Unforgettable! This is the right adjective to summarize the Kosmic’s World Championship. The team made a perfect job and got a well-deserved podium with the skilled Dane driver Niko Bollinghtoft.
The great performance of the boys managed by Olivier Marechal is even more important if we think that in the KF1, the top level category, no less than three drivers from Kosmic finished in the first ten position!
In the qualifier arrived the first lightening of a bright weekend, Niko Bollingtoft recorded a good 53’’675 and Benjamin Bailly followed him, lining up on third and fourth place. In the heats Bollinghtoft and Bailly confirmed their performance being always at the top. The equipment was perfect, Bollinghtoft fought at the same level with the invincible Tony Kart-Vortex drivers, and the Dane, at the end of the sessions, got the second row thanks to a victory and two second places finishes. Bailly, supported by the enthusiasm of the spectators, put side by side his team-mate on fourth place and Alessandro Bressan didn’t failed the expectations taking the fifth row.
In the first final Bollinghtoft fought for second place with the British Gary Catt, but his rival’s better speed and the good sense advised Niko to preserve the kart and the tyres for the final race. Bailly confirmed his fourth place easily alongside his team-mate.
At the start of the most important race of the season, the final of the World Championship, Bollinghtoft passed behind Marco Ardigò and followed the leader during the first two laps. After Gary Catt’s overtaking ( Tony-Vortex-Bridgestone), Niko thought to run away from the rivals and maintained a high pace during the 22 lap. So the third place was steadly in his hands, with Abbasse (Sodi-Parilla-Bridgestone) behind him by 1’’582.
The Eurosport TV didn’t escape the big performance of the blues dedicating large space on its tv program. The first Bailly’s World Championship ended up with a fifth place and the Italian Alessandro Bressan finished in ninth position, with this results the Kosmik Kart Department took the second place in the ranking of the Teams!
The World Championship of the KF2 category is not so exciting like the top level class; More lucky and less impetuousness of the driver would have permitted to take the lead in this challenging category as well. Patrick Fontner paid his exuberance getting involved in some touches with the rivals. Fontner, Mardin Benjamin and Jannis Kristensen got the final easily and this experience will be very useful in the future.
The podium at the World Championship is the top of a season where the Kosmic Kart obtained the victories of the Bailly brothers, Sebastien and Benjamin, in the French Championship, the first positions at the Open Master and the podium at The European Championship at Varennes (Bollingtoft).
Olivier Marechal - Team Manager Kosmic Racing Department:
“ It’s a great satisfaction have these results, in particular in the track of our country, whit a lot of fans and customers arrived to see us. It’s an important result also under the commercial point of view, because we are importers for Belgium of Tony Kart and Kosmic and these results make a lot of advertising. Bollingtoft finished third and Bailly, a Belgian driver, fifth, I think we couldn’t do better, considering that Tony Kart is a very important and professional team.
Also Bressan, a driver that didn’t take part to the European, hasn’t got training and never used special tyres, finished in the first 10 positions. This means that the equipment is really good! Our equipment dominated during all the year, at the Open and at the European, these results are really well-deserved.”
Nikolaj Bollingtoft - driver Kosmic Racing Department KF1: 3°
“It has been a fantastic weekend, a great satisfaction after a hard job. Two weeks ago during the tests I noticed that we were very fast and I was confident. I made good times on Friday and Saturday that allowed me to start from the third position in the final. In the final, after the first corner, I tried to follow Marco Ardigò, but he was very fast and some lap after he ran away. Gary Catt overtook me because he was more fast than me. But I had to defend my position and I had to stay very concentrated to continue to make good lap time.
I had some problems with the tyres because this track is very hard for them, in particular at the end of the race there wasn’t no more grip. The engine and the chassis were perfect. I am very satisfied, we made a fantastic job!”
Benjamin Bailly - driver Kosmic Racing Department KF1: 5°
“This was my first World Championship and I am very happy of my results. I made a good job with the mechanic and with the rest of the team, we had a very good set up. I was fantastic to take part to the World Championship in my country, with my family and my fans arrived to root for me. It has been a good weekend for the team because both Nikolaj and I got very good results and the Kosmic is behind only of Tony Kart in world ranking.”
You had a lot of happiness around thanks to your first fan, you father Gilbert!
“My father organized an hospitality for the fans and this made me more determined and happy and I want to thank him for his effort.
I want to thank first of all Mr. Robazzi, my team manager Olivier Marechal, my mechanic, my father and everybody who rooted for me. It was a surprise to see so many people asking for a photo and an autograph, I enjoyed very much, I felt a star! Now the season is at the end and I am very happy to finish with this good result.”
Alessandro Bressan - driver Kosmic Racing Department KF1: 9°
“I did a very good race, in the first final I had some problems, but in the final I had a good pace like the leaders. I expected to finish in the podium for a while, anyway I am very satisfied of the result.
My result is very important for the team as well, having three chassis in the first 10 position is a great satisfaction!” |
