Already fastest during Friday’s Qualifying Practice, on Saturday the Canadian Lance Stroll (Zanardi-Parilla) completed the Qualifying Heats for the KF3 World Cup in the lead. With three wins, the competitor from the Ferrari Driver Academy took pole position for the Prefinal, which will in turn determine the starting grid for the Final for this category (for 13-15 year-olds). Behind him, the great surprise came from Luca Corberi (Kosmic-Vortex). Only 21st in Qualifying Practice, the Italian confirmed that his 5th place in the last European Championship was not by chance with repeated fight-backs in his five Qualifying Heats, even taking three wins. He took 2nd place in the intermediate classification ahead of local Guillermo Russo (FA Kart-Vortex), the Frenchmen Bryan Elpitiya (Zanardi-Parilla) and Gabriel Aubry (Birel-TM) and the Italian Simone Cunati (Top Kart-Parilla). The To p 10 was completed by the Dutchman Martijn Van Leeuwen (Zanardi-Parilla), the Spaniard Javier Cobian (FA Kart-Vortex), the Russian Nikita Sitnikov (Tony Kart-BMB), winner of three Heats but involved in a collision at the start of the last confrontation of the day, and the Italian Alessio Lorandi (Tony Kart-Vortex). Winner of two Heats, Brazil’s Vitor Baptista (CRG-BMB) also lost some places after being hit in one Heat, to finish in 11th position for the Prefinal.
These Qualifying Heats also threw up some surprises. Only in 14th place, the European Championship runner-up, Spain’s Alex Palou (CRG-BMB) lost several places in the intermediate classification after being the victim of a rather ambitious attack by George Russell (Intrepid-Vortex). The double European Champion was penalised for the manoeuvre and was also excluded in one Heat for a part of the bodywork on his kart not complying with the homologation sheet. Classified 31st, the Briton rightly gained his ticket for the final phase, but he knows his task will be difficult. Also excluded following a bodywork check, the Frenchman Dorian Boccolacci (Intrepid-TM) finished 20th. It is to be noted that the Britons Daniel Ticktum and Callum Ilott (both on Zanardi-Parilla) were both held up (a collision for the former and a stalled engine for the latter) although they each confirmed their fast pace to win a Heat. In the intermediate classification, they are 19th and 22nd respectively, well ahead of the fast Frenchman Paolo Besancenez (Sodi-Parilla), who may regret his engine refusing to start and a collision setting him back to a 32nd place which does not reflect performances on the track. So these are certainly among the Drivers to follow in the final phase which promises to be particularly exciting!
Info CIK / © Photo KSP