The start of the first qualifying heat of the day on Friday was delayed due to a change in the scales last minute. All drivers were able to check on the new scales before taking to the track. After 17h, night fell on the Bahrain circuit, it was still hot at 24 ° C, but the wind made it feel a bit fresher.
After two canceled starts and a red flag to calm things down, heat A / E is was finally started. Jehan Daruvala (FA Kart / Vortex) was in front of Enaam Ahmed (FA Kart / Vortex), followed at a distance by Sasakorn Chaimongkol (Kosmic / TM). The two leaders were engaged in a tight duel, but Daruvala was unable to retrieve the lead at the end, still dogged by Ahmed. Chaimongkol was third ahead of Alessio Lorandi (Tony Kart / Parilla), Benjamin Lessennes (Kosmic / Vortex) took 5th place ahead of Lorenzo Travisanutto (Tony Kart / Vortex). Thomas Bale (FA Kart / Vortex) was fastest, in 11th.
Lando Norris (FA Kart / Vortex) kept the lead when the lights went out, but the battle started immediately and Daniel Ticktum (FA Kart / Vortex) was first over the timing line ahead of Niko Kari ( FA Kart / Vortex). Leonardo Pulcini (Tony Kart / Vortex) was in fourth position, Nikita Sitnikov (Tony Kart / BMB) was 5th. Alexander Vartanyan (Tony Kart / Vortex) lost a lot of places at the start. Warning flags were waving for drivers using tarmac beyond the limits of the track. Norris returned to 2nd halfway through. In 5th, Timi Tolvanen (ART GP / TM) was a distance from the others. Kari came back strongly at the end of the race and Ticktum made a mistake so the last lap was lively. Kari was the winner, crossing the line in front of Pulcini, Norris and Ticktum. But given the lines of some among the leaders, it would not be a surprise if there were penalties. Vartanyan, in 14th, had the fastest lap.
The duel was going on from the start as always in KFJ in the heat A against B, between Leonardo Lorandi (Tony Kart / Parilla) and Enaam Ahmed (FA Kart / Vortex). Danilo Albanese (Kosmic / Vortex) was had already dropped back the second lap and Alessio Lorandi (Tony Kart / Parilla) took third place ahead of Bryan Elpitiya (Energy / TM). Amaury Bonduel (ART GP / TM) took fifth position. Ahmed escaped in the lead ahead of the Lorandi brothers, Albanese and Robert Shwartzman (Tony Kart / TM) in 5th. Elpitiya was back in 6th after lap 4, and Gabriel Aubry (Tony Kart / Vortex) was in 7th with the fastest time. Ahmed won the race, Leonardo Lorandi was second after fighting hard. Alessio Lorandi didn’t cross the finish line, Albanese passed for third against Shwartzman and Aubry was 5th, Bonduel 6th. Elpitiya was relegated to 13th position.
Nikita Mazepin (Tony Kart / Vortex) made a great start in the heat D against E with Daniel Ticktum (FA Kart / Vortex) behind him and didn’t take long to take the lead. Jehan Daruvala (FA Kart / Vortex) also attacked Mazepin on lap 3. Alexander Vartanyan (Tony Kart / Vortex) took 3rd the following lap, while Benjamin Lessennes (Kosmic / Vortex) was fifth ahead of Thomas Bale (FA Kart / Vortex), Giuliano Raucci (Energy / TM) in 7th Maxime Potty (Kosmic / Parilla ) 8th and Jules Bollier (Kosmic / Parilla) 9th. The fight resumed for the lead between Daruvala and Ticktum, allowing Vartanyan, Mazepin and Bale to join the fight. Ticktum began the last lap in the lead with a reassuring lead and Daruvala was in 5th position. Vartanyan finished 2nd, Bale 3rd, Mazepin 4th. Bollier got a nice 6th place ahead of Raucci and Lessennes.
Info Kartcom with Kartlink / © Photo KSP