Team France captain Anthony Abbasse was delighted with the enthusiasm of the 2017 tricolour squad and the good atmosphere that had already developed between its 15 members. It was far too early on the first day on the track to judge the potential of everyone, all were busy finding a good technical balance. Good performance, however, was recorded at several levels.
The first non-qualifying practice sessions were eagerly awaited on Monday morning. Fitting the transponders gave good indications during the afternoon running. Everyone needed to discover the kart they had drawn and to see if the basic settings were effective. In the sunshine with a steady wind, the task was not necessarily unpleasant.
Everything went well in Micro Max for Louis Iglesias, with the 5th time, and Théophile Naël who was 8th in the last session after starting with a red flag . Marcus Amand was simply the fastest time of the Mini Max, while Craig Tanic was looking for a better performance on the mechanical side, but also in the mastery of the layout.
Victor Bernier had a very good 4th overall time in Junior Max while Sami Meguetounif explored the different settings of his machine. Hugo Vair recorded a clear progression between the two sessions and did not intend to stop there. Camille Prouteau was also more comfortable in the afternoon session which allowed him to validate the set-up of his chassis.
It was a good day for Jean Nomblot in Senior with a place in the top 10 to start with confidence. Arnaud Sarrazin used a proven tactic, not revealing all his assets at the same time. In the top half of the table to start with, his mischievous look foreshadowed good progress for the days to come. Matthieu Bourdon learned about both the track and his senior opponents. He would have probably appreciated a clearer run, but that will be for tomorrow.
Andrew Williamson did not hide his joy at being present in Portimao. He enjoyed the track, but it still had to be tamed while his DD2 equipment was not bad at all. Lucas Joly was a little faster, but hardly more stressed as the second day of free practice approached.
Michael Dauphin was one of the fastest in DD2 Masters with his 6th overall time, under a minute. The situation was under control for Charly Hipp, not unhappy with his Monday in the sun, but decided to (ask his mechanic to) change his gearing for Tuesday.
After the hustle and bustle of Sunday night’s Welcome Party, Monday’s evening was calmer.
Info Kartcom / © Photos KSP