The second and final round of the Mondokart.com FIA Karting European Championship - KZ, KZ2 and KZ2 Masters began with a hot Qualifying Practice, at the Kartodromo Val Vibrata from 29th August to 1st September 2024. Danilo Albanese (ITA) was fastest in KZ, Alessio Piccini (ITA) in KZ2 and Mirko Mizzoni (ITA) in KZ2 Masters.
The weather was warm with 33° on the thermometer during Qualifying in spite of the partly cloudy skies. The high grip of the track suited the CIK-FIA-approved Dunlop 'Option' DH H tyres very well and the best times were set at the end of the session, after the fourth lap. While the two favourites battled it out in KZ, the outsiders rose to the challenge in KZ2 and KZ2 Masters.
KZ: Albanese and Van Walstijn duel begins immediately
Italian Danilo Albanese was more than a tenth clear of the provisional leader of the European KZ Championship, Dutchman Senna Van Walstijn, while second-placed Swede Viktor Gustafsson was relegated to 16th place, 7 tenths back. The respective teammates of the two frontrunners followed in third and fourth places, with Paolo Ippolito (ITA) just ahead of Emilien Denner (FRA). The battle between the Italian KR Motorsport team and the French Sodikart team seems to be well underway. For Parolin Motorsport, Lorenzo Travisanutto (ITA) was fifth ahead of Riccardo Longhi (ITA) and David Trefilov (DEU).
KZ Qualifying top five
1- Danilo Albanese ITA - (KR / IAME / Dunlop) - 48''112
2- Senna Van Walstijn NLD - (Sodi / TM Kart / Dunlop) - 48''242
3- Paolo Ippolito ITA - (KR / IAME / Dunlop) - 48''363
4- Emilien Denner FRA - (Sodi / TM Kart / Dunlop) - 48''405
5- Lorenzo Travisanutto ITA - (Parolin / TM Kart / Dunlop) - 48''414
Open competition in KZ2
With 82 entrants, the second round of the European KZ2 Championship promises to be a very tight affair from the very start of Qualifying. The top three were grouped together by less than 5 hundredths, with the top six just a tenth apart. Some new names appeared at the top of the table, starting with the pole position achieved by Alessio Piccini (ITA), 31st in the provisional rankings, ahead of Markus Kajak (EST) 16th. Maksim Orlov, sixth in the rankings, took third place in Qualifying ahead of Marek Skrivan (CZE) in fifth place and Matteo Spirgel (FRA), the current leader. 88th in the rankings, Filippo Nuccioni (ITA) took a superb sixth place ahead of Corentin Rousseau (FRA) and Cristian Bertuca (ITA). Daniel Vasile (ROU), second in the Championship, finished 16th in Qualifying, Kasper Schormans (NLD) in third was 12th and 4th-placed Artem Severiukhin 29th.
KZ2 Qualifying top six
1- Alessio Piccini ITA - (Parolin / TM Kart / Dunlop) - 48''596
2- Markus Kajak EST - (Maranello / TM Kart / Dunlop) - 48''630
3- Maksim Orlov (Parolin / TM Kart / Dunlop) - 48''643
4- Marek Skrivan CZE - (IPK / TM Kart / Dunlop) - 48''703
5- Matteo Spirgel FRA - (Sodi / TM Kart / Dunlop) - 48''669
6- Filippo Nuccioni ITA - (Parolin / TM Kart / Dunlop) - 48''697
Mizzoni on pole position for KZ2 Masters
Ranked 17th in the European KZ2 Masters Championship after the Spanish round, Italy's Mirko Mizzoni took pole position at Val Vibrata on the sixth and final lap, ahead of three of his compatriots who were all within a tenth of a second of each other. Riccardo Nalon (ITA) put in an excellent last lap to move up to second place ahead of Davide Fore (ITA), second in the Championship, and Andrea Spagni (ITA). Provisional leader Anthony Abbasse (FRA) rounded off the top five just behind. Kristijan Habulin (HRV), seventh in Qualifying, as well as Nalon and Alessio La Martina (ITA), who set the sixth fastest time, will be watching Abbasse and Fore battle it out for the title.
KZ2 Masters Qualifying top five
1- Mirko Mizzoni ITA - (Italcorse / TM Kart / Dunlop) - 49''164
2- Riccardo Nalon ITA - (Parolin / TM Kart / Dunlop) - 49''216
3- Davide Fore ITA - (Birel ART / TM Kart / Dunlop) - 49''234
4- Andrea Spagni ITA - (Birel ART / TM Kart / Dunlop) - 49''253
5- Anthony Abbasse FRA - (Sodi / TM Kart / Dunlop) - 49''310
The provisional schedule for the Val Vibrata event
Saturday 31st August
09.00 - 10.18: Warm-up
10.25 - 17.25: Qualifying Heats
17:30 - 17:45: KZ2 Master Super Heat
Sunday 1st September
08.00 - 09.21: Warm-up
09.30 - 10.40: KZ2 and KZ Super Heats
11.55 - 14.40: Finals