At this time of year, there aren’t many KZ / KZ2 races left. WSK Promotion has mobilised the competitors at the beginning of the season and after Sarno, there will only be the preparatory race at Wackersdorf before the KZ World Championship and the KZ2 World Cup at the beginning of September. The high attendance at last week’s WSK Open series in Sarno, with 81 KZ2s, clearly shows what is at stake for the second and final round of the FIA Karting European Championship – KZ & KZ2, which will take place next weekend on the Neapolitan track.
The Circuito Internazionale Napoli in Sarno always offers a privileged setting for competition along its 1,550m length. Close battles and exciting overtaking are expected at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. The predicted heat of up to 35°C will be a major factor in the event, putting the tyres of these brutally powerful machines to a severe test. The official supplier, LeCont, has provided some advice in a special dossier that has been widely distributed on how to make the best use of its tyres in order to reach or exceed the maximum speed of 150 km/h without any worries. This FIA Karting European Championship is supported by an exclusive partner, the Italian kart and parts distributor Mondokart.com.
Among the contenders, the major manufacturers are engaged in a relentless battle. Birel ART still enjoys the confidence of a large number of competitors, Sodikart is pursuing its quest for a major title in KZ with solid arguments, while CPB Sport ensures the presence of the French brand in KZ2. Tony Kart has reduced the number of its KZ drivers, but not its ambitions. CRG has been back at the top since last year and KR is making steady progress with both IAME and TM Kart engines. So much for the essentials.
Duel in sight in KZ
The positions in the provisional standings of the European KZ Championship are tight between Senna van Walstijn (Sodi/TM) and Jérémy Iglesias (CRG/TM), separated by just two points. Three drivers are neck and neck in the top five for the third step of the podium: Danilo Albanese (KR/Iame), Matteo Vigano (Birel ART/TM) and Emilien Denner (Sodi/TM). But it would be highly unlikely for the race to be limited to these drivers. Paolo Ippolito (KR/Iame) recently won the WSK against Stan Pex (KR/TM), a formidable finisher. Giuseppe Palomba (Birel ART/TM) and Riccardo Longhi (Birel ART/TM) have a card to play in Sarno and Adrien Renaudin (DR/Modena) has shown great potential. Tom Leuillet (Tony Kart/Vortex) will be keen to do better than in Zuera.
British presence at the front of KZ2
It’s a rather unusual situation to see three British drivers in the top four of the European KZ2 Championship. Apart from their nationality, they also share a similar profile with their young age and their OK habits. Freddie Slater (Birel ART/TM), who has not yet turned 15, leads on seven points from Alex Powell (KR/Iame). Romanian Daniel Vasile (Birel ART/TM), aged 22, exploded onto the scene this year in his sixth season in KZ2. A British driver of Japanese origin, Kean Nakamura-Berta (KR/Iame), like Powell, drives for the Prema Racing team, an undisputed benchmark in various single-seater championships, from F4 to F2, and brilliant from its debut in karting thanks to the management of Dino Chiesa. Frenchman Matteo Spirgel (Sodi/TM) embodies the hopes of CPB Sport in 5th position in the provisional standings ahead of Latvian Tomass Stolcermanis (Energy/TM), also 16 and a competitor in OK. Cristian Bertuca (Birel ART/TM) returned to form in Sarno after a dominant start to the season and a disappointing performance in Spain.
The competition can be followed from Friday via live-timing and on Kartcom, then in full live-streaming on Saturday and Sunday. Although the F1 Grand Prix of Silverstone is likely to attract many spectators from afar, the conclusion of the FIA Karting European Championship – KZ & KZ2 could well offer a more intense spectacle during its free webcasts.
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