For their very first competition in the FIA Karting categories on the French circuit of Val d'Argenton, the KR chassis demonstrated their effectiveness and quality of adaptation. The second round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series was not without its challenges, but the hard work put in by the teams using the KR-IAME package put the drivers on the right track. In OK, Thibaut Ramaekers (VDK Racing) dominated the Final. He was joined on the podium by Joe Turney and Lewis Francis, both members of the official KR Motorsport team. In OK-Junior, Niklas Schaufler (DPK Racing) gained nine places in the Final to finish 2nd ahead of Kenzo Craigie (Prema Racing).
From pole to victory in OK
In Qualifying, David Cosma Cristofor took pole position ahead of his KR Motorsport team-mate Lewis Francis. One heat win followed another. Jimmy Helias (Victory Lane) and Thibaut Ramaekers (VDK Racing) put in strong performances, as did the two drivers from the Prema Racing team, Oleksandr Bondarev and Salim Hanna (who unfortunately both had to retire in the Final). While Joe Turney made a spectacular return to the top positions, Luna Fluxa Cross (Prema Racing) confirmed her full potential with 6th place in Super Heat 1 behind Aaron Garcia (DPK Racing) and Noah Monteiro (KR Motorsport). Fionn McLaughlin (VDK Racing), who had won a few weeks earlier in Valencia, also continued to set a fast pace.
The Final confirmed the soundness of the technical choices made by the teams in Kart Republic colours. Indeed, three KR-IAME teams managed to break away from the leading pack after some intense duels. Thibaut Ramaekers, the fastest man on track, took a well-deserved victory, with Joe Turney behind him then Lewis Francis, who put in his best performance since his recent debut in OK. After a remarkable 21-place comeback, Dmitry Matveev (KR Motorsport) finished 7th, while Garcia and Monteiro earned their place in this highly competitive top 10.
Schaufler and Craigie on the podium in OK-Junior
Adapting to a new circuit is never easy, and the technicians from the Kart Republic family spared no effort give the young drivers the best possible conditions in which to tackle the unfamiliar Val d'Argenton track. Kenzo Craigie (Prema Racing) put in a fine performance in the Qualifying Heats and secured 3rd place in his Super Heat, won by Rocco Coronel (Victory Lane). Kit Belofsky (Fusion Motorsport), Iacopo Martinese (Cetilar Racing) and Dean Hoogendoorn (AKM Motorsport) also emerged in the top 10 in the Super Heats.
The Final saw the rise of Niklas Schaufler (DPK Racing). After starting 11th, he quickly made his way back to the front and finished on the second step of the podium. Craigie confirmed his competitiveness in 3rd place. A touch at the start pushed Coronel back beyond 10th place on the first lap, but the Dutchman managed to climb back up to 6th thanks to some very fast lap times. In the provisional overall standings, Schaufler is in 2nd place ahead of Coronel and Craigie. 8th in the Final, Japan's Kosei Oguma (AKM Motorsport) also had a fine meeting.
Comments from Dino Chiesa, Head of KR Global Motorsport Company
"I'm obviously very satisfied with the Final results and with the massive presence of KR chassis on the podium. This event enabled us to gather a lot of information about the Val d'Argenton circuit, which everyone was learning. Of course, we hope to confirm this during the next round of the FIA Karting European Championship. The thermometer climbed as the days went by, as did the temperature of the tarmac. We had to adapt constantly, looking for the best set-up and the optimum tyre pressure. I should also point out that we've only recently started working with Maxxis tyres and it was important to understand how they work on this circuit and how to manage their wear. We were able to find good solutions and that also explains the overall performance of the KR chassis on this circuit."