With the first three rounds of the WSK Super Master Series held in Lonato, Cremona, and Franciacorta officially closed, it is time for CRG to take stock of this season's start. The 2024 chassis gave the feedback we expected and the inclusion of new drivers was also positive. The function of these first races of the year is precisely to test all the technical material and allow drivers and technicians to find the right feeling on the work procedures. Unfortunately, the latest FIA decisions on tires, both for the OK classes and for the KZ categories, which will only be able to get to know the new tires in two months, have forced the technicians in these first races of the year to work a little blindfold, but in any case, the indications from the track are very positive and the data collected will be useful for the rest of the season.
In the OK category Gabriel Gomez could have won in Cremona and finished in P2 only, due to a small mistake, just as in Franciacorta it was Davide Bottaro who made his debut with CRG colors in the best possible way, getting on the podium with 3rd place.
Different tracks, different drivers, confirmed the excellent basis of the 2024 chassis, which also highlighted itself with other drivers of the CRG team. In the last round in Franciacorta, the debut of the KZ drivers was also very positive, with Viktor Gustavsson immediately taking Pole and missing out on the podium in the Final by a whisker. The CRG chassis also had a good start to the season in the Junior and MINI categories and now we look to the most important events with the first trip outside Italy, as part of the European Championship for the OK and OK Junior classes. The next race event will in fact be the Champions of the Future on the Valencia track to get ready for the 1st Round of the FIA European Championship in Spain scheduled for the weekend of March 24th.
Here below you can read the comment from the team's drivers and technicians after these first three races of the season:
Brandon Nilsson (Team Manager): “We had a very intense start to the season between tests and races. Now we have a few days ahead of us to carry out in-depth analyzes of the various feedback received from the track, but in general, a lot of the feedback has been positive. In OK with different drivers, we had the speed to get on the podium twice and we can say the same for the KZ category. In OK Junior we were often very fast, but we achieved little of our potential. The process of settling in with the new drivers' team took place quickly and we are all working in the same direction to be ready for the first important commitments of the season, starting with the OK and OK Junior races scheduled for Valencia in the coming weeks where will take place the 1st round of the FIA European Championship”.
Davide Bottaro (OK): “I am very happy with my debut with the CRG team; I found an environment that put me at ease and in a position to concentrate on driving with maximum support. I felt very comfortable with the chassis from the first test and also with the BM Motors engines it seems that the potential is very high. Debuting with a podium in my first OK race with a new team is the best way to start the season. Now I am very motivated to make sure that this first positive result will be the first of an excellent international season”.
Viktor Gustavsson (KZ): “We started 2024 among the fastest, just as we finished last season. We were at the first race, while some opponents this year had already raced with an obvious preparation advantage, but, nevertheless, we were fast throughout the weekend. In the Final we lacked a bit of speed, due to a setup choice between engine and chassis that we wanted to try, but which didn't give us the advantage we thought. We are talking about small things, while in a general sense, our TM chassis and engine package remains very good. Now after the recent statement from the FIA on the KZ calendars and the tire issue, we will see how to prepare for this anomalous season, which will see the first European race taking place in July only”.