With more than a quarter of the field, Birel ART was the best represented chassis brand in Spain for the opening of the FIA Karting European Championships - KZ & KZ2. Although the standard of competition in these gearbox categories is constantly increasing, Birel ART's expertise enables the red chassis to perform at the front. In KZ, Matteo Vigano was back on the second step of the podium in the colours of the Leclerc by Lennox Racing team, while Riccardo Longhi regained 10 places to finish 6th in the Final.

In KZ2, young Freddie Slater put in a stunning performance in his first season in this category. 2nd in the Final, he is now in the lead of the European ranking. Daniel Vasile was also brilliant, following on from his excellent start to the season. Winner of Super Heat B, he is now 3rd in the ranking. Birel ART Racing is currently in the 1st position in the KZ2 team ranking.

For Riccardo Longhi, the manager of the Birel ART Racing team: "The weekend was very good for the Red Army. In KZ2, Vasile, Slater and Bertuca were very fast, as was Piccini. We could reasonably expect to have two drivers on the Final podium, but the race decided otherwise for Daniel Vasile who was unlucky in the battle for the top five. Freddie Slater was able to use the full potential of his kart to reach the second step of the podium, a rare feat at his age.

“Cristian Bertuca was able to do well too, he proved it by setting the 2nd fastest time in Qualifying and winning three heats. He is in 9th position in the championship despite his retirement in the Final. Piccini put in a good performance, 13th on the finish line of the Final, ranked 21st because of a front fairing penalty. His 11th place in the championship confirms the overall positive result of the team, Slater being 1st and Vasile 3rd. We are of course delighted to be leading the team rankings.

“In KZ, Pedro Hiltbrand had a good start, but his retirement in Heat 2, when he was aiming for 3rd position, delayed him considerably. The mechanical problem he encountered may have been related to the carburetion setting with the new fuel. Riccardo Longhi progressed well throughout the meeting and finished in 6th position, while Giuseppe Palomba finished 13th.

“We come back from Zuera with good performances and convincing results. We will work to achieve our ambitions in the second and last race in Sarno in July."