The FIA Karting World Championship has crowned Fernando Alonso’s DPK team and its driver Kirill Kutskov in OK. In Junior, van Langendonck won ahead of Christian Costoya who had an impeccable weekend, taking pole position.
Both on the track and behind the screens, the FIA Karting Meeting in Franciacorta showed how exciting kart racing can be. Competing for a World Championship at a single event is always a very special challenge. However, the 2023 event exceeded all expectations, with a series of twists and turns and surprises worthy of a thriller right up to the end of the competition. The tension generated by this type of event was at its peak, as the FIA World Karting title represents for the competitors. The presence of 234 drivers from 57 nations certainly raised the tension several notches. Akbar Ebrahim, President of FIA Karting, and John Ryan, Vice-President of FIA Karting, were on hand to witness the event and present the trophies to the winners. They were privileged witnesses to a magnificent example of karting at the highest level.
The results of Franciacorta will have an impact on the International Karting Ranking (IKR), as you will soon be able to see by following this link.
JUNIOR: CHRISTIAN COSTOYA WINS THE RUNNER-UP POSITION AFTER A FLAWLESS WEEKEND.
The Super Heats of the Mondokart.com FIA Karting World Championship – Junior confirmed the dominance of Christian Costoya (ESP-Parolin/TM Kart/Vega) in OK-Junior, as well as the rise of Filippo Sala (ITA-LN/TM Kart/Vega) and Dries van Langendonck (NLD-Exprit/TM Kart/Vega) to the top three. Lewis Wherrell (GBR-Exprit/TM Kart/Vega) and Thibaut Ramaekers (BEL-KR/IAME/Vega) finished 9th and 10th in the final intermediate classification, well short of their targets.
Starting from 3rd position, van Langendonck took the lead on the second lap of the Final and gradually pulled further and further away from his rivals. Scott Kin Lindblom (SWE-Tony Kart/Vortex/Vega) was 3rd ahead of Sala. Taym Saleh (DEU-KR/IAME/Vega) and Lewis Francis (AUS-KR/IAME/Vega) crashed and retired. Van Langendonck continued at a fast pace and set the fastest lap of the race to lead Costoya by more than two seconds at the finish line. He won the World Champion title with the Forza Racing team. Lindblom followed Costoya on the podium, while David Cosma Cristofor (ROU-KR/IAME/Vega) finished 4th ahead of Stepan Antonov (KR/IAME/Vega), who moved up 10 places.
KR Motorsport, with 542 points, finished top of the OK-Junior 2023 team standings ahead of Forza Motorsport, with 376 points, and Parolin Motorsport, with 364 points.
OK: KUTSKOV AND DPK TAKE THE WIN.
At the end of the Super Heats, Kean Nakamura-Berta (JPN-KR/IAME/MG) was leading ahead of Rene’ Lammers, (NLD-Parolin/TM Kart/MG), the 2023 European Champion, then Fionn Mac Laughlin (IRL-KR/IAME/MG) and Gabriel Gomez (BRA-CRG/IAME/MG), the 2022 Champion, in 4th position. Joe Turney (GBR-KR/IAME/MG) was 7th ahead of poleman Mark Dubnitski (EST-CRG/IAME/MG).
In the final, three drivers left the track at the first corner, while Lammers dropped to 9th position. Nakamura-Berta led ahead of Mac Laughlin and Turney, who quickly took the lead. Gomez moved back into the lead and even threatened Turney. The Brazilian briefly took over the lead before getting tangled up with Turney and ending his hopes of victory. When he tried to restart the race, Turney was hit by another kart and was injured, causing the race to be neutralised and then a red flag with 14 laps to go.
The restart was single file and Kirill Kutskov (KR/IAME/MG) maintained his lead over Nakamura-Berta. Very quickly, Lammers moved up to second position with the aim of catching the leader. However, his attempt was unsuccessful and Kutskov and his DPK team took the title with a 0.184″ lead over Lammers. Nakamura-Berta took 3rd place on the podium, while Enzo Tarnvanichkul (THA-KR/IAME/MG) finished 4th and Arthur Poulain (FRA-KR/IAME/MG) 5th. Louis Iglesias (FRA-CRG/IAME/MG) moved up 23 places to finish 8th. Only 14 karts made it to the finish. After Morgatto in 2022, it was the second World Championship success for the Spanish DPK Racing team.
Prema Racing won the OK 2023 team classification with 487 points. Parolin Motorsport followed in 2nd place with 451 points, and CRG finished 3rd with 379 points.
APICELLA AND PHILLIPS WIN THE ROAD TO THE FIRST OK-N WORLD CUP
Support race organised by the Italian ASN ACI Sport to showcase the new OK-N and OK-NJ categories, the “Road to the first OK-N World Cup” finally rewarded Jesse Phillips (GBR-KR/IAME/Vega), winner of the OK-NJ final ahead of Dean Hoogendoorn (NLD-KR/IAME/Vega). Asher Ochstein (ITA-CRG/TM Kart/Vega). In OK-N, Antonio Apicella (ITA-KR/IAME/Vega) clearly won the Final ahead of Maxime Geley (FRA-Sodi/TM Kart/Vega) and Gianmarco Cortopassi (ITA-Maranello/TM Kart/Vega).