Sodi Racing Team continues with its 2011 programme, with the aim of reaching peak form for a series of important mid-year meetings. It is in this same perspective that the team went to Varennes for the first GPO. In the team manager’s view, in this period of the year single achievements are less important than continued performance growth on the part of drivers and karts.
Nicola De Cola explains: «We have kept a good pace since the beginning of the season with a busy test programme. We want to reach our performance peak by the end of spring and summer, when temperatures will the higher than now. This GPO has been excellent for Sodi, a bit less for the official team, but I am fully confident and I know we will be there at the right time».
In the meanwhile, Alex Baron won Saturday’s final in KF2 and left Varennes with a second place in the standings of the French Championship, proving that it all worked fine for the driver and his kart. He was hampered on Sunday, but this is the law of karting. Anthoine Hubert continued his progress in assimilating KF3, despite being delayed by a few problems at his ribs he suffered at the Winter Cup. He chased down Baron on Sunday and this is a good sign. Fast and incisive, Loïc Réguillon was not treated with white gloves on his first race of the year with Sodi, but his situation will rapidly improve with some more driving.
Charles Leclerc was alone in the team in KF3 after Pierre Gasly passed to single-seaters. SRT logically entrusted him with development with a view to CIK European qualification. Races were not easy for him in Varennes, but he will get on the right footing soon.
Finally Anthony Abbasse, current French KZ2 Champion, was somewhat the man to beat for many of his opponents. His priority was to improve the harmony between his Sodi chassis and the powerful but peaky Maxter engine, in cooperation with Tec-Sav. The team work was rewarded by a recovery up to 4th in the last final.
Info Kartcom / © Photos KSP