The fourth and final round of the WSK Super Master Series was very satisfying for the Parolin Motorsport team. The success of Rashid Al Dhaheri in OK-Junior, dominating the Lonato meeting and winning the Championship, was not the only positive point of this competition. The Mini drivers were also very successful with Christian Costoya finishing 3rd in the Championship, brilliantly won by René Lammers on a Parolin chassis with the Baby Race Driver Academy, as well as Matias Orjuela’s 7th position. Francesco Celenta’s debut in KZ2 confirmed the team’s return to this category, as did Slavik Putiatin’s progression to the top ten.

“We are delighted to be able to shine in three of the four international categories in this first part of the season,” said Marco Parolin. “The competition has been very tough and some incidents deprived us of a more complete success, but that’s the law of racing. First of all we congratulate Rashid Al Dhaheri who showed an exemplary fighting spirit in OK-Junior despite some difficulties linked to the pandemic. We are happy to have been able to provide him with the equipment to triumph over formidable opponents in very close races. Enzo Deligny’s rapid progression and Kai Sorensen’s potential are important assets.

“Our decision to return to KZ/KZ2 has been rewarded by the top performances of Francesco Celenta at each event. His retirement in the Lonato Final has of course had a negative impact on his position in the Championship, but our competitiveness has been confirmed on many occasions among the top teams in the field.

We are also pleased with the continued success of our chassis in Mini where we remain the most represented brand in terms of number of entries as well as in the top 10 of the Finals and in the series standings with five Parolin karts in the top eight, including the champion René Lammers. We are aware that the OK is giving us lesser results at the moment and that we need to strengthen the potential of the team in this category.”

Al Dhaheri wins and takes the Junior title

The young driver from the United Arab Emirates has once again achieved an admirable result. Thanks to his four victories in the Qualifying Heats, he took the lead in OK-Junior and never let it go. Faced with strong competition, he had to fight hard to win his Prefinal and then the Final in Lonato. Despite his absence for the third round in Sarno, Rashid emerged as the overall winner of the 2021 WSK Super Master Series with a significant lead over his rivals.

Enzo Deligny’s performance was more than encouraging as the Frenchman made a strong comeback in the heats before finishing 11th in the Final and 10th in the Championship. Kai Sorensen also set a strong pace in his heats as well as in the Prefinal before being eliminated at the start of the Final. Guillaume Bouzar managed to reach the Final despite being far behind in practice and suffering several spoiler penalties.

Celenta among the best in KZ2

Francesco Celenta started in 2nd position in Timed Qualifying and kept his position after the heats thanks to two victories and two fastest laps in the race. He was also 2nd and fastest in his Prefinal, but had to retire shortly before the finish of the Final. He had to settle for 7th position in the Championship which only partially reflects Parolin’s potential at this level. Slavik Putiatin’s progress was confirmed with a spectacular comeback in the Final stages. After two retirements in the heats, he returned to 12th place in the Final, his best result of the year, with a total gain of 34 places.

Pole position and top three in the Mini Championship

Christian Costoya started very well as the fastest of the 100 participants during Qualifying. He continued with three heat victories, but then lost ground despite the fastest time in the Prefinal. He was again the fastest driver in the Final and made up 12 places to finish in the top 10, which earned him a place on the Championship podium. Matias Orjuela was 6th on Saturday night with a win, two 2nd places and a fastest lap in the heats. He was in the lead for the first half of his Prefinal before falling back in the battle. Oliver Kinmark had two good heats in the top five, but was pushed around in the last lap of his Prefinal and missed out on a deserved Final qualification.

For the launch of the WSK Euro Series at Lonato, the tough competition, especially in the rainy Final stages, made the meeting particularly challenging for the drivers. The return of Al Dhaheri meant victory in OK-Junior for Parolin Motorsport, while the performances of Celenta in KZ2, Rinicella in OK and Costoya in Mini showed the competitiveness of the team in all categories. Parolin Racing Kart was the most represented chassis brand in Mini and ranked second in all categories, while it was the only one to win in two different categories in Lonato with Parolin Motorsport in Junior and Baby Race Driver Academy in Mini.

“Rashid Al Dhaheri, who was absent from the WSK Super Master event in Sarno, was very motivated for his return to the track in Lonato,” analysed Marco Parolin. “Impressive in the rain, he was simply unbeatable. We are very happy with his victory. This should not make us forget the superb start of Guillaume Bouzar, nor the confirmation of Enzo Deligny in the heats. Kai Sorensen came back in great shape and Anatoly Khavalkin proved to be excellent for his comeback in our colours. We have a very promising line-up in OK-Junior this year. Francesco Celenta was again very competitive in KZ2 as the undisputed leader on Saturday. James Wharton continued to grow in strength, even in the rain, while Slavik Putiatin progressed to the Final. Valerio Rinicella showed our speed in OK with his top five finish in the heats, while Jesse Alejandro Carrasquedo Parada and Arnur Shabdar continued to improve throughout the event. Our competitiveness in Mini was confirmed in all conditions with Christian Costoya and Matias Orjuela. The current level of performance of our equipment and our team is very interesting in all categories and we are looking forward to the coming races.”

Victorious return for Al Dhaheri in Junior

The WSK Euro Series in Lonato started well with Guillaume Bouzar setting the 2nd fastest time in Qualifying and then followed it up with three good heats. Enzo Deligny was always in the top three and won two heats to top the standings on Saturday evening. Rashid Al Dhaheri, who was 13th, was unstoppable in the Final stages in the rain. He took seven places to win the Prefinal and won the Final after setting the fastest lap in each race. He therefore took the lead of the Championship. Back with Parolin Motorsport, Anatoly Khavalkin had already regained 20 places in the heats and continued to climb to 16th in the Final despite a spoiler penalty. Kai Sorensen had regained his fitness in Qualifying and went on to complete three good heats, but was held up by a penalty.

Celenta at the top in KZ2

Francesco Celenta started in 2nd position in Timed Qualifying and took the lead in the heats with two wins and a fastest lap in the race. He kept the pace in the rain in the Prefinal before an incident relegated him to the back of the grid on the first lap of the Final, preventing him from defending his real chances of a good result. James Wharton moved up in the heats and confirmed his progress with a fastest time. Unfortunately, after a good start in the Prefinal, a penalty denied him access to the Final. Slavik Putiatin was already making up ground during the heats before regaining another six places in 26th place in the Final.

Rinicella back in the top five in OK

Valerio Rinicella, who was not able to race in Sarno, made a great start in Lonato. After his 10th position in Qualifying, he climbed back to 5th place in the heats by setting the fastest lap in the race. Unfortunately, he had a problem and could not start his Prefinal. Jesse Alejandro Carrasquedo Parada and Arnur Shabdar continued to improve and reached the Final, finishing 22nd and 24th respectively.

Good performances in Mini

Christian Costoya climbed 19 places to 3rd in the heats with a win and a fastest lap to his credit. He was delayed in the Prefinal but made up another 20 places in the Final to reach 8th place. Matias Orjuela was not to be outdone, also securing a win and a fastest lap in the heats. He was less comfortable in the Final stages, but came back in 18th place in the Final. Oliver Kinmark took a good 4th place in a heat and qualified for the Final despite the tricky track, while Simas Baciuska was unable to make up for the handicap of his distant position in Qualifying.

The new Sarno track is still very fast, but it was a big change from the old Neapolitan track and again provided the setting for some tough battles. The Parolin Motorsport team confirmed its rise to prominence in KZ2 with the sustained presence of Celenta in the front ranks and Wharton’s convincing debut in this elite category. Deligny finally registered his name among the best Juniors while Costoya and Orjuelas confirmed their roles at the front of Mini.

“In Sarno we were deprived of three major elements,” explained Marco Parolin. “Valerio Rinicella and Rashid Al Dhaheri tested positive for Covid-19 and could not leave home, while Kai Sorensen had to pull out, not yet recovered from his injured ribs after La Conca. We are also very proud of Enzo Deligny’s progress under our colours. He proved his worth with an excellent meeting that ended in the top five of OK-Junior. We have two reasons to be satisfied in KZ2 with Francesco Celenta’s top performances until his incident in the Final and James Wharton’s quick adaptation to the gearbox kart. Parolin Racing Kart was still the number one manufacturer for Mini chassis with five of them in the Final top eight. Christian Costoya still leads the championship and Matias Orjuela moved up to 4th place, while Simas Baciuska reached 15th position in the Final.”

Good work in KZ2

With a victory with the fastest lap in his last heat, 3rd in his Prefinal and fighting for the Final top three before a collision, Francesco Celenta is definitely one of the protagonists of the category. Parolin also enabled James Wharton to succeed in his first competition in KZ2, as the young Australian progressed steadily until he finished 11th with a gain of 10 places in the Final. Slavik Putiatin, who climbed six places to 11th in his Prefinal, had to retire on the second lap of the Final.

Deligny takes over in Junior

Enzo Deligny, who finished 5th among 80 participants, took another step forward this weekend. He was in 2nd position after the heats and won his Prefinal. He fought brilliantly until the end of the Final to add a first top five to his list of achievements. Guillaume Bouzar and Nando Weixelbaumer did not qualify for the Final.

Still fighting for victory in Mini

With three heat wins and a best time, Christian Costoya started strongly. The Spaniard won his Prefinal and fought for the lead in the Final. The epic battle of the last lap saw him drop to 8th place, but he retained the lead in the championship standings. Matias Orjuela gradually recovered from Qualifying with solid heats. 5th in his Prefinal, he made up another three places in the Finals to finish just outside the top five. Simas Baciuska achieved the feat of regaining 11 places in the Prefinal and finishing on a positive note in 15th position in the Final. Finally, Oliver Kinmark made a spectacular comeback to 3rd place in the heats, but was unable to make it into the Finals.

Difficult mission in OK

The Parolin Motorsport OK team was held back by distant positions in Qualifying and only Danny Carenini’s progress in the Prefinal allowed them to reach the Final. Jesse Alejandro Carrasquedo and newcomer Mario Schettino missed their target in the Prefinal.

The second round of the WSK Super Master Series took place in the south of Italy at La Conca, a circuit renowned for its high grip. Costoya and Orjuela had a great duel in the Final stages which ended in a double win for Parolin Motorsport. In contrast to OK, there was no shortage of performances in OK-Junior. Al Dhaheri played a leading role, but could not defend his chances until the end, while Deligny reached the Final top 10 before being penalised.

“The track of La Conca is very special with a surface that gives a lot of grip,” explained Marco Parolin. “These conditions are very different from usual and not all the drivers are able to give their maximum in this configuration. The double win for Christian Costoya and Matias Orjuela in Mini is even more valuable for us as it shows how well our chassis can perform on all terrains, and the presence of four Parolins in the Final top five confirms our competitiveness. This is the third consecutive success of one of our chassis in Mini, while Parolin was the second most represented brand this weekend, all categories included. Very effective in OK-Junior, Rashid Al Dhaheri unfortunately retired in the Prefinal while Kai Sorensen, also very fast, was involved in an incident. Enzo Deligny was well up to 9th place in the Final before receiving a penalty.“

Success in Mini

Christian Costoya’s fighting spirit paid off, as he gained 18 places during the heats before setting the fastest time in the Prefinal and then finishing with a victory in the Final. Matias Orjuela confirmed his strong potential and consistency by finishing 6th in Qualifying and then taking the lead in the heats with three wins. In the Final stages he was twice beaten by Costoya, who was formidable in the final metres. Both drivers made a jump in the overall WSK Super Master ranking with Costoya taking the lead and Orjuela coming back to 5th position. The other two Mini drivers in the team also qualified for the Final, with Oliver Kinmark moving up 10 places to finish 19th and Simas Bacisuka moving up six places to 27th.

Deligny in the Junior top 10 on the line

Rashid Al Dhaheri didn’t take long to adapt to the grip of La Conca. 16th against the clock, he took three top fours in the heats and regained nine positions, in 7th on Saturday evening. He was 5th in his Prefinal before having to retire on the last lap.

Enzo Deligny was the only one who could compete in the Final. Consistently, he came back to 9th in his Prefinal and made up another eight places in the Final by crossing the finish line in 9th position. A penalty caused him to drop back. Although he started well, Kai Sorensen had to deal with several problems in the heats and was forced to retire on the first lap of his Prefinal. Guillaume Bouzar was 39th in Timed Practice and was unable to qualify for the Final.

Difficult meeting in OK

The Parolin Motorsport drivers had a Qualifying session that was too far off to make an easy return to the top of the ranking. Valerio Rinicella however reached the top three in his last heat. He set good times in the top ten, before ending the meeting in 21st position. Jesse Alejandro Carrasquedo managed to make up 12 places in the heats and made up some ground by finishing 25th in the Final. James Wharton also made up some ground as he came close to the top ten in his Prefinal, but his Final race was finished after just three laps.

Parolin Motorsport is now preparing for the third round of the WSK Super Master Series which will take place in a fortnight near Naples, and will also be attended by the KZ2 karts.

A week after the WSK Champions Cup, the Parolin Motorsport team completed an even more satisfactory event during the opening round of the WSK Super Master Series on the circuit of Adria. With an even larger, and even tougher field, the official Parolin drivers scored very consistent results. Al Dhaheri took a second victory in OK-Junior, Celenta mounted the KZ2 podium, and several Mini drivers had the opportunity to shine.

“There are many reasons to be satisfied at the end of this second weekend of competition in Adria,” declared Marco Parolin. “We have increased the general standard of our performances in every category, even though some of our drivers started their season this weekend. The technical potential is there and our work between the two meetings has already allowed us to take better results. Rashid Al Dhaheri put in a superb winning performance in the Junior class and Francesco Celenta was very consistent at the front of the KZ2 class against the top specialists. In the Mini, five Parolin chassis were in the Final top 10, with 1st and 2nd places. Christian Costoya showed excellent competitiveness that would have deserved to be rewarded with an even better result in the Final. We are determined to continue in this positive way in a fortnight’s time at the next WSK Super Master meeting in La Conca.“

KZ2 podium for Celenta

The performances of the Parolin / TM Racing karts were very convincing in view of the European KZ Championship that will start in Adria in May. Francesco Celenta took a victory in a heat and set two fastest lap times, and he was again the fastest in the Prefinal before moving up to 3rd place in a very competitive Final. The youngster Slavik Putiatin confirmed the speed of the drivers by maintaining a good rhythm and regaining 15 places in the Final.

Progress in OK

The results showed a progression with a very positive comeback for Valerio Rinicella up to 13th position in the Final, whereas Danny Carenini took 24th place and Jesse Alejandro Carrasquedo qualified in 26th position. James Wharton wasn’t spared from issues and was forced to retire in the Prefinal. For his first race in OK Arnur Shabdar was not far from qualification.

Al Dhaheri: full house in the Junior class

Already a winner the week before, Rashid Al Dhaheri was even more dominant this weekend. Victorious four times in the heats, he won his Prefinal and the Final by a large margin, being each time the fastest on the track. The 32nd Qualifying time for Enzo Deligny didn’t prevent him from finishing very close to the top 10 in the Final, with a progression of nearly 20 places during the meeting. After some difficult heats, Kai Sorensen was able to raise the bar up to 25th position in the Final with a gain of 15 places. Maksim Orlov, who made a strong comeback of 22 places in the heats, didn’t have the opportunity to make any progress in the Final stages, nor did Guillaume Bouzar who had nevertheless regained 21 positions. A driver moving up from 60 Mini, Nando Weixelbaumer was discovering the high level in the Junior category this weekend.

Performances at all levels in the Mini

Christian Costoya once again made his mark with four victories and two fastest laps in the heats. A complicated Final didn’t allow him to do any better than 8th among the 116 participants. Matias Orjuela was also twice the fastest in the heats with a fine consistency in the top four. It was a pity that he wasn’t able to take advantage of his 8th place in the Final until the end of the race. Oliver Kinnmark wasn’t rewarded for his efforts from 18th position on the starting grid of the Final. Simas Bacisuka fought with energy in the Prefinal for the pleasure of competing in the Final.

The Parolin Motorsport team played a major role in the WSK Champions Cup in Adria and intends to remain a strong team throughout the year. Competitive in all categories, the Italian team won the OK-Junior Final with the promising Emirati Rashid Al Dhaheri, while the return of an official Parolin-TM Racing team in KZ2 resulted in a remarkable performance by Francesco Celenta. In the icing on the cake, the Parolin chassis won in 60 Mini thanks to the Dutchman Rene Lammers from the Baby Race Academy team.

From the first race of the season, the Parolin Motorsport team confirmed its great international ambitions in 2021. Solidly supervised by high quality technical staff and equipped with perfectly developed machinery after hard development work over these last weeks, the drivers were able to give their best on the Adria International Raceway.

OK-Junior: Impressive Al Dhaheri

Rashid Al Dhaheri, a benchmark driver in Mini at the wheel of his Parolin-TM, has confirmed his promising debut in OK-Junior during the second part of the 2020 season. The young Emirati took the lead in the WSK Champions Cup after a sensational run in the heats (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 1st and 2nd). The rest of the competition confirmed his grip on the pack, with relentless domination both in the Prefinal and in the Final. 5th after the heats, 2nd in his Prefinal and 5th in the Final, the Russian Maksim Orlov was also brilliant in Adria, while the Frenchman Enzo Deligny (11th) completed the remarkable overall performance of the Parolin Motorsport team after a comeback of eight places! Luxembourg driver Guillaume Bouzar came back from 32nd to 23rd position. 3rd in his group in Free Practice, the American Kai Sorensen unfortunately didn’t succeed in Timed Practice.

OK: Wharton at the front

James Wharton and his team were not rewarded for their efforts in Adria, even though the competition had got off to a very encouraging start. The Australian placed 9th in the Qualifying Heats after a clear round (3rd, 7th and 4th). Wharton was even in 4th position at the beginning of the Prefinal, but the expected result flew away in the Final after a retirement in the opening laps. Still a Junior in 2020, the Italian Valerio Rinicella made a big impression by managing to get into the top five in one of the heats. Mexican Jesse Alejandro Carrasquedo has learned a lot for his debut in this difficult category. Finally, the Italian Danny Carenini and the Czech Jiri Becicka (Parolin Racing CZ team) had the honour of qualifying for the Final of this race which was at a particularly high level.

KZ2: Celenta very competitive

For his comeback in the Parolin Motorsport colours, Francesco Celenta was one of the most prominent drivers of the meeting, with two victories in the Qualifying Heats and a magnificent success in the Prefinal. He remained a contender for the podium in the Final for a long time, before crossing the finish line in 4th position after some fine duels that allowed the Italian and his team to look forward to an excellent 2021 season. The Parolin chassis designed for the gearbox categories also showed strong potential with Slavik Putiatin. The Ukrainian driver increased his power during the meeting. He came back to 18th in the Final, before dropping back seven places after a spoiler penalty.

60 Mini: What a comeback for Costoya!

The Parolin brand remains the reference for the youngest drivers. The Italian chassis was still the best represented of this magnificent line-up of 116 participants, in addition to taking three places in the top five in the Final. In addition to the victory for Rene Lammers (Baby Race Academy) and 5th position of Jan Przyrowsky (AV Racing), Christian Costoya Sanabria achieved a major comeback. Relegated to 113th position in Timed Qualifying due to a problem, he then gained 99 places during the weekend and took 4th place under the chequered flag with panache. Although the Swede Oliver Kinnmark wasn’t rewarded after several excellent performances in the heats, the American Matias Orjuela completed a fine competition in Adria, finishing in 13th position in the Final, up from 20th. As for the Lithuanian Simas Baciuska and the Italian Angelo Blanco, they are certain to improve their positions in the upcoming races.

In the first change of 2021, the official racing team of the Parolin Racing Kart factory has changed its name to become Parolin Motorsport Srl, a racing team in its own right. After its numerous successes in Mini, OK-Junior and OK, Parolin will make its big comeback in KZ with strong ambitions. In total, this season the Parolin Motorsport team will include 18 drivers from 13 nations in the four international categories, while technical collaboration continues with the TM Racing factory.

“Parolin Motorsport Srl embodies our desire to play a leading role in all the international categories by highlighting the quality of our chassis,” explains Marco Parolin. “We launched our factory team in 2016 in the KZ category and then redirected towards the younger categories. In this way, we have contributed to training many promising drivers, starting with Mini, then OK-Junior and finally the OK. Now it is time to complete our sporting commitment in KZ. The search for the best performance is essential for a chassis manufacturer like us and an intensive racing programme leads us to constantly improve our products. It is also an absolutely irreplaceable tool for promoting our brand, on which our distributors all over the world rely.”

Mini: the racing school
An extremely competitive category for youngsters from 8 to 12 years of age, Mini has allowed Parolin to obtain many successes in the last few years while becoming a strongly represented brand. In 2021, Parolin Motorsport will rely on the recognised know-how of the Spaniard Christian Costoya, the American Matias Orjuela, recent winner of the Florida Winter Series, as well as the promising Swede Oliver Kinnmark. Rookies Angelo Blanco (ITA) and Simas Baciuska (LTU) will make their Mini debut.

Junior, the antechamber of champions
Several drivers who have trained with Parolin in Mini continue their course in OK-Junior. The UAE driver Rashid Al Dhaheri has already achieved a great 2020 season in Juniors, with a notable 2nd place in the Champions of the Future series in Portimao, continuing his success in Mini in the WSK Super Master Series and WSK Euro Series from the previous year. The Russian Maksim Orlov will race in his second season in the Junior category with Parolin. The American Kai Sorensen, winner of the Florida Winter Series 2021 in X30 Junior, and the Luxembourg driver Guillaume Bouzar remain loyal to Parolin, while the Frenchman Enzo Deligny will join Parolin Motorsport for his first full season at this level.

OK, the top category
An All Road Management driver recruited by the Ferrari Driver Academy, Australian James Wharton continues to rely on Parolin on his way to the top. For his third year with Parolin, Italian Valerio Rinicella will continue in OK after his good progress in OK-Junior last year as top rookie in the European Championship and 4th overall. An experienced and talented competitor, the Italian Danny Carenini will join Parolin Motorsport in OK, having won the Italian Championship in X30 in 2020. The Mexican Jesse Carrasquedo, a member of the Sergio Perez Academy, will be competing in his fifth season with Parolin and making his debut in OK alongside rookie Arnur Shabdar from Kazakhstan.

A strong return to KZ
Italian Lorenzo Travisanutto, who joined the Parolin team last season, will race a gearbox kart for the first time after having won many prestigious titles in OK. A driver recognised both in Italy and internationally, the Italian Francesco Celenta will return to the Parolin chassis that had already enabled him to shine in 2014 and 2015. This time, he will be part of the official team and he is not hiding his ambitions for victory. Finally, the Ukrainian Slavik Putiatin is looking to realise his potential for success after his numerous achievements in KZ2.

The WSK Promotion events are part of Parolin Motorsport’s 2021 programme, as are the preparatory races of the Champions of the Future series, before taking on the challenges of the FIA Karting European and World Championships.

2021 Official drivers

MINI 60
Angelo Blanco (ITA)
Simas Baciuska (LTU)
Christian Costoya (ESP)
Oliver Kinnmark (SWE)
Matias Orjuela (USA)

OK-Junior
Rashid Al Dhaheri (UAE)
Guillaume Bouzar (LUX)
Enzo Deligny (FRA)
Maxim Orlov (Russia)
Kai Sorensen (USA)

OK
Danny Carenini (ITA)
Jesse Carrasquedo (MEX)
Valerio Rinicella (ITA)
Arnur Shabdar (KAZ)
James Wharton (AUS)

KZ
Francesco Celenta (ITA)
Slavik Putiatin (UKR)
Lorenzo Travisanutto (ITA)

For its return to the gearbox categories, Parolin Racing Kart has chosen to put it’s faith in the talent and experience of Francesco Celenta. The Italian driver has many top results in KZ and KZ2 on his record, notably acquired with Parolin a few years ago.

Marco Parolin said: “We are delighted to officially return to the KZ category. In recent years we have worked hard to establish our reputation in other categories, from Mini to OK. Our aim now is to complement our expertise with a strong KZ programme, again in partnership with TM Racing. We have worked with Francesco in the past and I am convinced that his motivation and experience are important ingredients for this new project.”

For his part, Francesco Celenta could not hide his enthusiasm about taking part in a new and exciting challenge: “I am extremely happy to be back on the track in the colours of Parolin and TM Racing. I am very attracted to this new project which represents a great opportunity for my career. I can’t wait to get on the track with my new team.”

The last international competition of the season, the WSK Open Cup took place as a double meeting from 24th to 29th November on the Adria Karting Raceway. Very solid at the front of the Mini category, Maciej Gladysz won the series classification with a good lead over his opponents. Kai Sorensen did a great job in OK-Junior, and Rashid Al Dhaheri showed good performances.

“These end-of-season competitions allow us to take some good reference points for the year to come for both the equipment and the drivers,” explained Marco Parolin. “We worked well with Lorenzo Travisanutto in OK before taking a two-month break from racing, which will be put to good use at the factory. On a personal level, the first race for the young Kai Sorensen in OK-Junior was extremely positive. Maciej Gladysz finished the year on a high note by winning the Championship in the Mini category. The outcome of this WSK Open Cup is therefore completely satisfactory for us!”

Gladysz closes the season with a title in Mini

Already 3rd in the WSK Super Master series, and recently ranked 3rd in the Andrea Margutti Trophy, the young Polish driver Maciej Gladysz obtained his first big international success in Adria by winning the WSK Open Cup. He first won his Prefinal and the Final of the first round after setting the fastest lap in the race, then he took pole position in the second round before finishing 2nd in the Prefinal and securing a top five Final that guaranteed him the victory in the Championship, in front of 60 international participants.

Colombian Matias Orjuela showed serious potential when he returned to Europe at the end of the season. 7th in the Andrea Margutti Trophy, he took 13th place in the Final of round 1 in Adria and finished 16th in the Championship. The Frenchman Hugo Martiniello discovered the category in Adria and managed to qualify for the Final of Round 2.

Promising start in Junior for Sorensen

After a promising season in Mini, culminating in 5th position in the WSK Euro Series with the Parolin Racing Team, American Kai Sorensen discovered OK-Junior in the WSK Open Cup. Very fast, he drove some good Prefinals and even took a top five in the Final of Round 1, which brought him close to the top 10 in the classification of the series.

Badly rewarded performances for Al Dhaheri

As usual, Rashid Al Dhaheri was competitive in OK-Junior throughout the week. He showed all his talent in the top five of the two Prefinals. Unfortunately, a penalty for overtaking under a yellow flag and a dropped spoiler didn’t allow him to get the results he was expecting in the Finals and he finished 14th in the series, although the top 10 has been well within his reach.

Valerio Rinicella was one of Parolin’s assets in Adria. He registered a progression of 10 places to 15th place in the first Final, but a clumsy move in Round 2 didn’t allow him to continue until the end. Running in the top 10 of Round 1, Giovanni Trentin performed less well in Round 2. Finally, Jesse Carrasquedo could be satisfied with his two Final qualifications which led him to the edge of the first half of the field.

At the beginning of November the FIA Karting OK and Junior World Championship concluded a 2020 season disrupted by serious health problems on a global scale. Everyone worked hard to try to make up for the time lost away from the circuits. Well prepared, the Parolin Racing Team approached the major world meeting with serenity, but the Portuguese weather conditions upset its plans. Tranvisanutto held his place among the best in OK, whereas Wharton ensured a nice comeback in the Final. Al Dhaheri made magnificent progress by finishing on the track in 8th position in the OK-Junior category.

“We are not fully satisfied with the outcome of this World Championship,” said Marco Parolin. “After the great performances of the previous weekend in the Champions of the Future series, we were ready to confirm our strong potential in both categories, but we had to face totally different weather conditions that forced us to fight harder than expected. In the end we managed to place two drivers in the top 10 after the chequered flag in OKJ and OK, but I can’t deny that we were hoping for a better result in this competition. After bittersweet races like this one, the only thing we want is to get back on the track as soon as possible to work on the next event.”

Travisanutto at the forefront in OK

Ranked 7th in Qualifying, Lorenzo Travisanutto completed three good races on Saturday, including one victory, and he was able to secure 3rd place at the start of the Final. The wet track wasn’t really favourable for him, but he nevertheless ensured a solid performance in the leading group by finishing in 6th position. James Wharton wasn’t able to defend his chances as he would have liked during the Qualifying Practice and he had to settle down afterwards with a place in the middle of the pack. He didn’t have many chances in the heats, but he managed two good races, including a convincing 6th place in the last one, in the rain. He was in last place on the second lap of the Final and he started a superb comeback on slippery ground and regained 16 places in 15 laps to finish 17th. Portuguese driver Miguel Silva didn’t have an easy task after his 53rd Qualifying time and he couldn’t join the 36 finalists at the end of the heats.

Al Dhaheri confirms his ascent in OK-Junior

In continuity with the previous weekend, Rashid Al Dhaheri has achieved good results during this World Championship. Only 44th in the Timed Practice sessions, the Emirati driver completed five strong Qualifying Heats, even setting a fastest lap, and he made a spectacular gain of 26 places to qualify 18th. He built his Final on the same pattern. He made a very good start in the rain and was in 10th position from the first lap. He attacked again as soon as the slow procedure was over and kept fighting for 8th position. Unfortunately, a mispositioned spoiler dropped him back to 13th after the finish.

Maxwell Dodds showed his usual determination to regain no less than 21 places during the heats and narrowly qualified in 33rd position. The British driver came back even stronger in the Final race, reaching 11th place with four laps to go, a gain of 22 places in 11 laps of the race. He then dropped back down before being heavily sanctioned. The other drivers of the team had different fortunes in the heats and didn’t manage to join the list of finalists. Valerio Rinicella had nevertheless set the second fastest time in his third race, taking 11 places. Giovanni Trentin was consistent, but was penalised in the rain. Guillaume Bouzar still regained 16 places, Maksim Orlov 15 and Jesse Carrasquedo 10.