[Translated with Google]

Track activity continues for the FIA Karting World Championship and the Road to the OK-N World Cup at the Franciacorta Karting Track in Castrezzato (Italy). After the first day of Friday, in which the qualifications and the first preliminary heats took place, in which the qualifications and the first qualifying heats took place, on Saturday all the remaining heats for the four categories present in the race were held: OK, OKJ, OK-N and OKN-J . The starting grids for Sunday’s super heats were then decided.

OK: Kean Nakamura Berta does nothing wrong

• More than a year ago, on the Franciacorta circuit, he obtained the European title on his debut in the category: Kean Nakamura Berta is more ready than ever to include the Senior World Championship in his trophy cabinet. The Japanese (Prema Racing – KR – IAME) laid solid foundations for this objective during the qualifying heats: four victories, a second place and a third. He will be the rider to beat tomorrow.


• Two victories, three second places and a third: the progress of the new European category champion René Lammers (Parolin Motorsport – Parolin – TM) was truly excellent, firmly in second position at the end of the day on Saturday.


• After yesterday's good performance in qualifying, Fionn McLaughlin (VDK Racing – KR – IAME) confirmed his potential also in the qualifying heats and achieved three victories. The Irishman therefore goes from fourth to third and becomes a serious contender for the final victory.


• Sensational contact between Gabriel Gomez (CRG Racing Team – CRG – IAME) and Enzo Tarnvanichkul (Prema Racing – KR – IAME) in Heat C-E: the Brazilian, nevertheless, took home a 15th place, while the OKJ world champion in withdrawals. The CRG Racing Team driver however remains at the top, fourth, and the Thai slips from tenth to 15th.


• Two fairytale comebacks for Ean Eyckmans (Leclerc by Lennox Racing – Birel Art – TM) and Anatoly Khavalkin (Parolin Motorsport – Parolin – TM). The Belgian records a victory and rises from 20th to fifth; instead, the 2022 OKJ European champion gains 27 positions and places sixth.


• Robust performance by Arthur Poulain (AKM Motorsport – KR – IAME), from 12th to seventh, while polesitter Mark Dubnitski (CRG Racing Team – CRG – IAME) did not maintain the leadership and was relegated to eighth. Joseph Turney (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) enters the Top 10, 23rd in qualifying.


• Alex Powell (Prema Racing – KR – IAME), one of the protagonists of this race, was unlucky. The Jamaican was third on the last lap of Heat D-G (the last on Saturday), until he was rear-ended by Francisco Macedo (CRG Racing Team – CRG – IAME) and retired. The Portuguese is disqualified from the heat, while the Mercedes-AMG junior is tenth in the intermediate classification.


• Jan Przyrowski (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex) closed Saturday with a victory and was rewarded with 11th place, achieved through a comeback of 21 positions. Olin Galli (CRG Racing Team – CRG – IAME) plays with experience and is 12th, ahead of Tomass Stolcermanis (Energy Corse – Energy Corse – TM), 13th.


• Mattia Colnaghi (CRG Racing Team – CRG – IAME) did well, 14th. Good performance also for Dmitry Matveev (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME), from 27th to 16th. Reigning world champion Matheus Morgatto (Birel Art Racing – Birel Art – TM) is still in difficulty, 61st.

OKJ: Christian Costoya still leads the standings

• After the pole position obtained yesterday in qualifying, Christian Costoya (Parolin Motorsport – Parolin – TM) wants to confirm that he is the fastest driver on the track and does so with a haul of four victories and three fastest laps in the six qualifying heats scheduled. The Spaniard is therefore at the top of the intermediate ranking at the end of today.


• Taym Saleh (Sauber Academy – KR – IAME) also confirmed himself at the top of the rankings thanks to two victories and four further Top 3 placings. We remind you that the German achieved the podium in Round 1 of the WSK Euro Series, held right here in Franciacorta last month.


• Filippo Sala (Ricky Flynn Motorsport – LN – TM) clearly emerges during the qualifying heats: the Italian collects two victories and goes from 12th place to third and is a candidate for the fight for the World title. Dries Van Langendonck (Forza Racing – Exprit – TM) and David Cosma-Cristofor (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) were also very fast, both able to gain 6 positions and respectively fifth and sixth in the intermediate classification.


• Despite some mistakes, Scott Kin Lindblom (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex) scored three victories and recovered 12 positions between yesterday and today. The Swede, author of the victory in the WSK Euro Series, is currently sixth.


• Furthermore, among the top ten we find Lewis Francis (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME), from sixth to seventh, Augustus Toniolo (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME), from 20th to eighth, and Christopher El Feghali (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME), from 16th to ninth. Consistent performance by Noah Wolfe (Leclerc by Lennox Racing – Birel Art – TM), capable of entering the top ten.


• +12 positions for Iacopo Martinese (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME), despite starting from the back in Heat A-C due to a problem in the pre-grid; the Italian occupies 11th place, ahead of Mike Parhiala (Kohtala Sports – Gillard – TM), 12th. A retirement in the first heat ruins the scoreboard of the new European category vice-champion Thibaut Ramaekers (VDK Racing – KR – IAME), now 13th.


• Lewis Wherrell (Forza Racing – Exprit – TM), new champion of the Champions of the Future Euro Series, occupies 14th place. A chain problem forces Stepan Antonov (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) to retire in heat A-C and slips to 15th in the intermediate classification.


• Joel Pohjola (Kohtala Sports – Gillard – TM) and Noah Monteiro (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME), second and fourth respectively in qualifying, are relegated to 21st and 22nd. The new European category champion Oleksandr Bondarev (Prema Racing – KR – IAME) tries the impossible comeback from 67th place: the Ukrainian climbs to 28th. Lastly, Niklas Schaufler (DPK Racing – KR – IAME) moves up to 69th.

OK-N: challenge at the top between Antonio Apicella and Francesco Marenghi

• After yesterday's qualifying, the drivers of the new OK-N category took to the track today to compete in the two scheduled qualifying heats. Author of third place yesterday, Antonio Apicella (Team Driver Racing Kart – KR – IAME) signs two victories and takes command of the intermediate classification, overtaking polesitter Francesco Marenghi (Modena Kart – Parolin – TM) in second place.


• Federico Rossi (PRK – Tony Kart – TM) rises from fifth to third, with a Top 3 as the best result in the heats. Lamberto Ferrari (FK Motorsport – IPK – Modena Engines) remains stable in fourth position, while Nicholas Tomasella (MLG Racing) drops from second to fifth.


• The top ten ranking also sees: Alex Machado (TB Kart Racing Team – TB Kart – TM), sixth; Filippo Parmeggiani (Parmeggiani Patrick – Tony Kart – IAME), from ninth to seventh; Federico Albanese (Italcorse Racing Team – Italcorse – TM), from 11th to eighth; Eric Cristian Enache (DR – DR – Modena Engines), from tenth to ninth; finally Bati Ege Yildirim (Modena Kart – Parolin – TM), from 12th to tenth.

OKN-J: the duel between Dean Hoogendoorn and Jesse Phillips continues

• The OKN-Junior, the other category present for the Road to the World Cup, sees the same two protagonists of the qualifications also in the qualifying heats: Dean Hoogendoorn (AKM Motorsport – KR – IAME) and Jesse Phillips (Kidix Driver Performance – KR – IAME). The Dutchman wins the first heat, after which he is beaten in the sprint by the Briton in the second. Both have two penalty points in the intermediate classification, but Hoogendoorn is currently in the lead.


• Behind them, three drivers made solid comebacks: Felipe Reijs (AKM Motorsport – KR – IAME) gained 8 positions and placed third; Bruno Gryc (MLG Racing – Parolin – TM) goes from tenth to fourth; finally, Giacomo Giusti (Modena Kart – Parolin – TM) moved up 9 positions and reached fifth place.


• One position more also for Andrea Marsella (MLG Racing – Parolin – TM), sixth, while Asher Ochstein (CRG Racing Team – CRG – IAME) relegates from fifth to seventh. Gino Rocchio (DR – DR – Modena Engines) maintains eighth position, ahead of Kais Aziza (Gamoto – Tony Kart – TM), third yesterday and ninth at the end of today, and Bosco Arias Chavarri, tenth after qualifying 17th . Iskender Zulfikari (Team Driver Racing Kart – KR – IAME) crashed to 18th due to a retirement in the first heat.

©Photo: Sportinphoto