OK: Kean Nakamura Berta leads once again, but Alex Powell goes with him

• As if it were needed, Kean Nakamura Berta (Prema Racing – KR – IAME) gives further proof of his abilities. The reigning European champion recovers ground in all his heats and takes two victories, two second places and a third. The Alpine Academy rider thus takes the reins of the general classification and earns the start from pole for tomorrow's Super Heat A.


• He recovers ten positions compared to qualifying, exactly like his teammate, Alex Powell (Prema Racing – KR – IAME). After collecting a fourth place and a third place in his first two heats, the reigning European vice-champion collects three consecutive successes to demonstrate his strength. The Mercedes protégé scores the same amount of points as Nakamura Berta, but finds himself second overall precisely because yesterday he obtained a worse result than his now historic rival in qualifying. Powell will however start from pole in Super Heat B.


• René Lammers (Parolin Motorsport – Parolin – TM Kart) maintains his third overall position, who continues to express a commendable maturity. With three victories and two fourth places, the Parolin Motorsport team standard bearer will join Nakamura Berta in the front row of Super Heat A.


• Tomass Stolcermanis (Energy Corse – Energy – TM Kart), fourth in the general classification, also demonstrates his consistency. After claiming a third place and three seconds, the young Latvian takes a much coveted victory in his last heat and tomorrow he will start next to Powell on the front row of Super Heat B.


• He slips to fifth place overall, but Maciej Gladysz (Ricky Flynn Motorsport – LN – TM Kart) remains among the pretenders to the final success. Friday's poleman boasts both two wins and a third place among his best results and remains in the top six even when he seems to be struggling slightly.


• Joe Turney (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) is making a comeback from qualifying, always ready to put on a show. After obtaining two second places and two victories in his first four heats, the winner of the first round in Valencia suffers from a last complicated heat, in which he first slips to 14th due to a contact that sees him protagonist of an excursion off the track and then he was relegated from ninth place to 15th by a five-second penalty due to an incorrectly positioned nose. However, the 2020 vice world champion rises to sixth place overall and is expected to be among the favorites tomorrow.


• Gabriel Gomez (CRG – CRG – IAME) is equally awaited among the favourites, seventh in the general standings. The dominator of the second round in Třinec earns a victory, two second places, a third and a seventh thanks to excellent comebacks. As proof of his competitiveness, the CRG team driver sets the fastest lap in no less than four of his five heats.


• They are authors of remarkable performances and boast at least one placement in the top three Miguel Costa (Parolin Motorsport – Parolin – TM Kart), eighth overall, the reigning world champion Matheus Morgatto (Birel ART Racing – Birel ART – TM Kart), ninth, and Kirill Kutskov (DPK Racing – KR – IAME), tenth after winning his first heat.


• Mattia Colnaghi (CRG – CRG – IAME) also gave encouraging signs and signed at least one placement in the top three, 11th overall, Nathan Tye (Sodikart – Sodi – TM Kart), 12th, Jules Caranta (Energy Corse – Energy – TM Kart ), 13th, Fionn Mc Laughlin (VDK Racing – KR – IAME), 14th, and the 2021 world runner-up Luigi Coluccio (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex), 15th.


• He suffers from an excited first heat, but Enzo Tarnvanichkul (Prema Racing – KR – IAME) makes up for it in the following heats, 16th in the general standings. The reigning OKJ world champion even grabs a second place in heat A-E and shows the potential of him.


• They express their potential, but the reigning OKJ European champion Anatoly Khavalkin (Parolin Motorsport – Parolin – TM Kart), 17th overall with two second places to his credit, Thomas Strauven (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME ), 18th and second in heat A-C, and the young Mercedes recruit Yuanpu Cui (Prema Racing – KR – IAME), 19th.


• The path of David Walther (Koski Motorsport – Tony Kart – Vortex) is even more bitter, as he slips down to the 29th place overall. The Koski Motorsport team driver retires from his first heat following a contact with Khavalkin on the first lap, for which he is also penalized, and even leaves the scene in his second heat due to the engine breaking on the fourth lap while occupied the third position.

OKJ: Iacopo Martinese raises the bar

• Iacopo Martinese (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) expresses an atypical maturity for a rookie, so much so that he doesn't even give the impression of being one. Equipping himself with a disarming lucidity and managing the tussle in an impeccable way, the KR Motorsport team driver collects three victories, a second place and a third place to rise to the top of the general classification. The young Italian is confident of his resources and tomorrow he will start from pole in Super Heat A.


• The path of Tiziano Monza (Shamick Europe – Parolin – TM Kart) is equally astounding, as he recovers ground in all his heats to finish them all in the top three and even takes two wins. The driver of the Shamick Europe team gains 14 positions compared to qualifying and obtains second place overall, which will translate into pole for Super Heat B.


• If he sometimes gave the impression of being extremely fast in qualifying and then accusing greater difficulties in the race, Thibaut Ramaekers (VDK Racing – KR – IAME) wants to prove the opposite to Rødby. The winner of the first round in Valencia recovers ten positions compared to qualifying to move up to third place overall. Strengthened by a triumph, three second places and a fourth, tomorrow the VDK Racing team rider will join Martinese in Super Heat A and complete a front row branded KR-IAME.


• In a classification characterized by various changes, Oleksandr Bondarev (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) represents a constant. With one win and three other top three finishes under his belt, the winner of the second round in Třinec takes fourth overall and will start next to Monza on the front row of Super Heat B tomorrow.


• Christian Costoya (Parolin Motorsport – Parolin – TM) seemed unstoppable after winning his first two heats, but Friday's poleman was perhaps enticed when he found himself dueling on the last lap for the victory of his third heat together with Titian Monza. The two Parolin standard bearers were the protagonists of a contact and it was the young Spaniard who had the worst of it, who left the scene. The rookie then rolled up his sleeves, taking another victory and a second place in the next two heats to secure fifth place in the general standings.


• Stepan Antonov (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) is also the author of excellent performances and several placements in the top three, sixth overall and winner of two heats, but relegated from third place to eighth in heat C-D by a five-second penalty due to nose in incorrect position, Zac Drummond (Parolin Motorsport – Parolin – TM Kart), seventh, Lewis Wherrell (Forza Racing – Exprit – TM Kart), eighth and winner of heat D-F, but relegated from sixth place to 12th in heat E-F by a five-second penalty due to overtaking under the yellow flag, and Oliver Kinnmark (Koski Motorsport – Tony Kart – Vortex), ninth and winner of heat E-F.


• He loses six positions compared to qualifying, but Dries Van Langendonck (Forza Racing – Exprit – TM Kart) confirms his competitiveness, tenth overall and with two placements in the top three. They lose ground despite continuing to stage remarkable performances and boasting at least one placement in the top three also Niklas Schaufler (DPK Racing – KR – IAME), 12th, and Kirill Dzitiev (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex), 14th .


• On the other hand, Elliot Kaczynski (Ward Racing – Tony Kart – Vortex), 11th in the general classification with two top three placements, Jack Iliffe (Parolin Motorsport – Parolin – TM Kart), 13th and able to take advantage of the contact between Costoya and Monza to take an extraordinary success in heat A-D, and Andy Consani (Shamick Europe – Parolin – TM Kart), 15th thanks to two placements in the top three.


• They are slowed down by some hitches, but still give encouraging signs Vivek Kanthan (Parolin Motorsport – Parolin – TM Kart), 19th overall, and Gerasim Skulanov (Birel ART Racing – Birel ART – TM Kart), 21st.

Academy: Santino Panetta takes the reins, tied with an amazing Vasileios Apostolidis 

• If yesterday he was clear in expressing his intentions, today Santino Panetta (Argentina) wanted to be even more explicit. After finishing his first heat in second place, the Argentinian driver wins his second heat, skilfully navigating the tussle and thus assuming the leadership in the provisional general classification.


• Vasileios Apostolidis (Greece) also shines in the intense challenges that animate the Academy heats, recovering positions in both of his heats to collect a second place and a success. The young Greek scores the same number of points as Panetta, but finds himself second overall because yesterday he obtained a worse result than his rival in qualifying.


• The performance of Arthur Broughan (Australia) is equally remarkable, gaining ground on qualifying thanks to a fourth place and a second. The Australian rider thus hoists himself into third place overall.


• Max Walton (Australia) and Markas Silkunas (Lithuania) also catch up on qualifying, respectively fourth and fifth in the general standings. After getting on the third step of the podium in the first round in Třinec, Walton imposes himself in his first heat, beating Apostolidis himself, but then he has to settle for seventh place in his second heat. On the other hand, the path of Silkunas is more constant, winning two third places thanks to two extraordinary comebacks of seven positions each. Both drivers are level on points with Broughan, demonstrating the balance that characterizes the category.


• Maintains its sixth overall Lorenzo Campos (Angola). After dominating his first heat, beating Panetta himself, the young Angolan finishes a more complicated second heat in eighth position, but still remains among the pretenders to the final victory.


• Marius Barry-Berg (Norway) also reiterates his role as absolute protagonist of the category, seventh overall. The winner of the first round was demoted from second place to eighth in his first heat by a five-second penalty due to an incorrectly positioned nose, but returned to the top in the second heat, securing second place.


• He is still behind Barry-Berg after gaining the place of honor in the first round Hugo Martí (Spain), eighth in the general standings and constant with two fifth places in the heats.


• Sebastian Garzon (Colombia), ninth overall, Ryutaro Sakai (Japan), tenth, and Klara Kowalczyk (Poland), 11th, are also authors of excellent performances. The pink quota is relegated from ninth place to 13th in his first heat by a five-second penalty due to an incorrectly positioned nose, but confirms his potential in his second heat, taking third place.


• They confirm their potential too, but are slowed down by some hitches Romeo Haagh (Denmark), 12th overall, Karel Staut (Switzerland), 13th, and the pilot of Alpine's Rac(H)er program Lisa Billard (France), 14th.


• It's an even more bitter day for Rocco Coronel (Holland), who slips to 18th place in the general standings. After inheriting third place in his first heat thanks to the penalty inflicted on Barry-Berg, Friday's poleman suffers a technical problem in his second heat and leaves the scene following a contact that occurred while trying to resist the attacks of his opponents

©Photo: Sportinphoto