The CRG Presidenet, Giancarlo Tinini, comments the 2012 season. His opinion about the general situation of national and international karting. Great expectations for the programmes of the new CIK-FIA president and for the agreement reached with Luce De Donno as promoter.
– In a moment of deep economic crisis, how is the world kart market responding and, in particular, how is CRG reacting?
“The crisis has caused a drop in the sales figures and this is what we expected. When these crisis involve all the world, also a small market niche like ours is affected. Honestly, I feared the drop would be more serious, but actually it is not as bad as expected. Let’s hope the situation improve, otherwise karting too is bound to experience the worst consequences of the crisis.”
– In this context, is there any international market which is getting more interesting?
“There are lots of new small markets which, for the time being, are not interesting for the Italian kart industry. The figures which, just few years ago, represented our production cannot be absorbed by these new markets yet. China and India are very interesting, but they are still very far from our way of conceiving go-karts. We still need some years and, above all, we need that CIK-FIA continues to make the KF engine regulations simpler. I do hope that this simplification process makes karting more attractive not only for the emerging countries, but also for those countries currently dominated by some one-makes. Moreover, There are some many categories around the world that it is impossible to follow them all. This situation only creates confusion, while to spot some interesting developments it would be necessary to cut deadwood out and focus on a smaller number of categories.”
– The new CIK-FIA regulations could be helpful to cope with the crisis…
“For the time being, the technical simplification which has been introduced recently is crucial. This is the only way to attract a larger number of fans. For the most interesting categories, it has been important to decide to award the World Champion title also to the KFJ junior category, besides the KF. And coming back to the World Championship in KZ1 has been important as well. Unfortunately this novelties have been announced only to professionals: making these news more resounding could attract more attention at least on top karting.”
– If at international level the situation is not tragic, the same cannot be said for the activity in the single European countries…
“It is normal that the situation has got more difficult at national level. Only Germany doesn’t cry. Besides, we, the manufacturers, are obliged to produce many different products for each country, and this makes the possibility of a homogeneous development even harder. If all the ASN do not sit around a table and decide which route to follow we cannot work it out. And, for me, the reference model is the one adopted by CIK-FIA. In Italy, for example, the trickiest problems were created by the choice of the tyres: not for the brand – all the brands are good -, but for the type of compound. It is too hard for modern karting: it is so hard that those committed in national and international karting have been obliged to purchase chassis with different characteristics according to the kind of racing activity. This is foolish and, above all, too expensive. The right choice is adopting a medium compound, no matter which brand. The only thing that counts is the medium compound. Hard compound is not suitable and it is even dangerous and for drivers there is no fun in driving with such a compound.”
– In 2013 WSK Promotion will arrive in the CIK-FIA races. What’s your opinion about that?
“First of all I want to say thank you to the new CIK-FIA President, Shaikh Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa, because I’ve had the impression he has immediately well understood what karting needed, and this is crucial. I’m glad for the opportunity Luca De Donno – the WSK Promotion president – has been given: this is the right reward for all the efforts made in these last seven years as promoter in karting. And it is also a reward for all the bitter pills he has swallowed. Finally, Luca got the prize he deserved and I’m sure that with such a President and with Luca in the game things are going to be better and better. I’m convinced about that because both the CIK-FIA President and Luca De Donno have showed to be veritable entrepreneurs with clear idea, who are here to understand and not to impose situations, as it has always happened until today. If we continue like that, the interest stirred by karting is going to increase, with positive effects also at national level.This agreement is really very important.“
Info CRG Press Office / © Photo Fernando Morandi