European CIK Championships - Renaudie On Pole After Heats

press release

Already fastest in Qualifying, Manuel Renaudie has taken pole position for Race 1 at the second round of the European Super KF Championship (the top level of karting), which takes place this weekend at the Spanish track of Zuera. In KF3, the competition is open between the candidates for the title.

Above: SKF start

The heat is definitely one of the players in the second round of the European Super KF Championship, which takes place this weekend at Zuera. Always present, the Spanish sun caused the temperature to rise throughout the day (up to 35°C on Saturday while the 40°C mark should be reached on Sunday), and required the drivers to adjust the setups of their karts. On this subject, Manuel Renaudie (Gillard-Parilla) was able to talk about his experience. Already fastest in Qualifying, the French driver (27 years old) has shown rapid and consistent form throughout the three qualifying heats. Without a penalty for a jumped start, he would have won two heats. But as his opponents have also experienced varying degrees of success, the PDB Racing Team driver will start in pole position for Race 1. “I did not expect to start from pole after my penalty,” admitted Manu. “But it’s a good thing for he championship because the two drivers ahead of me, Jason Parrott and Simo Puhakka, will start behind me. I could therefore score a lot of points.”

Renaudie will have the young Finn Aaro Vainio (Maranello-Maxter) next to him on the front row, who was surprised to find himself in an advantageous position after finishing his heats in 5th, 3rd and 7th positions. The second row will be particularly volatile with the Belgian Yannick De Brabander (Intrepid-TM), who has limited the damage after a detour off the track in the first heat, and Jason Parrott, the leader of the championship. The Englishman was not particularly fast (one 9th and two 3rd places), but he will defend his leadership hard. Among the pleasant surprises of the day, the Belgian-American Mardin Benjamin (Kosmic-Vortex) has qualified in fifth and Finland’s Daniel Lindholm (Zanardi-Maxter) won the first heat. The winner of the third heat, the British Oliver Rowland (LH-Maxter) couldn’t confirm his second fastest Qualifying time because of a mechanical problem in the first heat, but starting from ninth, he can still harbour ambitions. More so than the Finn Simo Puhakka (PCR-TM), second in the championship, but only 13th on the starting grid after a retirement, a 13th place and a 4th place. Undoubtedly, this second event of the European Championship, of which there are three, could be an important milestone.

Unlike the competitors of Super KF, the candidates for European KF3 Champion have not yet completed their qualifying heats which will determine the 34 finalists. But the first confrontations have resulted in several favourites such as the Italian Raffaele Marciello (Intrepid-TM/one victory), the Dutch Nyck De Vries (Zanardi-Parilla/one victory), the Italo-Russian Daniil Kvyat (Tony Kart-Vortex/one victory), and the Spaniards Carlos Sainz (Tony Kart-Vortex/one victory) and Gerard Barrabeig (Intrepid-TM/ two victories), who was also fastest in Qualifying. The Spanish KF3 Champion had to limit the damage after being penalised for jumping the start. But, like others, he knows that only the winner of the Final will be declared European Champion on Sunday evening.

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