Badoer (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), exactly one tenth of a second slower.
  


• Igor Cepil (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), also in group 3 with Rinicella and who was third two weeks ago, instead scored the third fastest time ahead of Nikola Tsolov (DPK Racing - KR - IAME), on track in the same group .
  


• William Macintyre's adventure (Leclerc By Lennox Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing) in the Leclerc By Lennox Racing team begins with an excellent fifth time overall, enugh to come home ahead of Ugo Ugochukwu (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME) and Karol Pasiewicz ( Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), both protagonists of an incredible comeback two weeks ago.
  


• Bruno Del Pino (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) is the first of the Spanish drivers in eighth pplace, ahead of the winner of the Champions Of The Future stage, Arvid Lindblad (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME). Just in the last seconds of the last session, Tuukka Taponen (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) set a time fast enough to enter the top ten.
  


• Under the 1'02 ”00 barrier we also find, in order, Evan Giltaire (Sodikart - Sodi - TM Racing), Alex Powell (KR Motorsport - KR -IAME), Alfio Spina (KR Motorsport - KR -IAME), Lorens Lecertua (LLK - FA Kart - Vortex) and Ean Eyckmans (Kosmic Kart Racing Department - Kosmic Kart - Vortex). Farther back, however, Gowda Dion (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - Kosmic kart - Vortex), who with the 22nd overall time is the first driver of the second group, while Freddie Slater (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - Kosmic kart - Vortex) and Martinius Stenshorne (Rosberg Racing Academy - KR - IAME) are 35th and 48th respectively

OK: Taylor Barnard and Norton Andreasson posts the same lap time

• Unlike the OKJ, the drivers of  OK managed to improve the times set two weeks ago on the occasion of the Champions Of The Future. In the end, Taylor Barnard (Rosberg Racing Academy - KR - IAME) had the upper hand, although the Englishman shares the same time (59 "939) with Norton Andreasson (Ward racing - Tony Kart - Vortex), who equaled him in the following qualifying session.
  


• Behind them we find Andrea Kimi Antonelli (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), the best of the first group, and Hannes Janker (TB Racing Team -KR - IAME). The 2018 European Champion, who looks in good shape here in Zuera, is half a tenth of a second slower than the two leaders.
  


• Enzo Trulli (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME) is the last Kart Republic in the top 10 and precedes Oliver Gray (Leclerc By Lennox Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing) and Laurens Van Hoepen (Leclerc By Lennox Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing), at his first appearance with his new team and already porotagonist of an excellent qualifying closed with the seventh time.
  


• Nikita Bedrin (Ward Racing - Tony Kart - Vortex), eighth, precedes Joe Turney (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) and Luigi Coluccio (Kosmic Kart Racing Department - Kosmic Kart - Vortex), author of the secondtime behind Antonelli in the first group.
  


• Alexander Dunne (Birel ART Racing - BIrel ART - TM Racing) continues to make progress behind the wheel of his Birel ART and almost makes it into the top ten. Behind him there are Levente Revesz (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), Lorenzo Patrese (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), Noah Degnbol (Ward Racing - Tony Kart - Vortex) and Oliwier Pylka (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME).
  


• The winner of the 2019 FIA Karting Academy Trophy Kajus Siksnelis (Exprit Racing Team - Exprit - Vortex), 19th, finishes his qualifying ahead of Maya Weug Birel ART Racing - BIrel ART - TM Racing) and Pedro Hiltbrand (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart Vortex), returned after recovering from an injury. Bad qualy for Juho Valtanen (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), today only 27th and for Lorenzo Travisanutto (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) only 36th.

©Photo: Sportinphoto