In relatively hot weather, the final day of the Italian round at Cremona saw Dutchman Rene Lammers win the FIA Karting European Championship – OK, while Ukrainian Oleksandr Bondarev took victory in the FIA European Karting Championship – Junior. Spaniard Hugo Marti was the overall winner of the FIA Karting Academy Trophy.
The thermometer hit the 30s on Sunday afternoon during the Cremona Finals, without causing any particular problems for the drivers, the machines or the tyres supplied by MG for OK and Vega for Juniors and the Academy. The ranking of the three categories was gradually established right up to the end of the Qualifying phases, leading to the victory of three different drivers, who were then rewarded as Champions. The Cremona Karting circuit confirmed its undeniable selectivity at this level in the presence of the President and Vice-President of the FIA Karting, Akbar Ebrahim and John Ryan. In addition, the rigour of the race direction and the stewards was appreciated for its contribution to the sporting fairness of the event.
Winner of the Junior Final, Thibaut Ramaekers (BEL) climbed to the top of the FIA International Karting Ranking (IKR), which currently takes into account the results of more than 1,100 drivers.
OK: FINE VICTORY FOR COLUCCIO, LAMMERS THE EUROPEAN CHAMPION
Sunday morning’s Super Heats of the FIA Karting European Championship – OK saw Rene Lammers (NLD-Parolin/TM Kart/MG) and Enzo Tarnvanichkul (THA-KR/IAME/MG) take victory. They took the top two places in the final intermediate ranking ahead of Kean Nakamura-Berta (GBR-KR/IAME/MG), Fionn Mc Laughlin (IRL-KR/IAME/MG) and Luigi Coluccio (ITA-Tony Kart/Vortex/MG).
Coluccio quickly took the lead after four laps under full yellow flags at the start of the race. The fast Italian continued to increase his lead as the laps went by and won by a margin of 1.5 seconds. Nakamura-Berta and Tarnvanichkul rejoined the top three ahead of Lammers. Tarnvanichkul finished 2nd ahead of team-mate Nakamura-Berta, while Lammers secured 4th place with the fastest lap to comfortably clinch the Championship. Alex Powell (JAM-KR/IAME/MG) moved up to 5th in the race. Gabriel Gomez (ITA- CRG/IAME/MG), who had not performed as well as he had in the previous three races, was unable to challenge Lammers for the Championship lead with his 13th place.
2023 OK FIA Karting European Championship final standings
1- Rene Lammers (NLD) – 278 points
2- Gabriel Gomez (ITA) – 213 points
3- Alex Powell (JAM) – 191 points
4- Tomass Stolcermanis ( LVA) – 166 points
5- Kean Nakamura-Berta (GBR) – 147 points
OK team rankings after Cremona
1- Prema Racing (ITA) – 389 points
2- Parolin Motorsport (ITA) – 340 points
3- CRG (ITA) – 303 points
4- Tony Kart Racing Team (ITA) – 185 points
5- Energy Corse (ITA) – 175 points
JUNIOR: BONDAREV WINS DESPITE RAMAEKERS’ VICTORY
Oleksandr Bondarev (UKR-KR/IAME/Vega) returned to winning ways in Super Heat A, while Iacopo Martinese (ITA-KR/IAME/Vega) won Super Heat B. Thibaut Ramaekers (BEL-KR/IAME/Vega) remained in 1st position for the Final against Martinese, Dries van Langendonck (BEL-Exprit/TM Kart/Vega) and provisional Championship leader Bondarev.
Martinese took the lead on the fifth lap, while Bondarev moved up to 3rd place after a cautious start. Martinese and Ramaekers remained close but Ramaekers still had the resources to retake 1st position at the end of the race with the fastest lap and win 8 tenths ahead of Martinese. It was the best he could do, but Bondarev’s final 3rd place 2.5″ further back was enough for the Ukrainian to be crowned FIA Karting European Junior Champion. Van Langendonck finished 4th in the race ahead of Stepan Antonov (KR/IAME/Vega). Niklas Schaufler (AUT-KR/IAME/Vega) climbed 15 places to 8th ahead of Scott Kin Lindblom (SWE-Tony Kart/Vortex/Vega) who had climbed 12 places.
Final standings of the 2023 FIA Karting European Junior Championship
1- Oleksandr Bondarev (UKR) – 256 points
2- Thibaut Ramaekers (BEL) – 245 points
3- Iacopo Martinese (ITA) – 182 points
4- Lewis Wherrell (GBR) – 155 points
5- Dries van Langendonck (BEL) – 147 points
OK-Junior team standings after Cremona
1- KR Motorsport (ITA) – 457 points
2- Forza Racing (GBR) – 300 points
3- Parolin Motorsport (ITA) – 286 points
4- VDK Racing (BEL) – 245 points
5- Shamick Europe (AUS) – 113 points
ACADEMY TROPHY: 1ST WIN FOR WODA, MARTI CROWNED
The situation seemed to be changing on Sunday morning in the two Qualifying Heats of the Academy Trophy, with wins for Arthur Broughan (NZL) and Marius Barry-Berg (NOR). However, Wojciech Woda (POL) maintained his advantage in the final intermediate classification ahead of Hugo Marti (ESP), Markas Silkunas (LTU), Cristian Tonalini (ITA) and Santino Panetta (ARG).
It didn’t take long for Marti to overtake Woda at the head of the Final, but the Pole didn’t give up and regained the lead on the seventh lap. Lisa Billard (FRA) then took 2nd place just behind Woda. Silkunas was back in 3rd and Broughan 4th ahead of Marti. The top two got away. Although close to Woda, Billard was unable to overtake him. Woda won the race by two tenths, Silkunas finished 3rd by more than two seconds, followed by Broughan and Romeo Haagh (DNK) who set the fastest lap. His 6th place finish didn’t prevent Marti from taking the trophy ahead of Max Walton (AUS), who had been consistent all weekend. Silkunas took 3rd place in the standings ahead of Panetta and Barry-Berg, who failed to score a single point in Cremona. The Exprit/Vortex equipment supplied by OTK Kart Group once again proved its effectiveness in this one-make competition, the fairness of which was reinforced by numerous engine swaps throughout the event.
Final standings of the 2023 FIA Karting Academy Trophy
1- Hugo Marti (ESP) – 111 points
2- Max Walton (AUS) – 90 points
3- Markas Silkunas (LTU) – 85 points
4- Santino Panetta (ARG) – 77 points
5- Marius Barry-Berg (NOR) – 74 points
The next FIA Karting event will take place in Germany from 7th to 10tn September for the Mondokart.com KZ World Championship, the KZ2 World Cup and the KZ2 Masters International Super Cup.
The results of the Cremona event can be found on the official FIA Karting Championship application for mobile devices and on the www.fiakarting.com website.
