With the Prema Racing team and IAME engines, KR chassis dominated the first of four rounds of the FIA Karting European Championships in OK and OK-Junior. At Campillos in Spain, the results of the two Finals spoke for themselves: Noah Baglin won brilliantly in the youngest category ahead of his team-mate Dean Hoogendoorn and James Anagnostiadis triumphed in OK, while Dries Van Langendonck secured a second double for the Kart Republic factory.
Quantity and quality at Campillos
The KR chassis, which was the preferred choice of many drivers and teams when they registered for the European Championship, appeared in large numbers in both categories, and of course at the front of the field. In OK, Chiara Battig (VictoryLane) took pole position, then the Italian brand won nine of the 15 Qualifying Heats and the two Super Heats, before a real verdict in the Final: 11 KR-IAME karts in the top 15, including the two 1st places. OK-Junior had a similar day on Sunday, winning both Super Heats and another P1-P2 in the Final. The European Championships have clearly got off to the best possible start for the KR Global Motorsport Company group.
Junior in 2024, Anagnostiadis winning already in OK
Thibaut Ramaekers (VDK Racing), who was on pole position for the Final, initially gave way to Dries Van Langendonck (Prema Racing), but in the end it was James Anagnostiadis (Prema Racing) who came out on top and won ahead of Van Langendonck. The latter had seen his 2nd place contested by Iacopo Martinese (Cetilar Racing). The Italian had come back from 14th on the grid with the fastest lap of the race, but a puncture denied him a podium finish.
Behind Ramaekers in 4th place, a number of KR chassis livened up the chasing pack, including Chiara Battig (Victory Lane), who came 5th ahead of Borys Lyzen (KRZ Motorsport) and Daniel Kelleher (KR Motorsport). Louis Cochet (VictoryLane), Oliver Kinmark (Koski Motorsport), Jacob Micallef (KR Motorsport) and Zac Green (DPK Racing) were also among the frontrunners in the Final. Zac Drummond (KR-IAME) was less successful, however, 4th on the grid but being forced to retire, while Vegard Klemetsen (VictoryLane) made up 19 places during his comeback to 14th position.
Honours for Prema Racing in OK-Junior
Like Anagnostiadis and Van Langendonck, who have been spotted by the F1 academies of Mercedes and McLaren respectively, the top two finishers in the OK-Junior category have recently joined Formula 1 teams: Ferrari for Noah Baglin and Williams for Dean Hoogendoorn, the two heroes of the day. While Baglin led from start to finish in the Final with great control, Hoogendoorn had to fight hard to take 2nd place, two weeks after his WSK Super Master Series title.
Devin Walz (KR Motorsport), Will Green (KR Motorsport) and Luka Scelles (VictoryLane) all made it into the top 10, the latter just 8 tenths ahead of team-mate Luuk Taal. Antonio Pizzonia (Fusion Motorsport) set the 6th fastest time in Qualifying, Benjamin Manach (AKM Motorsport) won a Qualifying Heat and Michael McGaughy (Koski Motorsport) climbed from 29th to 13th place in the Final ahead of Evan Purcell (VDK Racing).
Comments from Dino Chiesa, Head of KR Global Motorsport Company
"The Campillos finals ended with a sensational result for our drivers and our equipment, with two one-twos in both categories. KR-IAME packages are currently in the top four places in the provisional European Championship standings in OK and the top two in OK-Junior. We can be proud of the work done between the first Free Practice sessions and the Finals, with a significant increase in our performances from day to day."
"The sun was out in full force on Sunday, the temperature rose and our equipment proved increasingly competitive in these conditions. This was confirmed for all the teams using KR-IAME packages. I'm sorry for the drivers who had punctures in the Final, particularly Iacopo Martinese who was back in the top three. The characteristics of the track put the tyres to a severe test. Finally, I'd like to thank the organiser, Martin Reuvers from Kart Center Campillos, who put in a lot of effort to welcome us and pull off a great competition."