FIA Karting European Championship rd 1, Genk: KZ Final – An extraordinary Emilien Denner flies to maiden KZ victory

[translated with Google]

Tyres: LeCont

Emilien Denner (Sodikart - Sodi - TM Racing) seems to draw the trajectories with the compass in the 23 laps of the KZ final on the Genk circuit. After being beaten, for the first time this weekend, by Paolo Ippolito (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME) in the Super Heat, the French driver starts very well from pole position and, after having passed a first phase of the race in which his direct rivals they manage to stay close, fly away. The Sodikart team does an excellent job in refining Denner's chassis set-up, considering that in the heats the young man suffered from excessive tire wear. The final is in fact a whole other story: Denner pushes every lap to the limit and looks back to check the gap he has on his rivals only a few laps from the checkered flag, when he can finally reassure himself. The Frenchman won his first success in KZ, complete with a fast lap and almost three and a half seconds ahead of his direct rival.

Second at the finish line is Paolo Ippolito. After winning Super Heat A thanks to an exhilarating performance, the KR Motorsport team bishop starts from second place on the grid in the final and tries to get ahead of Denner immediately, but fails. The Italian driver accuses some difficulties with the overheating of his kart and attributes to this phenomenon the main reason for the separation from the winner.

Matteo Viganò (Leclerc by Lennox Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing) climbs on the third step of the podium. The Italian driver is overtaken by Pedro Hiltbrand (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing) at the start, but returns to third place on lap six and then approaches Ippolito in the final race. The standard bearer of the Leclerc by Lennox Racing team tries everything to put his opponent in the final laps, but the KR Motorsport team rider defends himself very well and beats Viganò by just 23 thousandths in a photo finish finish.

Jorrit Pex (SP Motorsport - KR - TM Racing) slipped from fourth place on the grid to sixth place at the start and takes back fourth position in a race that confirms his qualities. Pedro Hiltbrand, fifth, also proved his skills. The reigning European runner-up moves up to third at the start, gaining three positions thanks to a lightning-fast sprint and an exceptional maneuver on the outside at the first corner, but then he has to settle for fifth place.

Lorenzo Travisanutto (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing) is also the author of an exquisite start, moving up to fifth place, and then finishing in sixth at the end of an exciting duel with Senna Van Walstijn (Sodikart - Sodi - TM Racing) , seventh at the finish. Respectively first and second in the International Super Cup KZ2 last year, the two rookies complete a remarkable debut in the premier class.

Francesco Celenta (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing), eighth, Stan Pex (SP Motorsport - KR - TM Racing), ninth, and Adrien Renaudin (Tony Kart - Tony Kart Racing Team - Vortex) reaffirm their presence at the top of the standings , tenth. Jeremy Iglesias (CRG Racing Team - CRG - TM Racing) surprises with his comeback of five positions, which takes him to the final ninth place, but the 2020 world champion is then relegated to 11th place by a five-second penalty due to nose in incorrect position.

The top 15 is closed by the reigning OK world champion Tuukka Taponen (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), who ends his first weekend in KZ in 12th place, Juho Valtanen (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) , the 2019 world champion Marijn Kremers (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing) and the multiple world champion Davide Forè (Renda Motorsport - Birel ART - TM Racing), skilled in making a comeback of eight positions. On the other hand, the reigning world champion Lorenzo Camplese (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) is relegated from 12th to 16th place by a five-second penalty due to the nose being in the wrong position.

Unlucky day for the reigning world champion Noah Milell (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), retired in the Super Heat and 18th in the final, and for his teammate Simo Puhakka (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), which ends only two laps between Super Heat and the final.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU_wwcxtR6U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv8IOhugJtY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p-RZC6lIpw