The highlight of the karting calendar is the FIA Karting World Championships, this year it was held in Franciacorta, Italy. It was the largest FIA Karting World Championship to date with 123 drivers from 42 countries.
It’s felt like we’ve been at Franciacorta for a while as the teams and most of the drivers taking part have raced in two warm up events. The extra track time meant that the times between all the drivers was a lot closer than normal.
Our weekend started on Thursday with 4 practice sessions. I had pace from the first practice session so we had lots of hope for qualifying, even though we knew qualifying was going to be close.
In qualifying, we got 6 minutes, however our tires are only at their optimum for 2-3 push laps, so the field typically leaves the pits with 3 minutes to go. On my out lap I got great track position. I had a fast driver ahead and felt comfortable that over my two push laps I wouldn’t be impeded, but the driver ahead of him caught another driver and passed them at the start of their first push lap. Over my next two laps I gradually caught the driver and it impacted the final two sectors of my final push lap. The lap wasn’t bad, I was 0.184’s off P1, but I qualified P7 in group and P32 overall, much further back than I wanted. That put me P9 or P10 in each of the qualifying heats.
In my first heat, Heat D-E I got a good start, but got stuck in a tussle which backed us up into the pack and enabled the lead pack to pull away. Once I broke free the lead pack was too far out to impact my position. I finished P7.
I had a decent Heat C-D, I raced from P10 to P3. I was placed P2 after penalties.
In my final heat of the day I started P9, I raced pretty hard with a bunch of evenly matched drivers. I finished P8 on track, P7 after penalties.
On Saturday I competed in my final three qualifying heats.
In Heat B-D I had a tough outside start from P10, which saw me fall from P10 to P13 at the start and I had to fight back. I got my head down and had a decent drive to P8. I had really good speed setting purple sectors.
After a 4.5 hour wait, I raced in Heat A-D. The start was tough. My lane didn’t go and I was forced into the grass through turn two. I fell from P10 to P21. I raced back to P10. I was placed P9 after penalties.
In my final heat of the day, Heat D-G, I started P9, on the pole side. I had a steady race moving up to P5.
I finished the qualifying heats in P16, up 16 places from qualifying.
I started Super Heat B in P8. I lost a few places at the start, but climbed back to P7. The lead pack was too far ahead to catch.
That meant I started the FIA Karting World Championship final in P14.
The final was short lived. I had a decent start in the outside, placing P15 at the start. I was fast and worked my was to P11, when my throttle cable broke leading to a retirement on lap 3.
I’m devastated. Sadly that’s racing and you have to move on.
I have to remind myself that making the final of the FIA Karting World Championship is a massive accomplishment in itself.
Entries: 123
Results
Qualifying: P32 (P7 in group)
Heat D-E: P7
Heat C-D: P2
Heat D-F: P7
Heat B-D: P8
Heat A-D: P9
Heat D-G: P5
Final Heat Position: P16
Super Heat B: P7
Final Starting Position: P14
World Championship Final: DNF
Live Streams
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Results
Thank you to the amazing group of people that make karting possible for me - my coach Lorenzo Travisanutto, my mechanic Mirco Anelli, my team manager Roberto Toninelli, the entire Parolin racing team and GFR Engines!
We still have three races to go this year. I’ll be back in action in 3.5 weeks on the bumpy Sarno track, before rounding out my year in the WSK Final Cup.
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