The intense work carried out by Parolin Motorsport undoubtedly showed its effectiveness in terms of performance during the second round of the FIA Karting European Championship – OK & Junior. The Junior results were very consistent for Rashid Al Dhaheri and Anatoly Khavalkin but the OK drivers did not manage to perform well in the Final.

“We have reasons to be satisfied with the Aunay-les-Bois meeting,” said Marco Parolin. “But adaptation to the unique circuit was not easy. The performance took longer to come in OK and the battle in the heats starting from quite a distance didn’t allow us to reach our objectives in the Final. The results we obtained in Junior are more convincing, even though several hazards thwarted our progress. In short, it was not an easy weekend to manage and we are delighted with the performance of Anatoly Khavalkin at the brink of the top 10. Rashid Al Dhaheri was very good, as usual, Enzo Deligny and Maksim Orlov met several obstacles on the way and were unable to defend their chances in the Final. We have further enriched our experience and we are looking forward to racing again in Sarno to strengthen our competitiveness in the third round. In the meantime we will have started the European KZ Championship in Wackersdorf, which is a very exciting challenge.”

With its unusual layout, the Aunay-les-Bois circuit presented new conditions to master both technically and in terms of driving. While the technical work progressed throughout the meeting, the harshness of the battles on the track sometimes created problems for the drivers, particularly in terms of overtaking opportunities.

Khavalkin finds his bearings in Junior

Anatoly Khavalkin, who was 22nd in Qualifying, showed himself to be solid during the heats with a 3rd and a 5th place. A penalty in the third heat delayed his progress, but he made up for it in the Final. Anatoly put in a good effort at the beginning of the race, avoided any incidents and maintained a good pace to secure 11th place with a gain of 12 places at the finish. This excellent result allowed him to gain more than 30 places in the Championship standings.

11th in Qualifying, Rashid Al Dhaheri was on the list of contenders. He was forced to restart three times due to jostling at the start from the outside lane, but managed two 2nd places and a fastest lap in the race. Despite having recovered more than 10 positions, his chances of fighting for the Final victory were compromised. Rashid started cautiously to avoid the troubles at the beginning of the Final, but he started to come back to 8th position, then he was sanctioned for one of his passes and ended up only 13th. Enzo Deligny was less comfortable than usual and a retirement in the third heat made his task more difficult. He was caught up in a collective collision at the start of the Final and did not complete a lap. Maksim Orlov and Guillaume Bouzar had several setbacks in the heats and did not reach the Final.

Unfinished business in OK

Jesse Alejandro Carrasquedo Parada set the fastest time for the team before losing positions in the heats. James Wharton started to make the kind of comeback he is famous for with three good heats, but he just missed out on a place in the Final after problems in his third heat. Alfio Spina was fast and consistent enough to take the start of the Final after a nice 13 position improvement in his heats. Caught in a collision shortly after the lights went out, he was unable to complete even the first lap.

The first round of the FIA Karting European OK and Junior Championship, held at Genk from 13th to 16th May 2021, was the scene of intense sporting clashes. The changeable weather conditions during the Saturday heats were particularly difficult for the Parolin Motorsport drivers to cope with, despite the proven potential of the Parolin/TM Racing packages. James Wharton showed excellent competitiveness in OK, while Rashid Al Dhaheri and Enzo Deligny returned to the Final top 10 in OK-Junior.

“This second competition in Belgium was rather tough”, said Marco Parolin. “But thanks to the performance of our equipment and the competitiveness of our drivers, the balance of this beginning of the European Championship remains interesting. We are looking forward to meeting again in France in less than two weeks, on the Aunay-les-Bois circuit, to confirm our very high potential. In OK, James Wharton’s overall performance was very satisfactory and Alfio Spina’s debut in our colours was very promising. In OK-Junior, Rashid Al Dhaheri made a great comeback from his 25th in Qualifying by finishing 6th, while Enzo Deligny followed him in the top 10. Anatoly Khavalkin and Maksim Orlov should soon be able to get the results their talent deserves. We are also sorry that Guillaume Bouzar had so many setbacks during this meeting.”

Wharton on the rise

Young Australian driver James Wharton put in a remarkable performance in the OK category in a difficult situation. In the stormy weather on Saturday, he progressed in each heat with great determination. It is a pity that the last heat on Sunday morning did not enable him to continue his climb beyond 14th position. He made an excellent start in the Final and fought his way into the top five. He crossed the finish line in 7th position, a gain of seven places, before being demoted by a spoiler penalty.

Alfio Spina, a newcomer to the team, was quick to appreciate how his Parolin/TM Racing machine worked. He impressed with his 18-position gain during the heats, but an incident eliminated him from the fight at the start of the Final. Jesse Alejandro Carrasquedo Parada showed his speed qualities with a top five in the third heat, but he lacked the consistency to continue to the Final. Arnur Shabdar had a tough challenge and still needs to get used to this level.

Al Dhaheri and Deligny at the forefront of the Junior fight

Enzo Deligny confirmed his talent against the clock by taking 10th position in the Qualifying Practice. The heats were less favourable to him, in particular when he tried a risky gamble with the choice of tyres. Meanwhile, Rashid Al Dhaheri scored three top three finishes and made up 11 places in the heats. Both drivers made a good start in the Final, with Rashid quickly finding himself in a battle for the top five. Enzo joined him before the halfway point and they both maintained a good pace until the finish line despite the intensity of the battles, regaining eight places each. Al Dhaheri finished in 6th position while Deligny was 9th.

Anatoly Khavalkin had started well with his 13th place in Timed Practice, then his 5th position in the first heat. Unfortunately, he had to retire three times and was severely downgraded in the ranking. Maksim Orlov resisted adversity better, but his distant 52nd time did not allow him to reach the Final. Shimo Zhang also lost ground in the heats, while Guillaume Bouzar had the worst weekend of his career.

The organisation of the Champions of the Future by RGMMC in Belgium has certainly marked an important turning point in the 2021 sporting season. The first international competition of the year to leave Italian territory was accompanied by the discovery of the MG Tyres destined to equip all FIA Karting events, starting with the opener of the OK and Junior European Championship on the same circuit in less than two weeks. The harshness of the races at Genk did not always allow the Parolin Motorsport drivers to show the competitiveness of their equipment, but James Wharton’s comeback in the OK Prefinal and the 7th and 8th Final places for Rashid Al Dhaheri and Enzo Deligny in OK-Junior were a testament to the level of performance of the Parolin chassis, equipped with TM Racing engines.

“The Belgian weekend was not easy to manage, but we are very confident in the effectiveness of our equipment in these new conditions,” explained Marco Parolin. “The grip of the Genk track was not high compared to the Italian races at the beginning of the season. The MG Tyres also worked very differently to those we were used to before. We anticipated these changes and continued to work during the meeting, so we achieved a very interesting level of competitiveness. The last parameter to take into account is the unique track which caused several incidents during the race, especially at the start. This is definitely an important point to take into account when we prepare our drivers.“

Juniors already in the mix

All six drivers in the Parolin Motorsport team qualified for the Finals, which was not an easy challenge given the toughness of the races.

Maksim Orlov and Anatoly Khavalkin were making their return to OK-Junior with Parolin Motorsport after a slow start to the season. There were a lot of habits to learn for these two Russian drivers, but they showed their talent by coming back in the heats. Both qualified through the Repechage, continued to progress in the Final stages and reached 21st and 23rd positions respectively, a gain of over 30 places each.

Rashid Al Dhaheri took a heat win, in addition to two top three finishes and a fastest race lap. Despite a penalty in the last heat, he returned to the top 10 on Saturday evening. Enzo Deligny had a more consistent run, starting from 11th and coming back to 8th in the heats. Rashid and Enzo resisted well in the Prefinal before giving their best in the Final where they both regained five positions in the battle and finally followed each other in 7th and 8th places.

Kai Sorensen had done well in the heats, including two top fives, and had made up 13 places since Timed Qualifying. Unfortunately he crashed in the battle of the Prefinal and crossed the finish line 25th before being penalised. Guillaume Bouzar, consistently in the top 10 of the heats, regained another 10 places to 11th in the Prefinal before being eliminated at the start of the Final.

Good potential in OK

James Wharton showed great fighting spirit to regain nearly 20 places in the heats and more than 15 in the Prefinal. The Final was less favourable to him and he had to be satisfied with reaching the finish in 24th position before a penalty for a dropped spoiler. Jesse Alejandro Carrasquedo’s progress was confirmed on the demanding Genk track. Starting from an encouraging 12th place, the young Mexican avoided most of the race pitfalls to finish in 22nd position. Arnur Shabar, in his third OK event with Parolin, was not able to qualify for the Final stages.

Good results at the Margutti

Meanwhile, another part of the Parolin Motorsport team took part in the 32nd running of the Trofeo Andrea Margutti at the Lonato track. Slavik Putiatin set the 11th fastest time in KZ2, dropped back due to a retirement in a heat and then brilliantly came back from 22nd to 5th position in the Final stages.

In Mini, the poleman Christian Costoya dominated the beginning of the meeting, even in the rain. He finished his good performance on the podium in the Final. Matias Orjuela did not have the same speed against the clock or the same success in the heats. This did not prevent him from moving up 15 places in the Final stages to reach 7th position with the fastest lap in the race. Oliver Kinmark was consistent to finish 14th.

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)