Leclerc Leads As Barnicoart Dedicates Win To Martin Hines
press release
The second round of the CIK-FIA Academy Trophy held on the Essay circuit was not without consequences. Leader after the qualifying heats, the Spaniard Mikel Azcona also clinched the pole position for the first Race. On the grid he headed up the Monegasque Charles Leclerc, the Albanian Aleksander Ndrio, the Brit Benjamin Barnicoat, the Swede William Sward and the Frenchman Dorian Boccolacci, the competition leader prior to this French event.
Somewhat limpid, the first Race saw Mikel Azcona and Charles Leclerc get away, with the driver from Monaco finally taking the first tread of the podium three laps from the finish. However for not having respected the start procedures, the Spaniard received a 3 seconds penalty and had to let the second and third treads of the podium go to Benjamin Barnicoat and Dorian Boccolacci. Azcona finally finished in 4th place, ahead of the Swede William Sward, the Russian Vsevolod Gagen, the Finn Juho Valtanen, the Albanian Aleksander Ndrio, the Belgian Simon Mirguet and the Austrian Florian Janits.
Above: Academy Race Two podium
pic - CIK/FIA
The second confrontation was an entirely different scenario. Initial leader, Charles Leclerc had to give way to the attacks of Dorian Boccolacci. However it was the Brit Benjamin Barnicoat who came in between and took over the command of the race. But Boccolacci was not going to leave it at that and with some brilliant driving some four laps from the finish he retook the lead never to relinquish it. Unfortunately for him, the young Frenchman was later disqualified for insufficient weight on the scales after the race. And so Benjamin Barnicoat recovered the victory ahead of the Russian Vsevolod Gagen (amongst others winner of the education programme known as Edukart, similar to Hubert in U18) and Charles Leclerc.
A highly emotional Benjamin wanted to dedicate his win to his fellow countryman Martin Hines, who had passed away following a painful sickness this weekend, and who had left his mark on the history of karting with his three world titles in Superkart 250cc as also his flair for discovering young British talent such as Lewis Hamilton, David Coulthard and Anthony Davidson.
"Had it not been for Martin, I would not be here", the winner of the second Race, a mere 14 years old commented. "He was the one who discovered me allowing me to integrate the Racing Step Foundation. Thanks to him, I know that if I perform well and work hard I will have a true opportunity of reaching great heights. I could never thank him enough and I obviously want to dedicate this victory to him. I now hope to be able to repeat this during the final in Sarno to finish this Trophy on the highest tread of the podium."
Behind this leading trio, the Finn Juho Valtanen and the Swede William Sward confirmed their form finishing in the top-5 ahead of the Spaniard Mikel Azcona, the Finn Aatu Moilanen, the Norwegian Martin Ellegaard, the Austrian Florian Janits and the Turk Kaan Onder.
The battle for the title between Charles Leclerc (173 points) and Benjamin Barnicoat (167) in Sarno should be superb, notwithstanding the fact that the Spaniard Mikel Azcona (141), the Greek Filipos Kalesis (134) and the Finn Juho Valtanen (131) haven’t had their last say. With still 100 points to share out, even Dorian Boccolacci (126) could still wipe out his difficult weekend in Normandy. So it’s rendezvous at the foot of Vesuvius from 4th through to 6th November!
- results available via the event's page HERE
