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FIA Karting European Championship rd 2, Cremona: KZ Final – Maiden KZ victory for Senna Van Walstijn, while the European title goes to an excellent Paolo Ippolito
Mattia Livraghi
19 June 2022

[translated with Google]

Tyres: LeCont



  • Senna Van Walstijn (Sodikart - Sodi - TM Racing) writes a monologue in the KZ final and concludes his second weekend in the premier class of karting as a winner thanks to a capital performance. The standard bearer of the Sodikart team sprints hard from the second spot on the grid, takes the reins of the race and doesn't let go until the checkered flag. The Dutch standard bearer is impeccable, he manages his vehicle in the final phase of the race and crosses the finish line with more than four seconds ahead of his direct rival. Van Walstijn thus wins the bronze medal in the championship and is a candidate for the role of great protagonist for the world championship that will be held at Le Mans on the weekend of 2-4 September. Having triumphed in both rounds of the European championship, with two different riders, but without having taken the title home, the Sodikart team will be more determined than ever on their home track.

  • Paolo Ippolito (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME) is also the author of a flawless race, who passes second under the checkered flag, just like in the first round in Genk, and is thus crowned European champion. Parade second thanks to an excellent start from the fourth position on the grid, the Italian bishop stretches out on his direct opponents in the first phase of the race and, although he seems capable of aiming for success, he decides to safeguard his kart and not take risks until finish line. After earning the bronze medal in last year's European championship, in which he had won the final round, Ippolito puts the icing on the cake on his first international season with the KR Motorsport team and brings the title back to IAME, proving his potential.

  • Matteo Viganò (Leclerc by Lennox Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing) also makes up two positions with respect to the start, taking third place and repeating Genk's podium to become European vice-champion. After overtaking Juho Valtanen (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) on the third lap, the Italian driver seems to struggle in the middle phase of the race and the Tony Kart Racing Team standard bearer puts pressure on him, but Viganò defends himself very well and finds himself the pace in the last laps. The driver of the Leclerc by Lennox Racing team still expresses a bit of disappointment because he had arrived in Cremona with the aim of winning, but admits that, after setting the 14th best time in a complicated qualifying, he would have signed up for the third place finish. On the other hand, Simo Puhakka (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) disappears from the podium. Having risen from sixth position to third during a remarkable first lap, the Finnish driver exits the scene in the 19th lap, when he is forced to retire due to a technical problem.

  • Juho Valtanen closes a quartet made up of four different chassis, concluding a weekend spent as a protagonist on a positive note. The Tony Kart Racing Team rider precedes a disappointed Pedro Hiltbrand (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing). The Spanish driver accuses a difficult shot from pole and is later widened in the first two corners, initially by Valtanen and later by Puhakka. The European vice-champion of 2021 slips eighth and then recovers up to fifth place, thus having to settle for fourth place in the championship.

  • The top ten is completed thanks to noteworthy performances by the 2020 world champion Jeremy Iglesias (CRG Racing Team - CRG - TM Racing), who lets Hiltbrand pass and facilitates the run-up of the Spanish driver, the reigning world champion and poleman of Friday Noah Milell (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), the reigning OK world champion Tuukka Taponen (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), author of the fastest lap and the only driver able to go down under the wall of 46 seconds on the flying lap, confirming the talents of the young rookie, the reigning world champion Lorenzo Camplese (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) and the two-time OK world champion Lorenzo Travisanutto (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing). In his second experience in KZ, the winner of last year's FIA Karting International Super Cup KZ2 reaffirms his competitiveness and precedes his teammate Francesco Celenta (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing).

  • The top 15 closed thanks to convincing performances by the 2020 European KZ2 champion Viktor Gustavsson (CRG Racing Team - CRG - TM Racing), the 2021 European champion Riccardo Longhi (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing), author of an extraordinary comeback by 11 positions, the 2020 European champion and the 2019 world champion Marijn Kremers (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing), and a surprising Michele Fontana (Kartxxl Racing Team - Birel ART - TM Racing). Instead, the multiple world champion Davide Forè (Renda Motorsport - Birel ART - TM Racing) is deprived of his 13th place, relegated to the last place by a penalty, received for a technical non-conformity found in the checks.

  • It is a bitter final also for Emilien Denner (Sodikart - Sodi - TM Racing). The dominator of the first round in Genk recovers from 16th to 10th position, but is forced to leave the scene on lap 16 following a contact with Stan Pex (SP Motorsport - KR - TM Racing). The standard bearer of the SP Motorsport team tries to overtake the French standard bearer, but collides with his Sodikart. Denner thus has to say goodbye to his dreams of glory for this European championship and be satisfied with the fifth place finish.


Results

Championship Standings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI35NPCHHyI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD3Xdvp38jc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5adGo6T6Lno

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYH9XNPppo4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O7-ZliyiZU

©Photo: Sportinphoto

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