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A little more than two months after the conclusion of the European championship, the protagonists of the direct drive categories, OK and OKJ, are back on track in Sarno for the most prestigious appointment of the season: the FIA Karting World Championship. There are 90 contenders for the world title in the queen category of single-speed karting, while 109 young drivers are ready to animate the OKJ.

The usual qualifying sessions took place on Friday, before continuing with the first qualifying heats, which will end on Saturday afternoon.

OK: Maxim Rehm has an ace up his sleeve

• After seeing the opponents of the first three groups take to the track with rain tires, the riders of the fourth and last group are presented with the opportunity to use slick tires on a quickly dried circuit. The track is still treacherous, but Maxim Rehm (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex) interprets it in an exceptional way and wins the absolute pole position thanks to a 57.047. The driver of the Ricky Flynn Motorsport team beats an amazing Maksim Orlov (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing) by just 19 thousandths, who returns to the top of the standings with second place in the group and fifth overall. Also the young Mercedes recruit Yuanpu Cui (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), skilled in obtaining third place in the group and ninth in the overall standings, is close to pole by 75 thousandths.


• The Alpine Affiliate program driver Matheus Ferreira (Energy Corse - Energy Corse - TM Racing) is highlighted, who is the most incisive in group 2 with a 1: 08.329 and climbs into second overall position. The OKJ European vice-champion of 2021 expresses an excellent feeling in his second appearance with the Energy Corse team and precedes compatriot Matheus Morgatto (DPK Racing - KR - IAME) by 43 thousandths. The standard bearer of the DPK Racing team prints the best first split time and gives encouraging signals with second place in the group and sixth overall. The performance of the fresh European KZ champion Paolo Ippolito (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME) is also promising, returning to animate the queen category of single-speed karting with third place in the group and the tenth one in the overall standings.


• He had already shown his speed, but Oscar Pedersen (Ward Racing - Tony Kart - Vortex) wanted to reiterate it with a capital performance on the wet Sarno track. The standard bearer of the Ward Racing team signs a 1: 10.614 in group 1 and makes the difference, trimming more than half a second to the direct rival to earn the third position overall. The second place in the group and the seventh total is the prerogative of an excellent Zachary David (Sauber Academy - KR - IAME), who confirms his competitiveness and signs the best first sector. The fresh European vice-champion as well as Mercedes pupil Alex Powell (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), third in the group and 11th in the overall standings, is also among the main players.


• Group 3 sees the exploit of Maksimilian Popov (Koski Motorsport - Tony Kart - Vortex), who seems to be unattainable with his 1: 11.525 and takes fourth overall position. The Koski Motorsport team driver beats Rashid Al Dhaheri (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing) by almost half a second, who returns to the role of great protagonist with second place in the group and eighth overall. Already a protagonist of last year's world championship with the bronze medal, Arvid Lindblad (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME) is once again among the favorites, returning to driving the single-speed kart after climbing on the third step of the podium in the FIA ​​Karting World KZ2 Cup, held two weeks ago in Le Mans. The Red Bull Junior Team rider takes third place in the group and 12th in the overall standings.


• Juho Valtanen (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), author of the best first split time in group 4, Akshay Bohra (Energy Corse - Energy Corse - TM Racing) complete the absolute top 15 thanks to noteworthy performances, reaffirming the state of form of the Energy Corse team, and Arthur Poulain (VDK Racing - KR - IAME), who starts his first weekend in OK in a surprising way. The VDK Racing standard bearer is followed by Ean Eyckmans (Ward Racing - Tony Kart - Vortex), 16th overall after reaching the third step of the podium in the 2021 OKJ European Championship, Tomass Stolcermanis (Energy Corse - Energy Corse - TM Racing), 17th after obtaining the bronze medal in the Champions of the Future Euro Series, Luka Sammalisto (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), 18th, the reigning world champion Tuukka Taponen (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), 19th after finishing the KZ world championship in the top ten, and Ruben Moya (Pantano Racing Team - Pantano - IAME), 20th after having signed the best third sector in group 3.


• Qualifying slightly below expectations for Evan Giltaire (VDK Racing - KR - IAME), 24th in the overall standings after finishing the European championship in the top five, the fresh European champion and reigning OKJ world champion Kean Nakamura Berta (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), 25th, Gabriel Gomez (CRG - CRG - IAME), 27th after winning the Italian championship right here in Sarno at the end of August, 2020 OKJ world champion and 2021 OKJ European champion Freddie Slater (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), 28th, Enzo Deligny (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing), 31st after finishing the European championship at the foot of the podium, Cristian Bertuca (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing), 32nd after gaining the place of honor in the FIA ​​Karting World Cup KZ2, the son of art Rintaro Sato (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), 34th, Olin Galli (CRG - CRG - IAME), 36 °, the runner-up of the 2021 FIA Karting Academy Trophy David Walther (Koski Motorsport - To ny Kart - Vortex), 40th, Nicolò Cuman (Forza Racing - Exprit - TM Racing), 49th, James Egozi (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), 59th, and the current and fresh runner-up of the world vice-champion of the Champions of the Future Euro Series Luigi Coluccio (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), 74th.


• Joseph Turney (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) is deprived of the 11th best time in group 4, who is underweight in the technical checks and is therefore disqualified after earning the bronze medal in the European championship. Graduated as vice world champion in 2020 and champion of the Champions of the Future Euro Series this year, the Tony Kart Racing Team driver is called to a great comeback from the 88th position overall.

OKJ: Kian Fardin dances in the rain and claims maiden OKJ pole position

• A wet track is often the scene of exploits staged by drivers who manage to enhance their skills on a slippery track. Kian Fardin (Energy Corse - Energy Corse - TM Racing) emerges with rain tires on the Sarno circuit, scoring a 1: 07.075 in group 3 and thus winning a first pole position with a special flavor in OKJ. The Swiss rookie beats Zhenrui Chi (Beyond Racing - KR - TM Racing) by more than two tenths, skilled in returning to the top of the standings with second place in the group and fifth overall. Equally remarkable is the performance of Andrea Dupe (Sodikart - Sodi - TM Racing), who is the author of the best second split time and takes third place in the group as well as the ninth overall.


• The summer break does not seem to have affected the state of grace of Jan Przyrowski (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex). The fresh European runner-up is the most incisive in group 4 with a 1: 07.140 and is hoisted in second position in the overall standings. He stops the time trial just over a tenth behind the Tony Kart Racing Team driver, an extraordinary Alexander Dahlstrom (Energy Corse - Energy Corse - TM Racing), second in the group and sixth overall. Returning to the track after the injury sustained at the Zuera circuit at the end of April during the second round of the European championship, the young Finn puts all his determination on the field and prints the best performance in both the second and third sectors. The driver of the Energy Corse team precedes his teammate Martin Molnar (Energy Corse - Energy Corse - TM Racing), who confirms his competitiveness with third place in the group and tenth overall.


• Reigning European champion Anatoly Khavalkin (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing) makes clear his intentions to remain in the chair. Already a protagonist at last year's world championship with the bronze medal, the Parolin Motorsport team's standard bearer returns in great shape to the most prestigious appointment of the season and is the best interpreter in group 2 with a 1: 08.651, which sees him occupy the third place in the overall standings. If a certainty comes from Khavalkin, Dries Van Langendonck (Energy Corse - Energy Corse - TM Racing) gives a surprise with the second position in the group and the seventh overall. At his debut in OKJ, the young Belgian amazes with his maturity and brings a fourth Energy chassis to the top ten. Third in the group and 11th overall is the 2021 FIA Karting Academy Trophy champion Maciej Gladysz (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), who reaffirms his special feeling with the Sarno track.


• An amazing Gerasim Skulanov (Leclerc by Lennox Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing) signs the best performance in group 1 thanks to a 1: 10.365, which earned him the fourth position in the overall standings. The driver of the Leclerc by Lennox Racing team expresses his skills on a circuit made particularly treacherous by the rain and trims his teammate Noah Wolfe 11 thousandths (Leclerc by Lennox Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing). At his debut in an FIA competition, the young Englishman is the fastest in the third sector and demonstrates considerable potential with second place in the group as well as eighth overall. Third in the group and 12th overall is an excellent Adam Hideg (Sodikart - Sodikart - TM Racing), who stops the clock just 18 thousandths from Skulanov.


• Leo Nilsson (Ward Racing - Tony Kart - Vortex), Alp Hasan Aksoy (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) and Andres Cardenas (DPK Racing - KR - IAME) complete the absolute top 15. The Peruvian driver returns to wear the colors of the DPK Racing team and precedes Petr Ageev (Leclerc by Lennox Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing), 16th and fourth in group 1 just 43 thousandths from Skulanov, Enzo Tarnvanichkul (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), 17th after finishing the European championship in the top five, Scott Lindblom (CRG - CRG - TM Racing), 18th, Alfie Slater (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), 19th, and Niklas Schaufler (DPK Racing - KR - IAME), 20th.


• Qualifying slightly below expectations for fresh Champions of the Future Euro Series champion Nathaniel Tye (Sodikart - Sodikart - TM Racing), 21st overall after earning the bronze medal in the European championship, Taym Saleh (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), 24th after having signed the best second sector in group 1, Dmitry Matveev (Koski Motorsport - Tony Kart - Vortex), 39th and author of the best third split time in group 2 after finishing the European championship in fourth position, Thomas Strauven (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), 51st, Lewis Wherrell (Forza Racing - Exprit - TM Racing), 56th, René Lammers (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing), 58th, Zac Drummond ( Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing), 61st, the reigning FIA Karting Academy Trophy champion Arthur Dorison (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), 75th, Nikolas Roos (CRG - CRG - TM Racing), 76 ° after printing the best first sector in group 1, Le o Robinson (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), 81st after winning the Italian championship right here in Sarno at the end of August, and Kirill Kutskov (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing), 89th.


• Qualifying characterized by some hitches also for the fresh runner-up of the FIA ​​Karting Academy Trophy Guillaume Bouzar (Koski Motorsport - Tony Kart - Vortex), who does not complete even a flying lap and finds himself 108th overall, as well as for Jules Caranta (Energy Corse - Energy Corse - TM Racing), who obtained the third best time in group 2, but was then disqualified and relegated to the 109th place overall after not complying with the technical checks.


• The pink quota of the Mercedes Junior Team as well as rookie in OKJ Luna Fluxa (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME) wins the 42nd place in the general classification.

©Photo: Sportinphoto