Decisive FIA Karting weekend in Sweden
Three FIA Karting titles will be awarded at the event in Kristianstad, Sweden, from 1st to 4th August 2024 as part of the Mondokart.com FIA Karting European Championship - OK & Junior and the FIA Karting Academy Trophy.
The much-loved 1221m Åsum Ring circuit, will host this major event in an ideal setting for spectacular battles. The many international competitions that have taken place at Kristianstad over the last few years bode well for a top-quality event in the heart of Skåne, close to Denmark.
Record numbers have been recorded for Sweden, with 118 drivers entered in OK, 124 in OK-Junior and 51 in Academy, a total of 293 drivers representing 62 nations. Contributing to this excellent attendance, 31 wild cards are on the OK list and 28 in Junior. The FIA Karting Competitions have confirmed growing interest from competitors and teams from all over the world.
Maxxis is the tyre supplier for all three categories and the 100% sustainable P1 Racing Fuel helps to reduce the competition's carbon footprint.
The battle for the two European OK and Junior titles may appear to be well underway for the two leaders of the provisional rankings, who have a substantial lead, but the fact that all the results of the season are counted promises a battle for the titles right through to the end of the Finals, thanks to the 81 points still to be distributed in Sweden.
OK: Favourable situation for Turney
Despite regular presence at the front of the OK category for several seasons, 23-year-old Brit Joe Turney has yet to be rewarded with a European Championship. 2024 could provide him with the opportunity to finally clinch the title thanks to his 71-point lead. In addition, there will be a fierce battle for the places of honour between Gabriel Gomez (ITA) and Matheus Morgatto (BRA), Lewis Wherrell (GBR) and Thibaut Ramaekers (BEL). Young drivers with great potential such as Fionn Mclauglin (IRL), Dmitry Matveev and Jindrich Pesl (CZE) also have a possibility of victory in Kristianstad. Of particular note is a return to OK for two factory KZ drivers, Pedro Hiltbrand Aguilar (ESP) and Tom Leuillet (FRA).
Provisional standings for the 2024 Mondokart.com FIA Karting European Championship - OK before Round 4
1- Joe Turney (GBR) - 234 points
2- Gabriel Gomez (ITA) - 163 points
3- Matheus Morgatto (BRA) - 160 points
4- Louis Iglesias (FRA) - 138 points
5- Lewis Wherrell (GBR) - 136 points
Van Langendonck the logical favourite in the Junior class
European runner-up and World Champion last year, Belgium's Dries Van Langendonck is in the best position to win the European title this year. He currently leads the FIA International Karting Ranking (IKR) for all categories and has a substantial 69-point lead in the provisional standings. Christian Costoya (ESP) is further back in the standings due to a blank scorecard in Slovakia, but will no doubt be aiming for 2nd place in the Championship in Sweden. Scott Marsh (GBR) could be a serious contender for victory in Sweden, along with Bosco Arias (ESP) and Dean Hoogendoorn (NLD).
Provisional standings for the 2024 Mondokart.com FIA Karting European Championship - Junior before Round 4
1- Dries van Langendonck (BEL) - 259 points
2- Iacopo Martinese (ITA) - 190 points
3- Roman Kamyab (GBR) - 178 points
4- Christian Costoya (ESP) - 143 points
5- Niklas Schaufler (AUT) - 141 points
Academy Trophy, a small advantage for Herman
With 56 points to be distributed in Sweden in the Academy Trophy, the situation remains open. Among the 12-14 year-olds representing their country in the FIA Karting detection formula, the rankings are not yet firmly established. Gilles Herman (BEL) seems to have been on the rise since the second round in Slovakia against Jakub Gasparovic (SVK), leader of the first round. But a number of factors have so far affected the confirmation of the up-and-coming talents, and uncertainty reigns between the top five as to who will win the 2024 title.
Provisional standings for the 2024 FIA Karting Academy Trophy before Round 3
1- Gilles Herman (BEL) - 103 points
2- Jakub Gasparovic (SVK) - 91 points
3- Wian Boshoff (ZAF) - 77 points
4- Dan Allemann (CHE) - 65 points
5- Martim Barros Meneses (PRT) - 63 points
Provisional schedule for the Kristianstad race
Friday 2nd August
08:00 - 13:20: Free Practice
13:25 - 15:13: Qualifying Practice
15:50 - 19:05: Qualifying Heats
Saturday 3rd August
08:00 - 09:39: Warm-up
09:50 - 18.45: Qualifying Heats
Sunday 4th August
08:30 - 09:55: Warm-up
10:05 - 10:40: Academy Qualifying Heats
10.45 - 12.20: OK and OK-Junior Super Heats
13:55 - 16:35: Finals
The Kristianstad event can be followed on the official FIA Karting Championship app for mobile devices and on the www.fiakarting.com website.