Crowned European KZ Champion in July with Danilo Albanese, the KR Motorsport team has now won the supreme title of FIA Karting World Champion - KZ with Paolo Ippolito. KR chassis and IAME engines confirmed their very high potential in the gearbox categories. At Wackersdorf, Stan Pex (SP Motorsport) completed the podium in the premier class and Alex Powell finished 2nd in the KZ2 World Cup, while Kean Nakamura-Berta set the fastest lap of the race. KR Motorsport won the FIA Karting team title in KZ and Prema Racing was runner-up in KZ2 in its first year.
In Germany, the KR chassis worked wonders on the highly technical and rather twisty track, with no fewer than 13 corners. From Free Practice to the finals, the Italian brand achieved an incredible level of performance in both the KZ and KZ2 categories. The goal of winning both world titles was far from impossible, and it came very close, with Alex Powell finishing just a few lengths behind the winner.
KZ: After Europe, Ippolito on top of the world!
Paolo Ippolito got his Championship off to a perfect start by showing himself to be the fastest in his group, enabling him to start from the front row in all his heats. However, it was his team-mate Danilo Albanese who won the first heat ahead of Paolo, making it a one-two for Cetilar Racing. In the next two heats, both drivers confirmed their success by taking turns to win. Despite a penalty for the start procedure, Ippolito found himself 2nd on the grid for the Final after an excellent Super Heat. In the Final, the Italian came out on top on the first lap and managed to hold on to his lead perfectly right to the finish, to give KR Motorsport its first World Champion title in the KZ category, after becoming European Champion in 2022. Danilo Albanese was unlucky (mechanical breakdown on Saturday, collision on Sunday) and was unable to defend his chances to the end.
The effectiveness of the KR chassis was confirmed by the performance of the SP Motorsport team. Stan Pex took the third step of the podium after a meeting where he was always competitive, while his brother Jorrit climbed from 11th to 6th place in the Final!
A clean sweep for Alex Powell, KZ2 runner-up
At Wackersdorf, in conditions of intense grip and heat, the KR chassis won no fewer than 11 Qualifying Heats and a Super Heat with Alex Powell, Kean Nakamura-Berta, and Daniel Stell (Dörr Motorsport), while setting a series of fastest laps in the race. Powell started 2nd in the final and held on to his place at the start in the jostling pack. Relegated to within 7 tenths of the winner, the talented Jamaican reduced the gap by 5 tenths but was unable to mount an attack. This runner-up spot in the KZ2 World Cup remains a magnificent result for this young motorsport hopeful, who has learned a lot at KR Motorsport.
The start of the Final compromised Nakamura-Berta's chances, as he was pushed off the track and found himself down in 20th place. In these conditions, his fabulous recovery to 6th position can be considered an achievement. His fastest lap of the race also tells his team that the Briton had the ability to fight for the title, as his Prema Racing team-mate was able to do. KR Global Motorsport Company congratulates all the drivers who put their trust in the KR chassis during this world event.
Comments from Dino Chiesa, Head of KR Global Motorsport Company
"We had several drivers capable of winning, in both KZ and KZ2. We placed three chassis on six steps of the podium and this overall result is due to the overall performance of our equipment. Paolo Ippolito is KZ World Champion, but Danilo Albanese could well have been too, as he was often faster than his team-mate during the meeting. In KZ2, Alex Powell was very close to Niels Tröger at the halfway stage. But when you're just behind another driver, the tyres tend to heat up a bit more, as does the engine, and you lose a bit of performance. Kean Nakamura-Berta paid dearly for another driver's mistake at the start, when he also deserved to fight for victory."
"Our partnerships with Cetilar Racing and Prema Racing have been very effective. They contributed to KR Motorsport's team title in KZ and Prema Racing's 2nd place in KZ2. Congratulations also to the SP Motorsport team for the performances of Stan and Jorrit Pex. I'd like to thank the IAME factory, which has once again proved that it has a reliable, high-performance engine in the KZ and KZ2 categories, whether on a fast circuit like Zuera or a twisty one like Wackersdorf. Now we need more drivers to put their trust in the IAME engine."
"Finally, I'd like to highlight the excellent work done by LeCont, who provided all the drivers with tyres that were both high-performance and consistent. Before reaching the Final, the KZ2s contested the Qualifying session, seven heats, and a Super Heat without any problems, with just six tyres."