FIA Karting European Championship KZ-KZ2 & Academy Trophy-Junior rd 1, Valencia: Qualifying – Pole position for Hiltbrand (KZ), Orlov (KZ2) and Núñez (Academy-Jr.)**

[Translated with ChatGPT]

The FIA Karting European Championship KZ-KZ2 kicks off at the Kartodromo Internacional Lucas Guerrero in Chiva (Valencia, Spain). The opening round gets underway with 80 confirmed drivers across the two shifter kart categories: 18 in KZ and 62 in KZ2. Also present are 49 drivers for the first round of the FIA Karting Academy Trophy-Junior.

Friday featured the usual free practice sessions and qualifying, while the qualifying heats will get underway starting tomorrow. The FIA Karting Academy Trophy-Junior will also have two heats scheduled for Sunday morning.

KZ: Pedro Hiltbrand on pole, Jean Nomblot 77 thousandths behind

Tyres: Dunlop

Pedro Hiltbrand (Birel ART Racing – Birel Art – TM Kart) secured pole position in the Valencia qualifying with the fastest overall lap time of 54.028 seconds. The Spanish driver edged out Jean Nomblot (Sodikart – Sodi – TM Kart) by just 77 thousandths, placing the Frenchman second.
Matteo Spirgel (Sodikart – Sodi – TM Kart) took third, 137 thousandths off the top. The French driver confirmed his strong form following his victory in the Champions of the Future Shifters final, held just a week ago on the same Spanish circuit.
David Trefilov (Formula K SRP Factory Team – IPK – TM Kart) finished fourth, 170 thousandths behind Hiltbrand, followed by reigning KZ world champion Giuseppe Palomba (Maranello Kart – Maranello – TM Kart) in fifth. Completing the top-10 were Daniel Vasile (CL Racing Team – Birel Art – TM Kart) in sixth, Cristian Bertuca (Birel ART Racing – Birel Art – TM Kart) in seventh, Emilien Denner (Formula K SRP Factory Team – IPK – TM Kart) in eighth, Viktor Gustafsson (CRG – CRG – TM Kart) in ninth, and Adrian Malheiro Suñe (Malheiro Racing Club Deportivo – CRG – TM Kart) in tenth.
Next came Senna Van Walstijn (Sodikart – Sodi – TM Kart) in 11th, Tom Leuillet (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex) in 12th, Francesco Celenta (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex) in 13th, Marijn Kremers (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex) in 14th, and Lorenzo Camplese (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex) in 15th.
Rounding out the group were Enzo Lacreuse (Bruno Lacreuse – DR – Modena Engines) in 16th and Giorgio Basoli (Mario Basoli – Jesolo – TM Kart) in 17th. Mathias Torreggiani (KR Motorsport – KR – TM Kart) was disqualified due to an intervention in the pre-grid.

Results

KZ2: Maksim Orlov is the fastest, Juho Valtanen and Kasper Schormans follow

Tyres: Dunlop

Maksim Orlov (CPB Sport – Sodi – TM Racing) secured pole position in the KZ2 qualifying at Valencia with a lap time of 54.387 seconds, set in group 1. The French team’s driver outpaced Juho Valtanen (Birel ART Racing – Birel Art – TM Kart), who topped group 2 and finished second overall, 79 thousandths behind. Third was Kasper Schormans (CPB Sport – Sodi – TM Kart), fastest in group 3, 140 thousandths off the lead.
Elie Goldstein (TBKart Racing Team – TB Kart – TM Kart) took fourth, second in group 1, followed by Alvar Siimesvaara (CRG – CRG – TM Kart) in fifth, who placed second in group 2. Sixth was Timo Jüngling (CPB Sport – Sodi – TM Racing), runner-up in group 3.
Noah Wolfe (VAR by Birel – Birel Art – TM Kart) claimed seventh, showing strong form once again after his recent podium finish in the OK final at Portimão, now also making a promising KZ2 debut. Eighth went to Paavo Tonteri (CRG – CRG – TM Kart), followed by Kimi Tani (La Motorsport – Parolin – TM Kart) in ninth, and Markus Kajak (Formula K SRP Factory Team – IPK – TM Kart), who completed the top-10.

Results

Academy-Junior: Luis Fernando Núñez kicks off the season

Chassis: Exprit | Engine: Vortex | Tyres: Le Cont

Luis Fernando Núñez (Mexico) topped the qualifying session with the fastest overall time, setting a 57.636-second lap in group 2.
Right behind him was Julian Rivera Salas (Ecuador), who posted the best time in group 1 with a 57.684. Third went to Tudor Ioan Jercan (Romania), also from group 2, with a lap of 57.648 seconds.
Nojus Stasionis (Lithuania) secured fourth, followed by Hernan Rodriguez Fuente (Spain) in fifth and Oiva Vettenranta (Finland) in sixth. Erik Poulsen (Sweden) was seventh, ahead of Mael Le Marchand (France) in eighth. Bautista Panetta (Argentina) placed ninth, while Nasser Nass (Bahrain) completed the top-10.
It is worth noting that Gage Korn (United States of America), who had originally set the fastest overall time, was disqualified and is therefore classified last.

Results