Between two European Championship events, the WSK Euro Series made its debut on the Franciacorta circuit last weekend. Parolin Motorsport did not miss this opportunity to train its young drivers and to continue its development work. While the performances were very promising in the three categories in which the team was entered, the Finals did not bring the desired outcome. Zac Drummond was unable to take advantage of his 2nd position until the finish of the OK Final, Vivek Kanthan came close to the top 10 as did Christian Costoya in OK-Junior while Gioele Girardello came close to the top five in Mini Gr.3. 

The WSK Euro Series saw the hottest weekend of the season to date. With temperatures in excess of 30°, Parolin Motorsport was able to demonstrate an excellent level of competitiveness on the strong grip of Franciacorta. Zac Drummond set a string of fastest laps in the race after an excellent qualifying session in OK. After finishing 4th in the heats, he won Prefinal B with the fastest time and fought for overall victory until three laps from the finish, with another fastest lap to his credit. Despite this twist of fate, he finished 3rd in the provisional series standings. Vivek Kanthan was forced to retire at the start of Prefinal A, but made up nine places in the Final to finish 13th. 

Christian Costoya started the meeting with a good pace in OK-Junior. Delayed at the start of his second heat, he made up for it by winning the next. After a difficult Prefinal B, he finished 11th in the Final. William Calleja continued his progress, finishing 4th in Prefinal A, but had to contend with a slowdown in the Final.

Gioele Girardello proved to be both fast and consistent in the Mini Gr.3, finishing 3rd in Qualifying and leading the heats. In the very intense Final stages, he battled between 2nd and 3rd position before finishing 6th in the Final. 

Parolin chassis were in the limelight in Mini U10 thanks to Babyrace Academy, which achieved a fine winning double with Mason Robertson and Lorenzo Di Pietrantonio. The Modena Kart team also deserves congratulations for the OK-N victory of Bati Ege Yildirim and the double podium of Billy Van Staveren 2nd and Giacomo Giusto 3rd in OKN-Junior, all three at the wheel of Parolin / TM Kart. 

“We can be satisfied with the performance of our equipment and our drivers in summer temperatures,” said Marco Parolin. “An important step has been taken in the heat of Franciacorta so that we can look forward to the rest of the season with confidence. The team’s work was once again equal to this new challenge. We will now move on to the eagerly-awaited European KZ Championship in Spain, on the Alcaniz track.”

Weekends come and go and they don’t always resemble each other in terms of results, but performance remains a constant for the Parolin Motorsport team. Miguel Costa’s 9th place in the OK class, William Calleja’s excellent 6th place and Christian Costoya’s incredible comeback in the Junior class were the highlights of the third round of the FIA Karting European Championship at the Slovak Karting Center. 

The winding Slovakia Ring once again put the competitors through their paces. The Qualifying Heats on Friday began in fairly hot conditions, before the meeting switched to intense rain on Saturday morning for the continuation of the Qualifying Heats, before returning to sunshine and a dry track in the afternoon. On Sunday, the Super Heats and Finals took place in excellent conditions. 

As might have been expected after the Champions of the Future Euro Series, the Slovakian competition was accompanied by a large number of minor incidents and penalties. Making it all the way to the Final was a dream not always within reach. Nevertheless, several Parolin Motorsport drivers put in brilliant performances throughout a complicated weekend. 

In OK, Zac Drummond’s raw result was tarnished by his retirement at the very start of the Final. Delayed by two retirements in the heats, Vivek Kanthan finished with a fine Final climb of nine places to 22nd. Miguel Costa proved to be the most convincing, finishing in the top three of his Super Heat and finishing in the Final top 10 in 9th place, which enabled him to move up four places in the Championship. Jenson Graham made up 16 positions in the heats, while Alp Aksoy finished in the top 10 twice.

William Calleja confirmed his rise to prominence in OK-Junior by putting in a solid performance in the heats, gaining 10 places. He was able to keep up the momentum right through to the Final, where he climbed to 6th place and gained a further eight places. His efforts were rewarded by a leap of 23 places in the Championship. After a difficult Qualifying session, Christian Costoya embarked on a wild comeback. Making up between eight and 15 places per heat, he was 41 places up on Saturday evening. The young Spaniard persisted on Sunday, making up eight places in his Super Heat and a further 11 in the Final, where he finished in the top 15. His incredible perseverance meant that he remained well placed in 4th place in the Championship thanks to a total gain of 57 places over the weekend. Efim Derunov negotiated his heats skilfully and finished in the top 10 in his Super Heat. He crossed the finish line in 22nd position after some great battles. Finally, Qarrar Firhand could be proud of his 33-place climb in the heats and his 10-place gain in 8th place in his Super Heat. Unfortunately, he didn’t complete a lap in the Final.

“We had prepared for a demanding competition and we can be satisfied with the team’s level of performance,” explained Marco Parolin. “We’ve made good progress in both categories. Most of our drivers were able to express their abilities at one time or another despite the ups and downs of the race, which are an important element of success in Slovakia. Calleja’s rapid progress in OK-Junior was a very positive factor, as was Costoya’s incredible determination, which enabled him to save a meeting that had got off to a bad start. Costa’s return to the Final top 10 in OK is also a source of satisfaction. There are other important challenges ahead with the start of the European KZ Championship in Spain”.

Parolin also recorded some good results in the Italian Championship this weekend. Maksim Orlov shone in KZ2 with the Modena Racing Team, taking victory in Race 2 at Val Vibrata, a circuit on the European Championship programme. Marco Tormen and Alessio Piccini also finished in the top 10. Gioele Girardello also performed well in Mini Gr.3, while the Babyrace Academy team took its Parolin chassis to the top of the Mini Gr.3 standings with Alessandro Truchot and Albert Tamm, as well as the Mini U10 podium with Lorenzo Di Pietrantonio.

On a track that is virtually unknown to everyone and that challenges current standards, under changing weather conditions, adaptation was an essential quality for obtaining good results. That was the beauty of Christian Costoya’s victory in the OK-Junior class in the Champions of the Future Euro Series at the Slovakia Ring last weekend. Parolin Motorsport also put in a superb team effort, with more than half of its 15 OK and Junior drivers finishing in the top five at least once during the competition. 

The 1172m long Slovakia Ring offered a challenge to the participants in the third round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series, with its many tight corners and short, old-fashioned straights. Data collection was one of the objectives of this meeting, less than three weeks away from the European Championship. 

“We’re very satisfied with our first weekend in Slovakia,” said Marco Parolin. “The races were very tough, with a number of incidents that delayed us. Our level of performance was really good in both categories. In the Junior class, Christian Costoya’s leadership was unquestionable. It was with a magnificent victory, nearly 4 seconds clear, that he concluded a formidable meeting. William Calleja had taken pole position, Qarrar Firhand came close to the Final top 10, while the comebacks from Sun Anzhe, Efim Derunov and Alexander Chartier in the heats were exceptional. Vivek Kanthan came close to the Final top 10 in OK. Zac Drummond made up 30 places in the heats, but he didn’t finish the Final along with Miguel Costa and Anatoly Khavalkin. We’ll be working with the data we’ve collected to prepare for the next European Championships.”

OK-Junior

Christian Costoya: 5th in Qualifying, three wins including two fastest laps, 2nd and 3rd in the heats, leader of the intermediate classification, 1st in Super Heat 1 and winner of the Final with a 3.9″ lead. 

William Calleja: Pole position, 16th after the heats, 5th in Super Heat 2, 21st in the Final with a 5″ penalty.

Qarrar Firhand: 28th in Qualifying, 28th after the heats, 13th in Super Heat 2, 13th in the Final (+12 places)

Sun Anzhe: 12th in Qualifying, 22nd in the heats, retired in the Super Heat and Final.

Efim Derunov: 66th in Qualifying, 34th in the heats (+32 places), retired in the Super Heat. 

Alexander Chartier: No time in Qualifying, 65th in the heats (+27 places)

OK

Vivek Kanthan: 17th in Qualifying, one win, one 3rd and one 5th position with two fastest laps in the heats to come back to 11th, 5th in Super Heat 1, 11th in the Final.

Zac Drummond: 38th in Qualifying, two 2nd positions with fastest lap in the heats to move up 30 places to 8th, 12th in Super Heat 2, retired after three laps in the Final. 

Miguel Costa: 33rd in Qualifying, 23rd in the heats (up 10 places), 10th in Super Heat 1, retired after six laps in the Final. 

Anatoly Khavalkin: 18th in Qualifying, two 3rd places in the heats, 8th in Super Heat 1, retired after six laps in the Final.

By successfully navigating his way through the many pitfalls of the second round of the FIA Karting European Junior Championship without crashing, Christian Costoya demonstrated Parolin Motorsport’s current level of performance right up to the foot of the podium. The solidity of his performance despite the unpredictable weather conditions of the first two days of competition kept the team’s confidence high, and we can celebrate with him as he leaves Val d’Argenton in 2nd place in the provisional standings. 

However, it was a weekend full of confusion in France. Extremely changeable track conditions on Friday and Saturday meant that Parolin Motorsport’s objectives at Val d’Argenton were thwarted by circumstance. The potential of the official Parolin / TM Karts had improved further since the previous race, the Champions of the Future Euro Series. Qualifying Practice set the trend with the arrival of rain during the session. This repeated itself several times during the Qualifying Heats, complicating the progress of the competition. 

In OK, Vivek Kanthan was the fastest at 13th in Qualifying Practice. The young American confirmed his position in the heats, finishing in the top 10 each time and taking two 3rd places. 16th at the start of the Final, he lost places towards the end of the race and finished 21st. Zac Drummond also completed several heats in the top five and confirmed his 5th place in Super Heat B with the fastest lap of the race. Unfortunately, he was forced to retire at the start of the Final. Miguel Costa, Jenson Graham and Alp Aksoy also posted encouraging results, although they failed to qualify for the Final. 

Christian Costoya put in the team’s best performance in OK-Junior thanks to his superb consistency. 3rd in Qualifying, he took two wins in the heats and secured 2nd place with the fastest race lap in the Super Heat. He put up a strong fight for the Final podium before finishing 4th. As a result, he moved up to 2nd in the Championship. William Calleja was undeniably gaining in competitiveness. After some solid heats, he just missed out on the top 10 in his Super Heat, but had to retire after a few laps in the Final. Efim Derunov made up 13 places in the heats before retiring, but was still too far away from a possible Final. 

“We’ve come back from Val d’Argenton with a bitter taste in our mouths,” said Marco Parolin. “The European Championship weekend was one of the most difficult of the season because of the difficult weather conditions. The team worked very hard to be competitive in all circumstances and we deserved much better results. Unfortunately, the Final results weren’t quite up to scratch, although in the OK-Junior class Costoya was rewarded for its consistency and finished 2nd in the Championship standings. It’s a pity that Calleja was hit at the start of the race; it would have been interesting to see his performance through to the end. In OK, Drummond was involved in contact at the first corner, after a fine Prefinal. The fastest lap was set by Marti, a privateer on a Parolin chassis, demonstrating the competitiveness of the equipment.”

Zac Drummond was very strong throughout the weekend at Val d’Argenton, taking top spot in the OK standings after Round 2 of the Champions of the Future Euro Series. Among other interesting performances, Parolin Motorsport can also be proud of Miguel Costa’s 12-place improvement in the Final, and Christian Costoya’s 22-place climb in the Junior Final. 

Adapting to the Val d’Argenton circuit was not easy for anyone. The beautiful French track offered relatively limited grip on its smooth, new surface, while deviations from the racing line were not without consequences, particularly when overtaking. As usual, Parolin Motorsport delivered an excellent level of performance, but the constraints of the event did not suit every driver. 

“We faced new challenges at Val d’Argenton and we can be delighted with Zac Drummond’s flattering results in OK,” said Marco Parolin. “We have an excellent base from which to prepare for the rest of the FIA European Karting Championship in less than two weeks’ time. With this in mind, the data from the Champions of the Future Euro Series will help us to work with the technical team and the drivers to take better account of all the unique features of the French circuit.” 

OK

Zac Drummond: 
3rd in Qualifying, three times winner in the heats, 2nd in the intermediate standings, 1st in the Super Heat, 4th in the Final and leader of the standings.

Miguel Costa: 
49th in Qualifying, four recoveries and one retirement in the heats, seven places gained in the intermediate ranking, 9th in the Super Heat (up 12 places) and 20th in the Final (up 12 places). 

Alp Aksoy: 
30th in Qualifying, a 3rd place, a fastest lap in the race and two retirements in the heats, 6th in the intermediate ranking, 15th in the Super Heat (up five places) and 31st in the Final (up five places). 

OK-Junior

Christian Costoya: 
21st in Qualifying, 2nd position, a retirement and a crash in the heats, 13th in the Final (+22 places). 

Qarrar Firhand: 
12th in Qualifying, 3rd place in a heat, 15th in the intermediate ranking, 24th in the Final with a 5″ penalty.

The European OK and OK-Junior Championships have just got underway in Valencia, Spain, and Parolin Motorsport has already achieved convincing results in both categories. Costoya is still at the front of the field in OK-Junior, taking 3rd place in the Championship. In OK, Kanthan and Costa were excellent in the heats, but it was Khavalkin who achieved the best Final result, with an interesting 6th place ahead of Drummond. The European campaign got off to a very good start for the Italian team, following on from a very promising start to the season.

“The Valencia race certainly wasn’t one of the easiest, so we’re pleased with the points we’re taking home in the championship,” said Marco Parolin. “In OKJ, it was Costoya in particular who stood out, who came close to the podium in the Final, but who remains 3rd in the Championship thanks to some excellent performances in the heats. In OK, it was the team’s performance that made the difference. Many of our senior drivers were competitive right from the Qualifying Practice, with Drummond taking pole position in the first session, followed by Khavalkin. Costa and Kanthan also stood out, the latter winning a heat. We’re currently 2nd in the OK team rankings and we’re aiming to stay up there. We’re now concentrating on the French stage at Val d’Argenton, where we’ll start testing next week.”

OK

Anatoly Khavalkin:
5th in Qualifying, one win and two 2nd places in the heats, 4th (+3 places) in the Super Heat, 6th in the Final (+3 places) and 6th in the Championship standings.

Zac Drummond:
2nd in Qualifying, two top three finishes in the heats, 8th in the Super Heat, 7th (+4 places) in the Final and 8th in the Championship standings.

Vivek Kanthan:
6th in Qualifying, one win, one 3rd place and two 4th places in the heats, 6th in the intermediate classification, DNF in the Super Heat, 29th in the Final with a 5″ penalty.

Miguel Costa:
15th in Qualifying, four top four finishes in the heats, 7th in the intermediate ranking (+8 places), double DNF in the Super Heat and Final.

OK-Junior

Christian Costoya:
2nd in Qualifying, three heat wins and two 2nd places, 3rd in the heats, fastest race lap in the Super Heat, 4th in the final and 3rd in the Championship standings.

Efim Derunov:
56th in Qualifying, 40th after the heats (up 16 places), 20th in the Final (up 15 places).

The European OK and OK-Junior Championships are drawing nearer and the first round of the Champions of the Future – Euro Series which has just taken place in Spain at Valencia was a good preparation, with the discovery of the new Maxxis tyres selected by FIA Karting. Parolin Motorsport continued to perform well in OK and OK-Junior. Anatoly Khavalkin and Zac Drummond led the way before finishing 4th and 6th. Christian Costoya was at the top of his game in OK-Junior until he re-tired in the Final.

“We’re very satisfied with the work done in the first round of the Champions of the Future – Euro Se-ries at València,” said Marco Parolin. “The task was to find the right feeling with the new Maxxis tyres, and I think that we succeeded as a team in finding the right combination with the Option and Prime compounds. As well as Drummond’s pole position in OK, we managed to get group poles with Costoya in OKJ and Khavalkin in OK, and to win several heats in both categories, as well as a wet Prefinal in OKJ. Fortunately, we were also able to test the rain tyres and gather important infor-mation for future occasions.”

OK

Anatoly Khavalkin:
3rd in Qualifying, one heat win, two top threes, 2nd in Super Heat, 4th in Final +2 places.

Zac Drummond:
Pole position, four heat wins, 2nd in the heats, 4th on the Final grid, 6th at the finish.

Vivek Kanthan:
32nd in Qualifying, 15th after the heats +17 places, 3rd in the Super Heat, 18th in the Final with a spoiler penalty.

Miguel Costa:
44th in Qualifying, 24th after the heat +20, 16th in the Super Heat despite a 5″ penalty, 28th in the Final.

Alp Askoy:
20th in Qualifying, 26th after the heats due to a retirement in the last heat, 29th in the Final +4 plac-es despite a spoiler penalty.

OK-Junior

Christian Costoya:
3rd in Qualifying, five heat wins, one retirement, 5th after the heats, winner in the Super Heat, 3rd on the Final grid, retirement.

Efim Derunov:
30th in Qualifying, 19th after the heats +11 places, 15th at the start of the Final, retirement on lap 6.

At the end of the WSK Super Master Series, Parolin Motorsport can look back on a very positive start to the 2024 season in every category. At Sarno, the Bassano del Grappa team’s level of performance was confirmed by Costoya, who finished 3rd despite retiring in the Prefinal, while Girardello put in a solid performance in the Mini class. Modena Kart Racing put in a very good performance with Orlov on the podium in KZ2 and Carfagna in OK-N Junior.

The rain changed all that on Saturday, changing the grip of the Sarno track during the final stages of the last round of the WSK Super Master Series.

“With the Sarno event, the WSK Super Master Series and the first part of the season, usually characterised by cold races and variable weather conditions, comes to an end. The team and the equipment adapted well to these situations and I’m satisfied with our progress and our overall speed. There were a few episodes that prevented us from achieving better results, but we’re now aware of the quality of our package, from Mini to KZ. I’m delighted with the podium finish achieved by Orlov and our satellite team Modena Kart, which also finished on the podium in OK-N Junior with Carfagna. I would also like to congratulate Babyrace Racing Academy for taking the Parolin chassis to Mini victory in the Super Master Series with Calleja, confirming the strength of our product dedicated to young drivers. Now we’re already focusing on the first European round and we’ll start working to understand and interpret this new Maxxis tyre for the OK and OK-Junior categories in the best possible conditions,” said Marco Parolin.

KZ2 – Modena Kart
Maksim Orlov continued to go from strength to strength with a superb meeting. The young Russian took pole position and won two heats. Less at ease in the Prefinal, he climbed back up to 3rd place in the Final to take 4th place in the championship. Erik Holm’s progress was encouraging.

OK-Junior
Christian Costoya confirmed his place among the Juniors with three heat wins. The start of the Prefinal was disastrous for him, but he set the fastest time in the Final, 3rd on the line, before a penalty for an incorrectly positioned front fairing put him back to 4th. He finished in the top five of the WSK Super Master Series.

Mini
Gioele Girardello continued his ascent in the Mini Gr.3 category, climbing back into the top five in the Prefinal before finishing 7th in the Final and the championship. Juan Diego Garcia Arce also made good progress, finishing 16th in the Final.

OK-N Junior – Modena Kart
Two Parolin / TM drivers shone at Sarno. In his first race, Nico Carfagna made a big impression, climbing back up to 3rd place in the Final to move straight into 8th place in the championship. Giacomo Giusti had come 4th in the Prefinal after retiring in the heat when another DNF ousted him in the Final. He nevertheless finished 9th in the championship.

More incisive than ever, Christian Costoya won his first OK-Junior race at Franciacorta, where he finished 2nd in last year’s World Championship. In the third round of the WSK Super Master Series, the young Spaniard was able to rely on the competitiveness of his Parolin / TM and the efficiency of the Parolin Motorsport team to experience the joy of the top step of an international podium. Sensational comebacks and other remarkable performances, such as Paolo De Conto’s return to racing, added to the overall performance of the Parolin chassis at the start of the season.

“We finally managed to take a well-deserved victory with Christian Costoya, after a weekend at the top,” said Marco Parolin. “I’m also very pleased with the performance of Qarrar Firhand, who made a remarkable comeback – after a difficult Qualifying session, he managed to bounce back and finish in the top 10 in a class that’s really hotly contested this year. Our equipment proved competitive in all categories. In Mini, our standard-bearers Gioele Girardello and Priam Bruno were always very competitive, while in OK, after a difficult start to the weekend, we managed to find a good pace. As for KZ2, I was very impressed by Paolo De Conto, who immediately proved his worth, confirming once again his calibre as a driver after several years away from international competition. Maksim Orlov, another of the weekend’s protagonists, was equally satisfied, as he remains highly competitive and is constantly improving.”

After the rain at Cremona, Parolin Motorsport’s potential was once again confirmed in every category on the dry Franciacorta track. The hazards of the race sometimes delayed the Parolin drivers, but many of them were able to conclude the meeting with strong comebacks.

Multiple World Champion and European KZ Champion until 2017, Paolo De Conto didn’t take long to find his bearings, fighting his way into the top three until he retired in the Final. With the Modena Kart Racing Team, Maksim Orlov was once again among the best in KZ2, finishing in the top 10, while Menyhert Krozser made good progress.

Alp Aksoy achieved his best result in OK with a magnificent Final progression of 15 places into the top 10, while Zac Drummond made up 21 positions. Anatoly Khavalkin had made up nine places and was aiming for the top five when he was forced to retire.

Christian Costoya’s victory in the OK-Junior class opened up new horizons for this promising driver. After finishing 4th in Qualifying and winning three heats, he went on to win the Final and move up to 3rd in the championship. Meanwhile, Qarrar Firhand climbed 16 places to finish in the OK-Junior top 10.

In the Mini Gr.3 category, the Parolin / TM Kart team confirmed its high level of performance with Gioele Girardello finishing 6th and Bruno Priam moving up 14 places to 9th.

Babyrace Driver Academy deserves congratulations for taking the Parolin chassis to the second step of the Mini Gr.3 podium with William Calleja and Mini Gr.3 U10 thanks to Mason Robertson.

Parolin Motorsport is now preparing for the fourth and final round of the WSK Super Master Series with serious ambitions at the Sarno track in less than two weeks’ time.

The weekend in Cremona was marked by very wet weather for the second round of the WSK Super Master Series. Rain was a feature of all phases of the competition before starting to ease on Sunday morning. The Finals provided the opportunity to use slick tyres for the first time, but grip was far from perfect and there were numerous pitfalls awaiting the competitors on the 1,210-metre track.

Most of the participants went off track and had a number of incidents, and the Parolin drivers were no exception to the rollercoaster ride. In these conditions, it was difficult to achieve any significant results. Parolin Motorsport in OK, OK-Junior and Mini, as well as the KZ2s of the Modena Kart Racing Team, nevertheless recorded some important data on rain tyres, which may prove useful later in the season. It was also a very rewarding experience for the drivers as they adapted to the tricky conditions.

Parolin Motorsport’s best result at Cremona was Bruno Priam’s 3rd place on the Mini podium, while Gioele Girardello finished 6th. In OK-Junior, Christian Costoya was once again excellent, starting from 5th place in Qualifying. He scored two wins and two top threes in the Qualifying Heats, but his retirement at the start of the D-E heat weighed heavily in the balance. 3rd in his Prefinal, he made up ground in the Final before being pushed back to 18th after the halfway point. Despite this, he made up six places in the last six laps to finish in 12th position, which enabled him to maintain his lead in the championship.

It wasn’t easy in OK either. Delayed by two retirements, Anatoly Khavalkin made it a point of honour to climb seven places in a lively Final to finish in the top 20. After making progress throughout the Qualifying phases despite penalties, Zac Drummond got off to an excellent start and was 5th at the end of the first lap of the Final. Unfortunately, the track did not favour his set-up and he eventually retired. Jenson Graham and Vivek Kanthan were also forced to retire, but their performances were not in vain.

For the Modena Racing Team, Maksim Orlov once again proved his worth, making steady progress despite a few setbacks. After finishing 20th under the clock and 4th in the Prefinal, he made further progress to reach the final top 10. Eril Holm made a fine 15-place recovery over the weekend as a whole. Menyhert Krozser and Miguel Costa, who weren’t given much of a chance, showed encouraging signs for the future.

“Cremona was a very difficult weekend for the teams and drivers,” said Marco Parolin. “I’m happy for Bruno, who claimed his first international podium in Mini Gr3, even though I’m sorry we couldn’t do better. Similarly in OK-Junior, it was possible to achieve a much better result, with Costoya leading throughout the weekend, but that’s racing. The situation was more difficult for the OK section of our team. We were never able to find a good rhythm in the wet, despite our excellent speed in the dry during Free Practice. Congratulations to our partners Babyrace Driver Academy who took the Parolin brand to victory in Mini Gr3 with Calleja, who will soon join the official team in OK-Junior, and on the U10 podium with Kosztrewa.”