In Valencia, the 99 participants in the first round of the FIA Karting European Junior Championship needed four Qualifying sessions to decide between them. As is customary in FIA Karting, Qualifying alternated between OK and OK-Junior. The weather was fine this Friday lunchtime in Valencia, with a temperature of 20°. The first karts took to the track with two minutes to go before the end of the six-minute Qualifying period, and two laps were counted in sessions 1, 2 and 4.
Session 1: Van Langendonck – 54”909
Alfie Slater (LN/TM) was fastest on the first lap ahead of Daniel Kelleher (KR/Iame) and Dries van Langendonck (Exprit/TM). van Langendonck set the fastest time on the second lap with 54’909. Enzo Craigie (KR/Iame) followed in 2nd place at 0.142”, Slater was 3rd at two tenths ahead of Borys Lyzen (Sodi/TM) and Kelleher at 3 tenths. Théo Battisiti (Sodi/TM) was 10th.
Session 2: Lehtimaki – 55”048
On the first lap, Rocco Coronel (KR/Iame) was ahead of Sebastian Minns (LN/TM) and Arjen Kräling (KR/Iame). Sebastian Lehtimaki (Tony Kart/Vortex) set the fastest time – 55”048 – on the second lap 52 thousandths ahead of Alex Molota (Gillard/TM). Minns was 3rd at 0.162”, followed by Oliver Kinmark (Tony Kart/TM) and Henry Domain (Energy/TM) in the top five. Bogdan Cosma Cristofor (KR/Iame) finished 8th, Coronel 9th and William Calleja (Parolin/TM) 14th.
Session 3: Costoya – 55”003
Thomas Pradier (KR/Iame) led on the first lap ahead of Niklas Schaufler (KR/Iame) and Dean Hoogendoorn (KR/Iame). Christian Costoya (Parolin/TM) regained the lead on lap 2 and finished in 55’003 on lap 3. Schaufler followed at 3 tenths, Vladimir Ivannikov was 3rd, James Anagnostiadis (KR/Iame) 4th and Pradier 5th. Louis Cochet (KR/Iame) was 9th and Andrea Manni (Exprit/TM) 16th.
Session 4: Illife – 55”124
Jack Illife (Parolin/TM) was ahead of Filippo Sala (LN/TM) and Iacopo Martinese (KR/Iame) on the first lap. Illife remained the fastest in 55”124, followed by Sala by 14 thousandths. Noah Baglin (KR/Iame) was 3rd at 6 hundredths, Roman Kamyab (LN/TM) 4th at 89 thousandths and Martinese 5th at 0.122”.
Info Kartcom with Kartlink / Photo © KSP – Arthur Saulnier-Bruneau