NEWS

There was a heated start to the first race in Super KF at Essay. The speed was observed, but this didn't prevent a clash which eliminated Miika Kunranta and curtailed the chances of Yannick De Brabander from the outset. Whose fault was it? The many CIK cameras could not decide. In fact the current procedure didn't work as well as hoped.

Anyway, Manu Renaudie (Gillard / Parilla) took the lead, followed closely for a time by Richard Bradley (Maddox / Maxter). Simo Puhakka (PCR / TM) overtook him on the next lap and Oliver Rowland (LH / Maxter) took 4th position from Jason Parrott (Birel / Parilla). Aaro Vainio (Maranello / Maxter), slow initially, was in 8th place, but not for long. On lap 4, he was already back in 5th position. Rowland then attacked Puhakka and Bradley who had exchanged their positions. The Lewis Hamilton driver did have long in second place before the engine let go shortly thereafter.

After two-thirds of the race, always with Renaudie at the front, with Vainio second from Bradley and Puhakka. Would Vainio be able to bridge the wide gap that separated him from Renaudie? It would be an important turning point in the championship ... His recovery was even faster than expected: the change was made 3 laps from the end. Renaudie obviously couldn't do anything to resist the tornado from Finland. Vainio therefore took an important victory for the championship, with Renaudie second and Puhakka 3rd.

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The crash in the KF2 prefinal was probably predictable. What was less so was the incredible recovery of Matteo Viganò (Birel / Parilla) on the first lap. From 25th place on the grid, the young Italian driver had already come up to fourth on the first time through the timing line. Matteo used the imbroglio at the 1st corner to slip forward.

Da Luz, Moller-Madsen, Pescador, Rasmussen and Picariello remained parked, while Bluy retired with mechanical problems. Other drivers lost time, but Felice Tiene (Kosmic / Vortex) maintained his lead ahead of Chris Lock (Tony Kart / Vortex) and Joel Johansson (Energy / TM). Very fast, Vigano successively took 3rd and then 2nd position by posting the fastest lap of the race. Jordan Chamberlain played his cards early and was already in 8th place from 29th! Andre Hauke and Aniello Smarrazzo made a similar coup. Further back in the pack, Sébastien Bailly and Loïc Reguillon, rose together in 16th and 17th.

At the front, the battle raged and Tiene lost ground, letting past Lock and Vigano. The latter took 1st place on lap 7 and Tiene resumed 2nd position, followed by Lock and Johansson. Mans Grenhagen was very delayed at the start and was undertaking a difficult recovery from the 26th ranking. Bailly finally reached 11th and Reguillon 13th. At the front Vigano escaped, Lock faltered, and Johansson took 2nd place while Tiene finished 3rd.

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The track was slightly damp in the early morning, but the sky was merciful and the weather conditions were good in the most recent KF2 heats. The races were all competitive, with rich and turbulent twists. As expected, Felice Tiene (Kosmic/Vortex) is still in pole position from Joni Wiman (Maranello/Maxter). In the pre-final, Chris Lock (Tony Kart/Vortex) will be on the second row with Mans Grenhagen (Energy/TM).

Nicolaj Moller-Madsen (Energy / TM) is in 7th ahead of David Da Luz (Zanardi / Parilla), Ben Cooper (Tony Kart / Vortex) and Jesper Rossler (Birel / Parilla). Very fast, Karol Basz (RK / Parilla) finishes the heats in 12th position before the beautiful Maiken Rasmussen (Tony Kart / Vortex). Joel Johansson (Energy / TM) lost out by retiring in his last race and is 15th, Stoffel Vandoorne (CRG / Maxter) 16th and Matteo Beretta (Tony Kart / Vortex) 17th.

Many drivers were quick but finished low in the classification so the finals will be highly energetic. Vigano is 25th, Bluy 27th, Reguillon 31st and Bailly 32nd. However, D'Agosto, Luka, Munkholm, Giovinazzi, Fraïsse, Gattinger, Vermeylen, Barbarin, Martins, Chatin ... are on the long list of non-qualifiers.

Rain is not forecast for the afternoon, but clouds are gathering over the region and nobody at Essay would bet 100% on a completely dry track. What is certain is that the starts and the first laps will be crucial for the final result.

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In securing pole position for Race 1, the Finn Miika Kunranta created something of a surprise at Essay where the finale of the Super KF Championship of Europe (the principal category of karting) is taking place. So far as the three contenders for the title are concerned (Aaro Vainio, Jason Parrott and Manuel Renaudie), they can still overcome the bad luck that came their way today. In KF2, the qualifying races are still not finished, but those raced this Saturday confirmed that the number of contenders for glory is very high.

The qualifying races of this third and final round of the Super KF European Championship (the top class in karting), being held this weekend at Essay (France), produced plenty of surprises. Quickest in qualifying practice, Oliver Rowland (LH-Maxter) suffered mechanical problems in the first of the three Super KF qualifying races. Unable to regain the form shown in qualifying, the Briton dropped to 8th place in the intermediate classification. He will therefore start in this position on the grid for Race 1.

The best effort of the day came from Miika Kunranta (Birel-Parilla). Third in qualifying, the 19 year old Finn proved himself fast and consistent to secure his first pole position in karting’s top class. “I knew that the rhythm was good” he confirmed during the Press Conference with characteristic calm of a Finn.  “But it is true that to find myself on pole is a little surprising.  But I do not feel any additional pressure. I have no more additional expectations for the Championship and I am just going to try my best in the two races”.

Alongside him on the front row Miika Kunranta will be accompanied by the Belgian Yannick de Brabander (Intrepid-TM), who had to find a solution to the carburettor problems which prevented him doing any better than 9th in qualifying practice. An excellent surprise of the day was British driver Richard Bradley putting his Maddox chassis to the forefront by securing 3rd place on the grid. Good progress for this make which only appeared for the first time at the beginning of the season.

And the contenders for the Title? All three of them have had the disappointment of a bad race in one of the qualifying heats. After good results in the first two races, the young Finn Aaro Vainio (Maranello-Maxter) and the Frenchman Manuel Renaudie (Gillard-Parilla) limited the damage from a bad qualifying heat 3 and found themselves in 4th and 5th positions in front the of Finns Aleksi Tuukkanen (Birel-Parilla) and Simon Puhakka (PCR-TM). As for the third contender, Jason Parrott (Birel-Parilla) suffered mechanical problems in his first race. As a result it will be only back in 9th place that the Briton will start Race 1 this Sunday at 14.15.

Another class being raced this weekend at Essay, the finale of the KF2 European Championship, is equally fascinating. The qualifying races are not yet finished (3 more must be raced this Sunday morning), but certain contenders for the title have already seen their chances compromised, an example being the Frenchman Clement Bluy (Tony Kart-Vortex), 2nd in qualifying practice and a race winner, but also suffering a non finish in one race and having problems in another. On the other hand, the Italian Felice Tiene (Kosmic-Vortex) seems to have confirmed his promise with two victories and a second place. Good efforts also from the Finn Joni Wiman (Maranello-Maxter), the 2008 KF3 Vice-Champion of Europe, who produced a fine improvement (a victory, a second place and a third place) after having been only 18th fastest in qualifying practice. Among the other heat winners was the Italian Aniello Smarazzo (Tony Kart-Vortex), the Dane Nikolaj Moller Madsen (Energy-TM) and the Swede Mans Grenhagen (Energy-TM).  This Sunday the 34 drivers who qualify (from the 79 entrants) will race the Pre-Final, which will then determine the starting grid for the Final. Decision Time then, because this single race will determine who is crowned European Champion! In short, the tension will be at its utmost at the start of this Final, scheduled for Sunday at 15.30!

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KF2 have raced in seven qualifying heats on Saturday. On Sunday morning there are either one or two left for each driver. Although the competitors have not all had the same number of races, one can identify the major trends of the day.

Felice Tiene (I - Kosmic / Vortex) has confirmed his peak speed, and could well emerge with pole Sunday afternoon ahead of Joni Wiman (Fin - Maranello / Maxter) and Nicolaj Moller-Madsen (DK - Energy / TM). In the leading group, there are Joel Johansson (S - Energy / TM), Stoffel Vandoorne (B - CRG / Maxter), Jesper Rossler (S - Birel / Parilla) and Chris Lock (GB - Tony Kart / Vortex). Beretta (I - Tony Kart / Vortex), Smarrazzo (I - Tony Kart / Vortex), Grenhagen (S - Energy / TM), Cooper (GB - Tony Kart / Vortex), Da Luz (P - Zanardi / Parilla) and Basz (RK / Parilla) are a handful of points off. There was a good performance from Maiken Rasmussen (DK - Tony Kart / Vortex), well placed as the first female.

Hindered by traffic, Loïc Reguillon was slow to recover from his qualifying times. Although very fast, the second fastest qualifier, Clement Bluy (Tony Kart / Vortex) has lost big twice, with the plug and then a valve and is now very far off. Paul-Loup Chatin is even less well placed ... Vincent Fraïsse is not doing too badly, but Guillaume Barbarin and Wilfried Martins have unfortunately accumulated a lot of points. Sunday afternoon is the final verdict ...

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