FIA Karting World Championship KZ, Portimao: qualifying – Pole position for Van Walstijn (KZ), Bertuca (KZ2) and Nicastro (KZ2 Masters)

[Translated with Google]

Almost a month and a half after the end of the European championship, the categories dedicated to shifter karts are back on track at the Kartodromo Internacional do Algarve (Portugal) for the most important event of the season: the FIA Karting World Championship (for KZ), the FIA Karting World Cup (for KZ2) and the FIA Karting International Masters Super Cup (for KZ2 Masters). There are 31 contenders for the title in the top KZ class, 101 in KZ2 and 55 in KZ2 Masters.

The usual qualifying sessions took place on Friday, followed by the first elimination heats, which will end on Saturday afternoon.

KZ: Senna Van Walstijn is immediately in the hunt for the title

Tyres: Dunlop

As happened two weeks ago for the Champions of the Future Euro Series Shifters, the qualifying sessions of all categories were affected by the rain. In the single KZ session, Senna Van Walstijn (Sodikart – Sodikart – TM Kart) took pole position with a time of 1:09.596, beating the surprising Maximilian Paul (DR – DR – Modena Engines) by 0.570 seconds.
Adrien Renaudin (DR – DR – Modena Engines) also achieved an excellent result, placing third behind his teammate Paul. Winner of the COTF final, Jeremy Iglesias (CRG Racing Team – CRG – TM Kart) opened his weekend with the fourth best time.
Lorenzo Camplese (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex) occupies the fifth place, ahead of Emilien Denner (Sodikart – Sodikart – TM Kart), sixth, the new European champion Lorenzo Travisanutto (Parolin Motorsport – Parolin – TM Kart), seventh, and Pedro Hiltbrand (Birel Art Racing – Birel Art – TM Kart), eighth.
Also among the top ten are Arthur Carbonnel (CRG Racing Team – CRG – TM Kart), ninth, and Giuseppe Palomba (Sodikart – Sodikart – TM Kart), tenth. The standings continue with David Trefilov (Maranello SRP Factory Team – Maranello – TM Kart), 11th, Stan Pex (KR Motorsport – KR – TM Kart), 12th, reigning world champion Paolo Ippolito (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME), 13th, and Marijn Kremers (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex), 14th.
Bad Viktor Gustafsson (CRG Racing Team – CRG – TM Kart), 17th. Tom Leuillet (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex), 21st, returns from a forced stop due to appendicitis.

Results

KZ2: Cristian Bertuca beats tough competition

Tyres: Dunlop

In four qualifying sessions, Cristian Bertuca (Birel Art Racing – Birel Art – TM Kart) emerged at the top of the standings with the best time of 1:10.162 in group 4. The Italian, able to exploit the wet to his advantage, is ahead of the outsider Benjamin Fuglesang (GÅ`co Racing – Sodikart – TM Kart), first in group 1, by just 0.045 seconds.
Daniel Vasile (Birel Art Racing – Birel Art – TM Kart), winner of the Champions of the Future Euro Series Shifters, is first in group 3 and third in the combined standings. Genis Civico Espona (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex) is the fastest in group 2 and is fourth.
The standings continue with Viktor Larsson (CPB Sport – Sodikart – TM Kart), fifth, Gianni Andrisani (TB Racing Kart – KR – TM Kart), sixth, Dion Van Werven (CPB Sport – Sodikart – TM Kart) seventh, and Alessio Piccini (Modena Kart – Parolin – TM Kart), eighth.
On the podium two weeks ago, Artem Severiukhin (Birel Art Racing – Birel Art – TM Kart) is 11th. Further behind is Matheus Morgatto (CL Racing Team – Birel Art – TM Kart), 14th. The new European champion Matteo Spirgel (CPB Sport – Sodikart – TM Kart) occupies 23rd place. Markus Kajak (Maranello SRP Factory Team – Maranello – TM Kart) fares badly, 74th.

Results

KZ2 Masters: Andre Nicastro flies to pole position

Tyrers: Dunlop

After fighting for the Champions of the Future Euro Series Shifters, Andre Nicastro (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex) returns to Portimao and takes pole position in timed qualifying. The Brazilian records a time of 1:10.664 in group 1, 0.083 seconds better than Anthony Abbasse (Sodikart – Sodikart – TM Kart), on the top step of the podium two weeks ago.
Alessandro Manetti (KR Motorsport – KR – TM Kart) chases in third place, together with Daniel Bray (Modena Kart – Parolin – TM Kart), fourth, Andre Ferreira Serafim (Birel Art Racing – Birel Art – TM Kart), fifth, and Rasmus Haugard (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME), sixth.
The top 10 also includes Marc Wolhauser (WKR Wolhauser – CRG – TM Kart), seventh, Brice De Gaye (De Gaye, Brice – CRG – TM Kart), eighth, Ludovic Badey (Badey, Ludovic – Birel Art – TM Kart), ninth, and Davide Forè (Birel Art Racing – Birel Art – TM Kart), tenth.
Reigning European champion Riccardo Nalon (Erre Esse Motorsport – Parolin – TM Kart) is quite far behind, 31st.

Results