[translated with Google]

The track activity continues for the first round of the FIA Karting European Championship OK-OKJ at the Portimao circuit. After the first day of Friday, in which the qualifications and the first qualifying heats took place, on Saturday all the remaining heats for both categories present in the race took place: OK and OKJ. The starting grids for Sunday's Super Heat were therefore decided.

OK: Artem Severiukhin takes the lead once again

• Artem Severiukhin (Ward Racing - Tony Kart - Vortex) wants to set the record straight: his domination in the first round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series, held two weeks ago at the Portimao circuit, was no coincidence. Thanks to three wins and two third places, the young driver becomes the leader of the general classification and will therefore start from pole position in tomorrow's Super Heat 1.


• With three wins, a second and a fourth place, Joseph Turney (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) accumulates the same amount of penalties as Severiukhin, but having been slower in yesterday's qualifying, the Tony Kart Racing standard bearer Team remains behind the standard bearer of the Ward Racing team. Turney will start from the first spot on the grid in Super Heat 2 and postpones the direct confrontation with Severiukhin to the final, considering that the two drivers did not find themselves wheel to wheel in the only heat disputed together.


• There are also three victories for Tuukka Taponen (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), who reaffirms his role at the top of the standings and even signs the fastest lap in his last battery to remind everyone that he is there. With a second place and a sixth in his other two heats, the reigning world champion places third overall and will join Severiukhin in the front row of Super Heat 1.


• Tomass Stolcermanis (Energy Corse - Energy Corse - TM Racing) confirmed his competitiveness by finishing all five heats in the top four and winning one. Friday's poleman even signs the fastest lap in his third heat and gets the fourth overall position, thus preparing to accompany Turney in the front row of Super Heat 2.


• Ean Eyckmans (EGP Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), Evan Giltaire (VDK Racing - KR - IAME) and James Egozi (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), who are all authors of excellent performances and winners of one heat, follow the Latvian driver in the general ranking.


• Positive day also for Juho Valtanen (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), eighth overall, Kean Nakamura Berta (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), ninth and recovering from 35th place in qualifying, and Oscar Pedersen (Ward Racing - Tony Kart - Vortex), which completes the top ten.


• Even those of Luigi Coluccio (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) and Freddie Slater (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), respectively 11th and 12th in the overall standings, are convincing performances. The reigning European OKJ champion shows himself particularly incisive in his second and third heat, which both ends in the top three, but points out that the changing conditions of the track, also "denounced" by other drivers and teams, represent a great challenge. face as well as an unknown.


• Cristian Bertuca (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing) closes the total top 15, in comeback from 29th place obtained in qualifying and second in his last heat, Enzo Deligny (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing) and David Walther ( Koski Motorsport - Tony Kart - Vortex). The Koski Motorsport team rider leaves the track in an attempt to overtake Stolcermanis in his first heat and crosses the line at the back of the pack, but makes a great recovery with two fourth places and two wins in his other four heats. The young Dane proves to be extremely skilled in taking advantage of the close duel between Egozi and Eyckmans to earn the first of his two successes and thus become one of the eight winners in the heats.


• Hiyu Yamakoshi (IPK Official Racing Team - IPK - TM Racing), 16th, Luka Sammalisto (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), 17th, Matheus Ferreira (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), 18th and second in his fourth heat, Gabriel Gomez (CRG Racing Team - CRG - IAME), 19th, Alex Powell (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), 20th and delayed by a series of penalties, Maxim Rehm (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), 21st and recovering from the 54th place in qualifying, and Viktor Gustavsson (CRG Racing Team - CRG - IAME), 22nd and hampered by a contact in his last heat, follow Walther in the general classification and show good potential.


• Yuanpu Cui (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), 34th overall, and Rashid Al Dhaheri (Forza Racing - Exprit - TM Racing), 41st are also slowed down by a series of hitches and penalties.


• Matheus Morgatto (DPK Racing - KR - IAME) is the author of impressive comebacks and even two fastest laps, but is forced to retire from his third heat. The Brazilian driver still climbs up to 27th place overall and recovers 39 positions compared to qualifying.

OKJ: An excellent Dmitry Matveev makes it four wins in a row

• After demonstrating his skills on the flying lap, Dmitry Matveev (Koski Motorsport - Tony Kart - Vortex) proves his coolness also in the race and wins four of his five heats. The overtaking immediately a few corners from the end of his last heat prevents the poleman from making the en plein, but the second place is enough for him to confirm himself as the leader of the general classification and thus earn the departure from pole position for tomorrow’s Super Heat 1.


• With two wins and two fastest laps to stand out among his results, Nathan Tye (Sodikart - Sodikart - TM Racing) wants to make everyone understand that he will also be there to contend for the final success. The English bishop moves to second place overall, recovering 12 positions compared to qualifying, and will start from the first box on the grid in Super Heat 2.


• Oleksandr Bondarev (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex) reiterates his presence at the top of the standings and also wins two heats. Team driver Ricky Flynn Motorsport signs the fastest lap in his first heat and gets the total third place, which will be worth the start from the front row in Super Heat 1.


• Rene Lammers (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing), winner of one heat and always in the top five, is also a remarkable path. The standard bearer of the Parolin Motorsport team prints two fast laps as an additional business card, takes fourth place overall and is ready to join Tye in the front row of Super Heat 2.


• Even Jan Przyrowski (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) and Jules Caranta (Energy Corse - Energy Corse - TM Racing) expressed excellent consistency, respectively fifth and sixth in the overall standings thanks to numerous placings in the top three.


• The seventh overall position is the prerogative of Anatoly Khavalkin (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing), who wins the second place in his first heat and three wins in the remaining heats. The standard bearer of the Parolin Motorsport team is however relegated from second place to 16th in his fourth heat by a ten-second penalty due to incorrect maneuvers, but is still a candidate for the role of great protagonist. It is important to consider that Khavalkin is the only rider capable of putting the wheels in front of Matveev, overtaking him on the last lap of the last heat with a daring maneuver.


• Martin Molnar (Energy Corse - Energy Corse - TM Racing), Alfie Slater (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex) and Adam Hideg (DPK Racing - KR - IAME) complete the top ten.


• Andres Cardenas (Energy Corse - Energy Corse - TM Racing) is forced to retire at the start of his first heat, but is making a great comeback with two fourth places and two wins in his other four heats. The Energy Corse team rider thus finds himself 11th overall and precedes Thomas Strauven (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), Zac Drummond (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing) and Lewis Wherrell (Forza Racing - Exprit - TM Racing) , which are all in comeback compared to qualifying.


• Kirill Kutskov (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing), author of a second place, two thirds and a fifth, but forced to skip his fourth battery following a problem accused in starting of his kart, closes the top 15 in the general ranking.


• Among the seven winners in the heats there is also Lucas Fluxa (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), but a series of penalties and contacts in the other heats relegate the Spaniard to 27th place overall.


• Day characterized by some hitches but also by encouraging performances even for Maciej Gladysz (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), 17th total, Kirill Dzitiev (Ward Racing - Tony Kart - Vortex), 21st, and Luviwe Sambudla (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), 22nd.


• It should be emphasized the potential expressed by Jindrich Pesl (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing), who suffers some difficulties and is 47th in the general classification, but is competitive and even signs the fastest lap in his fourth heat.

©Photo: Sportinphoto