[Translated with Google]

The most important weekend of the season for the shifter kart categories has begun in Wackersdorf, the one that will allow us to find out who will be the champion of the 2023 FIA World Championship and the winners of the FIA ​​Karting World Cup and the FIA ​​Karting Int'l Masters Super Cup Three categories are represented: KZ (with 49 drivers at the start), KZ2 (125) and KZ2 Master (72).

On this first day the qualifications and the first preliminary heats took place, which will conclude on Saturday and then face the super heats and finals on Sunday.

KZ: Emilien Denner snatches pole position by a whisker

• Emilien Denner's weekend (Sodikart - Sodi - TM Kart) started well right from free practice, where he set the first time in his group, and then confirmed himself in qualifying by snatching the overall pole position. And "tear", in this case, is the most suitable term if we consider that, in the general classification, the first seven riders are enclosed within just 97 thousandths.


• Second place overall for Paolo Ippolito (KR Motorsport Srl - KR – IAME), also in great shape since free practice in the morning, who is a candidate among the protagonists of this weekend and among the potential contenders for the championship title.


• In third place we find Tom Leuillet (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart – Vortex). After a complicated weekend in Sarno, on the occasion of the last round of the FIA ​​Karting European Championship, the Frenchman and the Tony Kart Racing Team prepared for this race with the aim of experiencing it as protagonists. And so far they are succeeding.


• Fourth position for the winner of the FIA ​​Karting European Championship 2023, Danilo Albanese (KR Motorsport Srl - KR – IAME), who printed a 45.447 just 50 thousandths from the absolute best time. The goal, for him, is certainly to repeat the European success of a few weeks ago, trying to also bring home the title of World Champion. Many in the paddock define him as one of the favorites to win.


• Following him very closely are the German driver David Trefilov (Maranello SRP Factory Team - Maranello - TM Kart), with the 5th overall time and trailing by just 62 thousandths from the general pole position and Luigi Coluccio (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart – Vortex), 6th, with a delay of 78 thousandths.


• Seventh overall time for Viktor Gustafsson (CRG - CRG - TM Kart), the last driver to manage to stay under a tenth of a second from the poleman and another name among the most frequently heard when asking who the favorites for the final are. Senna Van Walstijn (Sodikart - Sodi - TM Kart) follows in eighth place overall with a time of 45.540.


• Closing the top ten are Yohan Soguel (Private Team - Sodi - TM Kart), 9th, and Lorenzo Camplese (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), 10th.


• The 2023 European vice-champion, Jeremy Iglesias (CRG - CRG - TM Kart), was in slight difficulty and was forced to make a comeback weekend starting from today's heats following his 16th overall time. Even more delayed, Pedro Hiltbrand (Birel ART Racing Srl - Birel Art - TM Kart). Despite being one of the favourites, his weekend got off to a rocky start with a 21st place in the general classification at the end of qualifying.

KZ2: Maksim Orlov dominates qualifying

• Maksim Orlov (Modena Kart ASD - Parolin - TM Kart) must particularly like the Wackersdorf track. Already from this morning's free practice he had shown that he was in great shape and confirmed this in qualifying, with a time that left everyone speechless. 45.290, almost half a second faster than the closest opponent in his heat, about two tenths better than the second overall time and a tenth faster than the KZ pole. For Orlov, this weekend certainly begins as a special observer.


• 189 thousandths behind him we find Kean Nakamura-Berta (Prema Racing - KR - IAME), who stops the clock at a time of 45.479. After a complicated weekend in Sarno, on the occasion of the FIA ​​Karting European Championship, the Englishman starts this event definitely on the right foot.


• Third place overall for his teammate Alex Powell (Prema Racing - KR – IAME) who with a time of 45.505 is the fastest of his group. For him too, the objective is certainly to recover from the difficult European event in Sarno. The speed seems to be there.


• Fourth place, for Matteo Spirgel (CPB Sport - Sodi - TM Kart), who confirms himself as the protagonist after the good free practice sessions in the morning, where he finished 4th in his group just 2 thousandths of a second from the first time (yes, you read that right, there were 4 riders in 2 miles).


• Daniel Stell (Dörr Motorsport - KR - IAME) secured the 5th overall time with a 45.699, followed by Nikolas Roos (CRG Holland - CRG - TM Kart) and Thomas Rackl (Maranello SRP Factory Team - Maranello - TM Kart) , 6th and 7th respectively.


• Behind them in the overall ranking we find Genis Civico Espona (Modena Kart ASD – Parolin – TM Kart), 8th, Thomas Imbourg (CPB Sport - Sodi - TM Kart), 9th. Closing out the overall top ten was Maxim Rehm (Leclerc by Lennox Racing - Birel Art - TM Kart), 10th.


• The second and third place in the European championship Daniel Vasile (Birel ART Racing Srl - Birel Art - TM Kart) were slightly delayed, 12th, while Tomass Stolcermanis (Energy Corse Srl - Energy - TM Kart) was actually 27th overall. Both will be forced to have an uphill weekend to achieve a good final result.

KZ2 Masters: Pole goes to Mirko Mizzoni

• He started Friday in Wackersdorf with a fourth position in his group during free practice, but with a twist Mirko Mizzoni (Italcorse Racing Team - Italcorse -TM Kart) managed to snatch the overall pole position with an excellent 46.294, securing a starring role for the rest of the weekend.


• The best time in his group was not enough for Daniel Bray (Modena Kart ASD - Parolin -TM Kart) to get ahead of everyone in the general classification. However, with a 46.300, just 6 thousandths behind Mizzoni, he managed to secure an excellent second position, as well as pole position in the various scheduled heats.


• Alessandro Manetti (CRG - CRG -TM Kart) was unable to improve on the time obtained in the first free practice sessions and, despite this, obtained a very respectable third time. With a 46.357 he closed just 63 thousandths from the overall pole. This is undoubtedly a great return for the two-time World Champion who, after several seasons on the sidelines, returns to the track for this German event. To confirm the excellent performance, it is worth highlighting the injury that forces him to run with several stitches on his side.


• Same fate for Davide Forè (Renda Motorsport - Sodi -TM Kart) who copies the time obtained by Manetti to the thousandth. Thanks to this result, the 4-time World Champion is positioned in 4th place overall.


• Fifth overall time for Jeroen Bos (SP Motorsport - KR -TM Racing), followed by the Italian pair formed by Riccardo Nalon (Erre Esse Karting Motorsport ASD - Parolin -TM Kart), 6th, and Emanuele Simonetti (Modena Kart ASD - Parolin - TM Kart), 7th.


• 8th time for Thomas Neumann (Birel ART Racing KSW - Birel Art -TM Kart). The home rider prints a 46.259 which ensures him an excellent second place in his group.


• Closing out the absolute top ten are Andre Nicastro (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart -Vortex) and Sven Salzmann (Solgat Motorsport - Birel Art -TM Kart), 9th and 10th respectively.

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