The OK Final of Champions of the Future at Portimao looked set to be full of twists and turns. First of all because some spectacular comebacks in the Prefinal were mainly due to the early use of new rubber and that the balance of power was likely to be reversed. Secondly, because some good drivers had suffered (penalty or retirement) previously and would try everything to get back on track.
Nevertheless, Nikita Bedrin (Tony Kart/Vortex) and Luigi Coluccio (Kosmic/Vortex) started on the front row ahead of Rafael Camara (Exprit/TM) and Taylor Barnard (KR/Iame). Andrea Kimi Antonelli (KR/Iame) started from 10th place, Lorenzo Travisanutto (Parolin/TM) 23rd after a penalty and James Wharton (Parolin/TM) 35th after a retirement. A spectacular crash shortly after the start changed the situation. Camara was in front of Bedrin, Dilano Vant’hoff (Exprit/TM) was 3rd, followed by Marcus Amand (KR/Iame). Travisanutto quickly came back to 8th position (+15 pl), but Wharton was delayed. Amand then took 2nd place, 3 tenths behind leader Camara. Florian Rousseau-Ricci (KR/Iame) took 15th position (+7 pl). On the fifth lap, Amand took the lead. William Siverholm (Exprit/TM) was 3rd and Callum Bradshaw (Tony Kart/Vortex) was 4th (+14 pl) in front of Vant’hoff. Bedrin took over in 5th position in front of Josep Marti Sobrepera (KR/Iame) and Travisanutto in 7th. Taylor Barnard (KR/Iame) retired with mechanical problems on lap 10.
Antonelli was barely in 16th position. At the front, Amand was still among the fastest drivers and tried to close up to Camara, 5 tenths behind him on lap 13. Siverholm took over in 2nd position and chased down Amand. The gap decreased towards the finish line, but Amand managed to control the situation and took the victory for 0,276″ with a 12-place advantage on Siverholm, with Camara being third by a second. Sobrepera took 4th place 2,4″ later, followed by Bradshaw. Travisanutto finished 8th with a gain of 15 places while Rousseau-Ricci reached a superb 9th position (+13 pl). Bedrin finished 15th, Antonelli 20th with the fastest lap and a spoiler penalty and Marlon Hernandez (KR/Iame) 26th.
Info Kartcom / Photo © KSP