Heat Racing Complete In Bahrain
| 23 November 2013 |
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The qualifying heats are done at the final round of the KF and KFJ World Championships in Bahrain. Dorian Boccolacci sits on pole for the KF pre-final ahead of Max Verstappen, while Enaam Ahmed and Lando Norris are on pole for the two Junior pre-finals.
Australia's Joseph Mawson will start the KF pre-final from grid 17. The Kosmic driver qualified 20th then carded heat placings of 23rd, 16th and 13th.
Above: Dorian Boccoloacci
pic - Press.net Images
event press release
Starting grids ready in Sakhir
The long series of qualifying heats in the night of Sakhir has ended. The Finals are approaching fast and with them the end of the Championships which will award the KF and KFJ titles tomorrow.
The World CIK-FIA Championship for KF and KFJ, the final act of the international 2013 kart racing season, has found its ideal setting here, on the Bahrain International Karting Circuit. The races run at night gave the whole event a fascinating scenario and made the wheel-to-wheel races even more enjoyable.
The session of qualifying races ended in the late evening and we now know the names of the drivers who are going to start from the pole positions in the Prefinals. None of the protagonists had an easy time: the competitors are all well motivated and ready to fight on the racetrack. The KFJ is an oustanding example: the 10 heats run today had 7 different winners.
Boccolacci keeps the pole in KF
The Dutch Max Verstappen (CRG-TM-Vega) is the driver who achieved most victories: he won two of the three heats raced in KF. The French Dorian Boccolacci (Energy-TM-Vega), on the other hand, won only once. After winning a race each, Verstappen, who had been trailing in Boccolacci's wake waiting for the right moment, managed to overtake the French during the last lap of the decisive heat. A great performance for the Dutchman, but which did not allow him to be the pole sitter, given that the overall results of Boccolacci were better. So, the French is finally the pole sitter, thanks to a victory and two second places. Verstappen is second because of the fifth place scored in the first heat. However, Boccolacci's race to the title seems rather hard: the French is 18 points behind the leader, Verstappen, who, in the Prefinal, will start from the second slot.
Above: Max Verstappen is second on points for the round, but leads the championship standings
pic - Press.net Images
Another driver who got good results in the heats is the Finnish Ville Mantyla (Kosmic-Vortex-Vega), who was consistent behind the two leaders and scored an excellent third position on the grid. Next to him, in the fourth slot, the English Tom Joyner (Zanardi-TM-Vega). Nicklas Nielsen (Kosmic-Vortex-Vega) is only 5 points in the standings behind Verstappen but he will start only in fourth row. The Danish battled with the top drivers in the first two heats, but was involved in a crash at the start in the third, which prevented him from racing for the first positions.
Ahmed and Norris ahead in KF Junior
Enaam Ahmed (FA Kart-Vortex-LeCont) confirms to be in top condition after yesterday's best time in qualifying: the Englishman was the best in KFJ today too. He won two of the four heats he took part in. Also his fellow countryman Lando Norris (FA Kart-Vortex-LeCont) achieved the same number of victories, but he finally placed second behind Ahmed because of the latter's better result in qualifying.
Above: Enaam Ahmed #121
pic - Press.net Images
The two drivers will be the pole sitters in the two KFJ Prefinals of tomorrow evening. Next to Ahmed the Indian Jehan Daruvala (FA Kart-Vortex-LeCont), who also won twice in the heats. Secod row for the Russian Robert Shwartzman (Tony Kart-TM-LeCont) and the English Daniel Ticktum (FA Kart-Vortex-LeCont). The latter won once today. Next to Norris will start Niko Kari (FA Kart-Vortex-LeCont), winner in one of the heats. Behind them the Italian Leonardo Lorandi (Tony Kart-Vortex-LeCont) and the English Thomas Bale (FA Kart-Vortex-LeCont). Alessio Lorandi (Tony Kart-Vortex-LeCont) was not very lucky: after winning one of the heats, as his brother Leonardo did, he dropped back in the ranking because of a rather unlucky qualifying session.
Live on video from Sakhir
- Live in streaming finals on www.cikfia.tv and www.cikfiachampionship.com
Above: Lanco Norris leads a KFJ heat
pic - Press.net Images
