The second round of the FIA Karting European Championship gave the Birel ART Racing team the opportunity to validate their work and the increase in performance that has been underway for several weeks in both categories.
The Speed Ring of Trinec remains a very demanding track for the drivers as well as for the technicians. The slightest estimation is fraught with consequences. This reinforces Birel ART’s good record in very changeable conditions.
“The team worked well and we are satisfied to have had a convincing overall meeting in both categories at Trinec,” analysed Riccardo Longhi, Birel ART Racing Team Manager. “We were particularly pleased with Matheus Morgatto’s good progress in OK. He was very consistent between 2nd and 4th place during the heats, except for a technical problem that delayed him in the fourth heat. He also had an excellent pace in the Super Heat. It’s a pity that his front fairing came off at the very beginning of the Final. This caused him to lose grip on the front end and slowed his performance. He finished 7th at the finish line, which is a very encouraging result. Joel Bergström was also in the mix, but several setbacks affected his results.
“In OK-Junior, Gerasim Skulanov was unable to compete like all the other Russian drivers. Although less experienced, Kit Belofsky constantly improved his score at each stage. In the end, he came close to the top 10 after a 10-place climb, which is very encouraging. Leclerc by Lennox Racing driver Noah Wolfe kept gaining ground after Qualifying. He showed the extent of his potential in the Final with 14 places gained in 16th position.
“We worked successfully on both the engines and the chassis. In this respect, we immediately found a good balance on the very selective Trinec track, while being able to adapt to the constantly changing weather conditions. We are confident that we will be able to continue on this strong basis in the next races.”
KZ2 success in Italy
At the same time, several Birel ART drivers shone in KZ2 at the first round of the Italian Championship in Cremona. Cristian Bertuca dominated the category, taking pole position in Qualifying and leading the heats. Winner of the first race, in which Birel ART monopolised the top three places, he climbed from 8th to 3rd place in Race 2 and took the lead of the Championship ahead of his teammate Alessio Piccini. Daniel Vasile was also very successful, 2nd in the heat classification, 2nd in Race 1 and 4th in the Championship.
Birel ART – Presse release / Photo © KSP & FM Press