WSK Champions Cup, Lonato: KZ2 Final – Monologue by a flawless Cristian Bertuca

[translated with Google]

Tyres: Vega

He had already proved to be fast, but probably never so incisive. After finishing Prefinal A in sixth position following a contact on the first lap with Freddie Slater (Birel ART Racing – Birel ART – TM), who accidentally hit his teammate and forced him to come back from the bottom of the standings, Cristian Bertuca (Birel ART Racing – Birel ART – TM) feeds that determination that makes the difference. The reigning vice-champion of the FIA Karting World Cup immediately overtook both drivers on the front row thanks to a feline sprint from the third box on the grid and flew away undisturbed towards his first victory in the premier class of karting. The young Italian expresses his coolness in managing a textbook race.

After having also triumphed in great style in Prefinal A, Freddie Slater obtained the second place. The ruler of the weekend suffers from a complicated start, even characterized by some contact, and finds himself fifth at the end of the first lap. This is how a furious comeback of the young Englishman begins, recovering ground with fast laps and surgical overtaking. When the 2020 OKJ world champion gains second position during the 14th pass, his teammate already has more than a three-second lead and therefore Slater has to settle for the silver medal. The standard-bearer of the Birel ART Racing team is in any case the author of a sensational debut in the premier class of single-speed karting and is a candidate for the role of absolute protagonist for the rest of the season.

Viacheslav Putiatin (LA Motorsport – Falcon – TM Racing) also reiterates his leading role, able to recover two positions compared to the start. The fresh winner of the Winter Cup shows himself mature in avoiding putting up excessive resistance to a relentless Slater and thus wins the second consecutive podium on the Lonato circuit.

On the other hand, Matteo Spirgel (CPB Sport – Sodi – TM Racing) is close to the podium, fourth after having fought for the bronze medal in the first laps. The CPB Sport team rider ends a weekend always at the top of the standings on a positive note.

Maximilian Paul (DR – DR – Modena Engines) staged a spectacular final, fifth at the finish line. The driver of the DR team climbs from 14th place to third place in just two laps, proving to be extremely shrewd. The Belgian driver also puts his experience into play when he signals to Slater to overtake him to avoid wasting time and finally he has to give way even to Spirgel, but his performance remains remarkable.

On the other hand, he lost four positions compared to the start following a difficult sprint from the external front row by Adrien Renaudin (DR – DR – Modena Engines), who closed his first weekend with the DR team in sixth place. It should be noted that the Frenchman's Sunday story resembles that of a science fiction film. In fact, while he is leading the race, DR's kart begins to lose water in the final laps of Prefinal B, causing some drivers to go off the track, who fortunately escaped unharmed from the impact. The Slow regime is immediately imposed and, stoically resisting the heat to keep the water hose attached to the engine with his hand, the 2018 KZ2 European champion manages to secure victory, also complying with the weight check.

The top ten is completed thanks to convincing performances by Artem Severiukhin (Racing Line – Birel ART – TM Racing), seventh at his first appearance in KZ2 in a WSK competition, Yevan David (CPB Sport – Sodi – TM), eighth, Paul Rieberer (Dorr Motorsport – KR – IAME), ninth, and Flynt Schuring (CPB Sport – Sodi – TM), tenth.

On the other hand, Sandro Holzem (CPB Sport – Sodi – TM) loses a placement in the top ten, demoted from ninth place to 15th by a five-second penalty due to an incorrectly positioned nose.

Main players leave the scene such as Tim Gerhards (CPB Sport – Sodi – TM), involved in the contact with Slater at the start and retired a few laps later while trying to reassemble, Ivan Ekelchik (Leclerc by Lennox Racing – Birel ART – TM Racing) and Felix Arnold (Maranello SRP Factory Team – Maranello – TM). Ekelchik and Arnold are involved in a contact while challenging each other and the Maranello SRP Factory Team driver is thrown out of the kart, but luckily he doesn't suffer serious consequences.

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