Parolin Motorsport returned to action last weekend at the first round of the 2024 international season, the WSK Champions Cup, held in cold weather at the Lonato circuit. Three categories were on the programme for the official Parolin team, with the return of KZ2 scheduled for a later date. Christian Costoya was very competitive in OK-Junior, among the contenders for victory. Anatoly Khavalkin also came close to success in OK. The team’s final score after the various ups and downs of the race was one top five and three top 10s, but more importantly, the technical level of Parolin / TM Racing 2024 is already very interesting.
“We have achieved most of our objectives for our return to competition,” said Marco Parolin. “It’s not easy to draw definitive conclusions after an event held in temperatures close to 0°. However, this phase was necessary for our drivers to get back into shape. In spite of everything, we were able to see that the 2024 equipment was more than equal to our ambitions and we’re looking forward to continuing our development work from next week at the first round of the WSK Super Master Series, again at Lonato. The weather is expected to be less cold and the field will be bigger.”
Zac Drummond had a good result in OK despite some setbacks. Qualifying in 2nd position, he missed his first Qualifying Heats before winning the next one. After finishing 3rd with an excellent time in the Prefinal, he made up further places in the Final to finish 7th. Anatoly Khavalkin could count on some very good heats in the top three to put him among the favourites. Unfortunately, over-enthusiasm in the Prefinal broke his momentum and he had to settle for 11th place in the Final.
Christian Costoya put in a magnificent performance in the OK-Junior class. 3rd in Qualifying, he won three of his four Qualifying Heats. He secured his dominant position by finishing 2nd in his Prefinal. Outpaced at the start of the Final, the young Spaniard fought bravely to finish 5th. Indonesian Qarrar Firhand achieved the best result of his career in his first experience with Parolin, finishing in the top 10. A better result was also achieved by Canadian Alexander Chartier, who finished 15th on the finishing line, having been placed 18th because of an incorrectly positioned front fairing.
In the Mini Gr.3 category, Priam Bruno got the year off to a good start with his 6th place finish, while Gioele Girardello climbed to 14th.
The pressure of competition will ease over the next two months for Parolin Motorsport, which will be able to devote itself entirely to preparing for 2024. The 2023 season ended positively for the Italian brand thanks to strong performances in the main categories at the second round of the WSK Final Cup on the Franciacorta circuit. Parolin / TM won four Prefinals and finished 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the various Championships thanks to Costoya’s Final top 10 in OK-Junior, Khavalkin’s top five in OK and Orlov’s (Team Modena Kart) 2nd place in KZ2.
The WSK Final Cup once again brought together more than 340 participants at Franciacorta last weekend for the final event of the season. Parolin Motorsport has therefore completed its 2023 programme of more than 25 international races with a host of successes.
“The team put in another great effort last weekend,” said Marco Parolin. “We confirmed our excellent potential in all categories, despite Finals that didn’t always go our way. Anatoly Khavalkin made up for his disappointment at Lonato. A regular in the top three of the OK Qualifying Heats, he finished 5th in the Final and made a spectacular leap up to 4th in the Championship. Vivek Kanthan undoubtedly made progress in his new category with several excellent results. Zac Drummond had put in a solid performance right up to the Final, where success deserted him. Forced to retire in his first two heats, Miguel Costa could no longer qualify for the Final.
Christian Costoya confirmed his position as one of the best OK-Junior drivers with a 10-place improvement in the heats and a fine victory in the Prefinal. His 9th place in the Final ensured him 3rd place in the Championship. Jack Illife continued his rise through the heats, finishing 14th in the Final. For his part, Gioele Giradello had climbed to 1st place in the Mini Prefinal, but his Final performance was ruined by an incident a few laps from the finish.
Finally, I’d like to congratulate Team Modena Kart, which enabled Maksim Orlov to finish in 2nd place with the fastest lap in the KZ2 Final and take 2nd place in the Championship.”
As the WSK Final Cup got underway in Lonato with 340 participants, Parolin Motorsport once again put in an excellent performance in all categories. The competition ended with an OK-Junior podium thanks to Christian Costoya and a top 10 finish for Jack Illife. 12th in OK, Zac Drummond moved up 20 places over the weekend, while Miguel Costa climbed seven places to 13th. Gioele Giradello finished an interesting 6th in Mini and Maksim Orlov (Team Modena Kart) secured 5th place in the KZ2 Championship.
Under a beautiful autumn sun, the WSK Final Cup in Lonato proved to be a demanding event due to the large number of participants. The Parolin Motorsport team approached this final phase of the season with its sights already set on 2024, where the line-up is currently being prepared. Next weekend at Franciacorta, the second and final round of the WSK Final Cup will mark the end of a successful year of competition for the Italian team.
“The team worked well throughout the weekend,” explained Marco Parolin. “Our OK drivers have made good progress, making some very convincing comebacks since Qualifying. Zac Drummond is already very competitive for his second race in his new category. Miguel Costa used his great sense of attack to regain a total of over 30 places by finishing 13th, while Vivek Kanthan was also on an upward trajectory. It was a pity that Anatoly Khavalkin lost his chances at the start of the Final.
Christian Costoya was more successful in OK-Junior. He proved he belonged in the top three and is currently 2nd in the provisional WSK Final Cup standings. Jack Illife had made an excellent start to the weekend, confirming his very positive season. Delayed at the start of the race, he was unable to show his full potential in the Final. A big well done to Gioele Giradello for his solid performance in Mini Gr.3. Congratulations also to Maksim Orlov and the Modena Kart Team for his 6th place in the Final and fastest lap of the race.”
The second and final round of the WSK Euro Series 2023 was a real challenge for both the drivers and the technicians of the Parolin Motorsport team, as it was run in difficult weather at the Circuito Internazionale Napoli. Their efforts were rewarded by Anatoly Khavalkin’s superb victory in the OK Final, which took him up to 2nd place in the Championship. Zac Drummond finished 9th, in the top 10 in his first competition in OK and Bruno Priam scored a top five in Mini Gr.3 to end the Championship in 6th position, as did Christian Costoya in OK-Junior.
“We’re delighted to be back on the top step of the OK category,” said Marco Parolin. “Especially in a difficult weather situation full of changes throughout the weekend. We proved that we were competitive from the Mini to the Senior category, which is important for us. Bruno Priam surprised everyone in the Mini class, with an exceptional comeback in the dry Prefinal, and another fine race in the wet in the Final, finishing in the top five. In the OK-Junior class, Jack Iliffe claimed his first pole position, but struggled thereafter. It was a disappointment for Christian Costoya, who was involved in contact when he was 2nd in the Final. Elsewhere, we are delighted that our satellite teams Modena and MLG were on the podium with their drivers: Bati Ege Yildirim became OK-N champion and Bruno Gryc finished third in OK-N Junior.”
OK
Anatoly Khavalkin:
5th in Qualifying, 4th in the heats, 3rd in the Prefinal with the fastest lap and winner of the Final. 2nd in the Championship.
Zac Drummond:
First race in OK. 3rd in Qualifying, 5th in the heats, 9th in the Final, moves straight up to 11th in the Championship.
Miguel Costa:
16th in Qualifying, 14th after the heats, retired in the Prefinal, 15th in the Final despite a penalty for an incorrectly positioned front fairing.
Vivek Kanthan:
First race in OK, 18th in Qualifying, 19th after the heats, 16th in the Final despite a front fairing penalty and a gain of four places.
OK-Junior
Christian Costoya:
Pole position in Qualifying, two top three finishes in the heats, 5th with a gain of six places, 2nd in the Prefinal, 13th in the Final with a penalty and 6th in the Championship.
Jack Iliffe:
Pole position in Qualifying, 16th in the intermediate standings, 6th in the Prefinal, 24th in the Final with a front fairing penalty.
Mini
Bruno Priam:
19th in Qualifying, 14th in the heats, 4th in the Prefinal (up 10 places) and 5th in the Final (up eight places) with the fastest lap. 6th in the Championship.
The high point of the season, the 2023 FIA OK and Junior World Karting Championship lived up to its promise in terms of difficulty and selectivity. With over 100 drivers in each category, the challenge was worthy of the event. Parolin Motorsport demonstrated its top-class competitiveness by regularly battling for victory. Rene Lammers in OK and Christian Costoya in OK-Junior both managed to finish 2nd in this formidable competition.
“The Franciacorta weekend was extremely long and complicated,” explained Marco Parolin. “The record number of participants in each category meant that there were many Qualifying Heats, which demanded a sustained effort from the team. In the end, we managed to come close to glory in both categories. We were really hoping for victory, but I can’t hide my satisfaction with these two superb 2nd places. It’s a great reward for the exceptional work of Christian and René, and of course for all those who worked hard to achieve it – with a special mention for Franco Drudi and Gordon Finlayson. We now look forward to the end of the season with confidence, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
OK
Rene Lammers:
2nd in Qualifying, 2 wins, 3 P2s and 1 P3 in the heats, winner of Super Heat B, 2nd in the Final and runner-up in the World Championship.
Anatoly Khavalkin:
33rd in Qualifying, climbed 27 places in the heats, 2nd in Super Heat B, 7th in the Final.
OK-Junior
Christian Costoya:
pole position in Qualifying, 4 wins in the heats, 2nd in the Super Heat, 2nd in the Final and runner-up in the World Championship.
Jack Iliffe:
32nd in Qualifying, 2nd place in a heat, 16th in the intermediate ranking (up 16 places), 7th in Super Heat A (up 16 places), retired on the fourth lap of the Final.
Despite their good speed, Zac Drummond, Vivek Kanthan and Sebastian Lethimaki were unlucky in Qualifying, which seriously compromised their weekend.
Two weeks before the World Championship, the fifth and final round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series at Franciacorta was of particular value to the teams and their drivers. Parolin Motorsport demonstrated its competitiveness in both categories on a dry and slippery track. The intensity of the races may have caused a few problems in terms of results, but the performance was there for all the team. Rene Lammers finished in the top five in the OK Final, while Christian Costoya secured 7th place in OK-Junior.
“We can be very satisfied with the team’s overall performance on the World Championship circuit,” explained Marco Parolin. “The Finals didn’t live up to our expectations in terms of results, but the balance remains very positive and the drivers will be able to learn from the weekend before tackling the world meeting. Rene Lammers was delayed by a retirement in one heat, but he was able to show his worth in 5th position in the Final with the fastest lap of the race after an incredible 30-place recovery from an incident at Turn 1. Miguel Costa improved from 29th in Qualifying to 16th in the Final, while Anatoly Khavalkin moved up from 33rd to 24th. In the OK-Junior class, Christian Costoya put in a solid performance that deserved better than his 7th place finish. Our new recruit Sebastian Lehtimäki also had a good run in the Final top 10. Jack Iliffe was very fast and was ranked 6th before the Final. Zac Drummond and Vivek Kanthan came back well after a difficult Qualifying session, but like Iliffe, they were unable to reach the finish of the Final due to on-track incidents.”
OK
Rene Lammers:
4th in Qualifying, 1 win, 1 P2 and a retirement in the heats, 4th in the Super Heat (+3), 5th in the Final with the fastest lap and a 10-place recovery. 11th in the championship.
Miguel Costa:
29th in Qualifying, 12th in the Super Heat (up 2 places), 16th in the Final (up 10 places).
Anatoly Khavalkin:
33rd in Qualifying, up 10 places in the heats, 9th in the Super Heat (up 3 places), 24th in the Final.
OK-Junior
Christian Costoya:
3rd in Qualifying, 3 wins in the heats, 11th in the Super Heat (5″ penalty), 7th in the Final and Championship.
Sebastian Lehtimäki:
18th in Qualifying, 5 heat wins, one collision, 13th in the intermediate rankings, 10th in the Final (up 3 places).
Jack Iliffe:
4th in Qualifying, one win, three 2nd places in the heats, 7th in the Super Heat with the fastest lap, retirement in the final, 10th in the Championship.
Zac Drummond:
42nd in Qualifying, improved by 20 places in the heats, 4th in the Super Heat (up 6 places), retired in the Final, 8th in the Championship.
Vivek Kanthan:
63rd in qualifying, up 19 places in the heats, 10th in the super heat (up 11 places), retired in the final, 13th in the championship.
Parolin Motorsport is preparing for the OK and Junior World Championships at the beginning of October on the same Franciacorta circuit, with the ambition of achieving results in line with its potential in both categories.
At the start of the Final, Maksim Orlov was one of the favourites in the KZ2 World Cup, as was Daniel Bray in the KZ2 Masters International Super Cup. Unfortunately, they were both eliminated at the start of the race. Genis Civico finished 9th in KZ2, while Riccardo Nalon finished 4th in KZ2 Masters. In the World KZ Championship, Francesco Celenta and Lorenzo Travisanutto made a superb comeback to finish 7th and 8th.
“It’s a real shame that we weren’t able to fight to the end for victory in the two categories where we had a real chance,” explained Marco Parolin. “We’re very proud of the work done by the whole team to put in such good performances at Wackersdorf. Maksim Orlov had been brilliant in the KZ2 World Cup with his pole position, then two heat wins, then in the Super Heat with the best lap. He was the victim of a race-ending incident on the second lap. Genis Civico had put in five good heats in the top three before having to retire in the last one. He put in a good performance in the Final, finishing 9th and gaining five places.
“Daniel Bray started in 1st position in the KZ2 Masters Final after two heat wins and then winning the Super Heat with the fastest lap. A puncture forced him to retire on the third lap. Riccardo Nalon had put in a good performance in the top five and finished 4th in the Final of the KZ2 Masters International Super Cup.
“In KZ, things were not easy at the start of the meeting. Francesco Celenta was held up in Heat 3, while Lorenzo Travisanutto gradually built up his strength. They were both able to take advantage of the chaos on the first lap of the Final to make up 12 places and finish 7th and 8th respectively in the World Championship. Travisanutto also set the second fastest time of the race.”
Parolin Motorsport is now preparing for the Champions of the Future Euro Series on the Franciacorta circuit as a prelude to the OK and Junior World Championships at the beginning of October, where the Bassano del Grappa-based brand is showing great potential in both categories.
Thanks to Rene Lammers in OK and Christian Costoya in OK-Junior, Parolin Motorsport showed an excellent level of competitiveness at Franciacorta for the first round of the WSK Euro Series. After top-class performances in the Qualifying stages, Lammers and Costoya rounded off a solid weekend with 7th place in the Finals. In the Senior class, Miguel Costa and Anatoly Khavalkin rounded off a positive weekend with 13th and 15th places.
The Franciacorta circuit will soon be hosting the Champions of the Future Euro Series as a prelude to the OK and Junior World Championships at the beginning of October. Preparations for the world event are already well underway at the Bassano del Grappa factory, with results in both categories already promising.
“We could have hoped for better Final positions given the weekend’s performances, but the race decided otherwise,” explained Marco Parolin. “We’re still very satisfied with our overall performance at Franciacorta. Everything we learnt from this competition will enable us to prepare effectively for the World Championship. Our OK European Champion Rene Lammers is at the top of his class. He set the 2nd fastest time in Qualifying and went on to take four wins in the heats. We’re going to work hard to help him keep up this level of performance right through to the end of the Final. Lammers has Miguel Costa and Anatoly Khavalkin in his wake, who can improve their performances. Christian Costoya had an excellent run in the OK-Junior class, with three heat wins. He finally made up another five places in the Final to finish 7th. Jack Iliffe put in another fine performance ahead of Sebastian Lehtimäki, while Zac Drummond suffered from a distant Qualifying position. Shamick Europe drivers Tiziano Monza and Andy Consani confirmed the good form of the Parolin / TM Kart team in 8th and 12th positions. In Mini Gr.3, Bruno Priam bounced back from a difficult series of heats to finish 12th, gaining 14 places, while Gioele Giradello fell short in the Final.”
For the moment, however, the priority is the World KZ Championship at Wackersdorf, in which Lorenzo Travisanutto and Francesco Celenta will be defending the colours of Parolin Motosport alongside David Beckmann and Mario Schettino. Modena Kart ASD will field Jay Cool (AUS), Nathan Crang (NZL) and Jake Kalrich (AUS) on Parolin / TM Karts in the KZ2 World Cup.
Already the 2022 European OKJ Champion, Parolin Motorsport has just won the 2023 FIA Karting European OK Championship at Cremona with Rene Lammers.
Barely 15 years old, the Dutch driver is a pure product of Parolin Motorsport with whom he has spent his entire karting career, since 2019. Trained in the school of 60 Mini and OK-Junior, Lammers certainly showed off his talent this year in OK against the top specialists.
“It’s a crowning achievement,” enthused Marco Parolin. “We’ve been crowned European Champions for the first time. 3rd in Spain, 2nd in the Czech Republic, Lammers took the lead of the Championship thanks to his victory in Denmark. In Italy, he drove a strategic race at the front of the class before securing the title with 4th place in the Final with the fastest lap of the race.
“His 65-point lead over the runner-up speaks volumes for his dominance. The team can be proud of its work since the start of the season. The Parolin brand is back in the spotlight after our successes in Mini and Junior. Winning in OK was one of the objectives of our commitment and we are very happy to have achieved it in this way. Our ambition has always been to work with a driver over the long term, training him from an early age. Well done Champion!”
Parolin Motorsport showed remarkable competitiveness in both categories at Cremona. Miguel Costa had put in some good performances, finishing 5th in the final heat, until a retirement in the Super Heat ruled him out of the Final. Anatoly Khavalkin made strong progress through the heats before finishing 7th in his Super Heat. He then climbed back up to 17th in the Final. As for Rene Lammers, he started with 2nd place in Qualifying, then went on to win four heats and his Super Heat with the fastest lap. Always the fastest on the track, he took as few risks as possible in the Final and finished 4th with the title.
In OK-Junior, Christian Costoya was best placed to perform from 5th on the grid in the Final. He spent most of the race in the top five before suffering a brutal attack which ruined his hopes. Despite this, he finished 6th in the European Championship. Zac Drummond didn’t have an easy start to the meeting, but he managed to come back from 11th in the Final to take 7th place in the standings. Jack Iliffe got off to a good start but retired in Heat 1 and then again in the Super Heat, but still finished 24th in the Final. Sebastian Lehtimäki put in a very convincing performance in the heats, climbing up to 6th place, but he was pushed around in the first few laps and ended up retiring after a collision in the Final. Vivek Kanthan had started with four solid heats, close to the top 10, but crashed out in the melee on the first lap of the Final.
The performances of the satellite team Shamick Europe were also very positive. Andy Consani made up 20 places during the heats and finished 7th in the Final. Tiziano Monza had also qualified for the Final, where he moved up 19 places to finish 17th.
Parolin Motorsport returned to 2nd place among the OK teams and 3rd among OK-Junior teams, while Shamick Europe moved into the top five.
In view of its current performances, Parolin Motorsport will have a role to play in the FIA Karting OK and Junior World Championship which takes place from October 5th to 8th at Franciacorta.
Parolin Motorsport demonstrated its exemplary competitiveness in Italy, with several of its drivers capable of competing with the best in both categories. In the end, Anatoly Khavalkin finished 7th and Miguel Costa came 11th in OK, while Christian Costoya secured a top 10 finish in OK-Junior.
The high temperatures on the Cremona circuit on Sunday did not affect the effectiveness of the Pa-rolin / TM karts that had been on show since the start of the fourth round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series. Rene Lammers played a leading role in the OK category thanks to his 3rd place in Qualifying. He took three wins in the heats and set the fastest time in the Super Heat. A collision at the start of the Final prevented him from finishing the meeting as he deserved. Anatoly Khavalkin had made up 11 places in the heats and continued his progress through to the Final, fin-ishing 7th (up six places). Miguel Costa achieved his best result in the Final, moving up 10 places to 11th.
In OK-Junior, Christian Costoya showed strong determination with a win and two second places in the heats, followed by another win in the Super Heat. During the ups and downs of the Final, he managed to climb back into the top 10. Vivek Kanthan gained an incredible 32 places in the heats and made up another 13 places in the Final, finishing 16th. A spoiler penalty in the Final limited the scope of Jack Illife’s performance, while Zack Drummond was forced to retire after having climbed back up to 12th place.
“It’s always a bit frustrating when fate is against you in the Final,” said Marco Parolin. “It’s obvious that our drivers deserved to finish the competition in better positions. But that doesn’t take away from the quality of their performances or the efficiency of the team. Once again, everyone has done an excellent job of strengthening our potential, and that’s the most important thing. The dynamic within the team is as positive as ever. The meeting at Cremona has enabled us to make progress with a view to the next conclusion of the European Championship next week at this same track, where we’ll have some great cards in our hand.”