The last race of the season, the WSK Final Cup in Adria, was a great success for Parolin Motorsport. There was complete domination and victory for Celenta in KZ2 followed by Travisanutto in 4th position, a double podium for Orlov and Khavalkin in Junior, 2nd place for Costoya in Mini and 4th place for van Langendonck.
“The weekend was very satisfying“, declared Marco Parolin. “Our drivers showed a remarkable level of performance in all three categories and six of them were able to obtain the results they deserved despite the intensity of the races. It is very rewarding for the whole team to end the season on such a positive note. We have a solid base to start 2022 with confidence. The development work will not stop and we are already looking forward to next year with great potential. It will be an exciting challenge. Of course, the year-end break will be welcome for everyone and it was important to end on a positive note.“
The WSK Final Cup brought together 275 drivers from more than 40 different nations at Adria Karting Raceway. Parolin Racing Kart was ranked 2nd among the manufacturers with 46 chassis in competition, of which almost 25% of the field was Mini. With four Parolin karts in the top eight of the Mini Final, two in the top four in KZ2, two in the top three in OK-Junior, the competitiveness of the productions of the Bassano del Grappa brand is not in debate.
Parolin Motorsport – WSK Final Cup 2021 – Adria
Francesco Celenta won everything in Adria from Timed Qualifying to the Final with a 2” lead that allowed him to win the 2021 WSK Final Cup, a very competitive event where he kept the lap record. Lorenzo Travisanutto also had an excellent run in the top three of the heats with a 4th place Final position.
Anatoly Khavalkin impressed in the OK-Junior class, dominating the race until the Prefinal. The Final race was more successful for Maksim Orlov, who started 22nd and finished 2nd ahead of his team-mate Khavalkin on the podium. René Lammers completed the success of Parolin by securing good heats, 7th position with the fastest lap in the Prefinal and an 8th place after a gain of five positions in the Final.
Enzo Deligny had the ability to make his mark after his 5th place in the heats, but the start of the Prefinal A marked the end of the meeting for him. Lauritz Sachse from Denmark was doing well in the heats in his first participation at this level.
No less than 126 drivers competed in Mini. Christian Costoya made up 10 places during the heats by finishing 4th and improved his score by finishing 2nd in the Final. Dries van Langendonck followed a similar progression to reach 4th in the Final. William Calleja, who qualified 5th, had three very difficult heats and did not manage to qualify for the Final, despite a 10 place improvement in the Prefinal. Oliver Kinmark also had difficulties in the heats and did not reach his goal, as did Angelo Blanco. Alessandro Truchot put in a remarkable performance, regaining no less than 33 positions from his distant Qualifying. Simas Baciuska remained handicapped by his 111th place in Qualifying.
This year, the Winter Cup had to give up its usual spot at the beginning of the season to wait until mid-November on the South Garda Karting circuit in Lonato. The race started on a dry track and ended on Sunday in a downpour. The two Parolin Motorsport drivers entered in KZ2 put in solid performances with Celenta 8th in the Final and Travisanutto 11th. The Parolin chassis were present in large numbers in the other categories, with some very convincing results such as 2nd place for van Langendonck (AV Racing) in the youngest category.
“The end of the season is near and we are already concentrating on the preparation for next year”, explained Marco Parolin. “2022 will start a new homologation cycle for chassis, brakes and bodywork. There is plenty of work to do. Our two drivers Francesco Celenta and Lorenzo Travisanutto have continued the development programme of our equipment with very satisfactory results. They proved to be competitive both in the dry and in the rain, which showered the Final stages. It’s a pity that Celenta couldn’t reach the finish of his first race when he was in 3rd place because he was in a very good rhythm. After that, he progressed steadily in the rankings to reach 8th place in a tough Final. Travisanutto took advantage of another opportunity to increase his experience in the 125cc gearbox, especially on a wet track. He completed his mission by coming close to the Final top 10 after some solid heats. Parolin Racing Kart was second most popular among the chassis manufacturers in the Winter Cup, which was very satisfying for our brand. In the front rank of the Mini Rok chassis, the teams and drivers who trust us achieved good results with three places in the Final top 10 including 2nd position for Dries van Langendonck (AV Racing). Coskun Irfan (Shamick Europe) also finished in the Junior top 10. 2022 should give us even more reasons to be happy.“
Parolin Motorsport – 2021 Winter Cup – Lonato – KZ2
Francesco Celenta
8th in Qualifying, 16th in the Qualifying Heats, 7th in Super Heat 2 (+1pl.), 8th in the Final (+5pl.).
Lorenzo Travisanutto
13th in Qualifying, 11th in the Qualifying Heats, 4th in Super Heat 1 (+4pl.), 11th in the Final.
One week after Enzo Deligny’s victory in the Junior class, Anatoly Khavalkin reached 3rd place in the Junior World Championship on the same circuit of Campillos. Parolin Motorsport confirmed its excellent competitiveness at the highest level in a variety of conditions by qualifying four drivers for the Final in the 101-strong OK-Junior class and being the only team to finish on the podium in both races at Campillos.
“Although we prepared for it, the weekend was not easy”, said Marco Parolin. “It is obvious that the World Championship brings together the best drivers and that the motivation is stronger than for any other race. The weather added a layer of difficulty with intermittent light rain on Saturday morning and throughout Sunday. The work of the teams was crucial. I think our performance did not go unnoticed. Our Juniors were not very experienced: they were either racing their first full season in OK-Junior or had moved up from Mini to Junior within the year. Already in Qualifying we had three very fast drivers around the top 10. The heats were difficult to manage, René Lammers being the best placed at this stage. Anatoly Khavalkin was brilliant throughout the meeting. He didn’t make any mistakes and his last effort to regain another nine places in the Final earned him a place in the world top three. It’s fantastic for us to achieve such a result. Not only is our equipment very good, but we have also shown our ability to train young drivers. Our bet on the future is very satisfying!”“
The races were exciting to experience on the Campillos circuit, which offers many opportunities for overtaking. The precarious grip at many points added even more selectivity to the event. The big favourites of the season sometimes found themselves in trouble. In the Qualifying Heats René Lammers was already 8th, Matias Orjuela 10th and Enzo Deligny 11th. Consistently in the top five of the heats, Lammers ensured a great 7th position for the start of the Final. Orjuela had lost too much ground to qualify for the 36 finalists. Eric Géné showed an increased level of performance since the Champions of the Future event, but it wasn’t enough, while Guillaume Bouzar probably lacked recent driving to make the most of his abilities.
Anatoly Khavalkin managed to improve 27 places during the heats and never fell back. 39th in Qualifying, he started from 12th in the Final. Fully confident in his equipment and his abilities, he immediately went into attack mode and was in the top five after only six laps. He then closed the gap to the top three and moved into the top three with four laps to go, passing the poleman without hesitation. He still had time to secure the podium by distancing his opponents before the finish.
The young René Lammers showed himself to be a brilliant driver by finishing 7th in the heats. However, he was attacked from all sides in the Final battle on rain tyres. He nevertheless managed to finish his first World Championships in 20th position, despite a broken spoiler. Maksim Orlov put in his best performance of the weekend, making up 12 places in the Final to finish 23rd. Despite an encouraging Qualifying, Enzo Deligny did not find the ease he had shown the week before. After two good heats in 5th and 3rd positions, he crashed in the last. He was pushed back to the bottom of the ranking at the start of the Final, but he made his comeback to 25th position with consistency.
For his first season in OK, Jesse Carrasquedo showed an interesting competitiveness by regaining four places during the heats, which allowed him to reach his objective of qualifying among the 36 finalists. Less comfortable in the Final on a track with little grip, he finished the first lap in second-last position, but then climbed back up to 26th place. Arnur Shabdar was slightly far behind after the timed laps and two retirements in the heats did not allow him to qualify.
The Parolin Motorsport team has taken up residence in the south of Spain in preparation for the upcoming OK and Junior World Championship. The last meeting of the Champions of the Future by RGMMC series was a very important preparation event for the Italian team’s OK-Junior drivers. The performance of the Italian team was very noticeable, especially thanks to the victory for Enzo Deligny.
“It’s good for the mentality of the whole team to show such a high level of performance a week before a world event,” explained Marco Parolin. “Like all the teams, we have only recently encountered the Campillos circuit, but our preparation has proved to be effective. In a category with almost 100 participants, four of our OK-Junior drivers performed very encouragingly among the best. Enzo Deligny had been getting closer to victory for several races and I am delighted that he has done so in Spain. It is a very positive result for him and for the team. Maksim Orlov, Anatoly Khavalkin and Matias Orjuela were also very competitive and I hope that their performance will reflect on the whole team. We have some time to learn from this event, both for the equipment and the drivers, so that we can do even better at the World Championship.”
Enzo Deligny was immediately at ease on the Spanish circuit’s steep terrain and he drove a faultless race at the front. Very solid heats, in which he obtained two best laps, allowed him to return to the top five on Saturday evening. He confirmed this by finishing 2nd in the Prefinal before driving a superb Final. He started well and took the lead from lap 5 and then distanced his rivals to win with a 1.6” lead and another fastest lap.
Maksim Orlov was also in a position to get an excellent result. Twice winner in the heats, he was 2nd in this Qualifying phase. After a great fight in the Prefinal, he unfortunately had to retire immediately after the start of the Final. Matias Orjuela showed very convincing speed from his 7th position in Qualifying. Once in 2nd and twice in 3rd place, he finished 9th in the heats. An incident delayed him shortly before the end of the Prefinal, but he made up 10 places in the Final.
Anatoly Khavalkin had to deal with a distant 39th place during the heats. He still made up 12 places, but a retirement lost him all the benefit of his efforts in the Prefinal. Undiscouraged, he went back to work in the Final and reached a rewarding 12th place after a 23-position climb.
Guillaume Bouzar, René Lammers and Eric Gené encountered various setbacks along the way during the heats and could not make it to the Finals despite their potential.
In OK, Jesse Carrasquedo showed interesting competitiveness by regaining five places during the heats despite a retirement. The Final stages were more complicated for the Mexican. Arnur Shabdar was a little bit far back after Qualifying to be able to make it to the Final.
With a similar line-up to that of Lonato, Parolin Motorsport recorded better results at the conclusion of the WSK Open Cup at Adria Karting Raceway from October 1st to 3rd. The meeting started with pole position for Brando Badoer in KZ2 and continued with top threes for Dries Van Langendonck and Christian Costoya in the Mini heats. Anatoly Khavalkin was on the podium in the OKJ Final, while Enzo Deligny finished the Championship in 5th place.
“Without any particular stakes, this kind of competition allows the team to work for the future,” declared Marco Parolin. “We are always looking to improve the equipment, but the human side is not forgotten, as young drivers need to be guided throughout their learning process. Our level of performance was very convincing, even if it was less visible in OK. The balance of the event is positive with encouraging results from several of our Junior and Mini drivers. Parolin Racing Kart once again presented itself as a major player in Mini competition with a strong representation of more than 30% of the field and a continuous presence at the top of the rankings.”
Very fast against the clock with pole position, Brando Badoer still needs to enrich his experience in KZ2 races which is what he did in Adria by finishing 12th. For his first competition with Parolin Motorsport, Greek driver Fotios Sotiropolous was 16th. Jesse Carrasquedo moved up 18 places in OK to 13th position in the Final while Arnur Shabdar moved up to 16th.
Enzo Deligny put in a good performance as usual in the Junior class, finishing 5th in the heats and 2nd in his Prefinal. Unfortunately he lost 15 places at the start of the Final and could not climb any higher than 9th. Enzo nevertheless finished in the top five of the Championship. Anatoly Khavalkin fulfilled his mission by reaching the podium. After four good heats out of five, he regained three places in the Final and finished in the top three of the race and in 6th position in the overall ranking. Maksim Orlov had to retire on Friday afternoon and qualified 10th in his Prefinal, but he had to retire before the start of the Final. René Lammers was consistent in his heats and was able to make up more than 20 places, which allowed him to compete in the Prefinal and the Final without worries.
Amongst the 102 Mini drivers in Adria, Christian Costoya was in 2nd place Qualifying. He stayed in the leading group with a good consistency, finishing 6th in the Final and took 4th place in the Championship. Dries Van Langendonck confirmed his good pace during a very convincing event and he finished in the top five in the Final. Oliver Kinmark started from 26th position in the Qualifying Heats, but he made his way up the heats with a top four and a fastest lap, finally taking 14th place. Jack Illife scored two top threes in the heats plus a 5th place with the fastest time, while William Calleja was the fifth team driver to qualify for the Final.
The last part of the season opened on September 17th-19th at the Lonato circuit with the first of the two WSK Open Cup events. The official Parolin Motorsport team had changed its look for the occasion and adjusted to accommodate the arrival of young drivers. While Brando Badoer made his debut in KZ2, Enzo Deligny finished in the OK-Junior top five just ahead of Maksim Orlov, Christian Costoya shone in the Mini top five while newcomer Dries Van Langendonck showed great potential.
“Lonato was a satisfying event in terms of performance”, said Marco Parolin. “We showed great competitiveness in Mini and Junior, as well as in KZ2 where our rookie showed very good speed. I am happy to see our customer teams competitive in Mini and an increasing number of drivers trusting the Parolin chassis. In OK-Junior the Final result was impacted by the rain in the Prefinals, where we suffered and lost some positions. But the potential was there with a podium within reach, considering the speed shown in the heats and the Final. To have placed three drivers in the top eight in such a difficult category is a source of pride and a sign of consistency of performance.”
Brando Badoer was making his debut in KZ2 racing. Noticed for his 3rd fastest time in Qualifying, he encountered some understandable difficulties in the racing, but finished nevertheless with a very honourable 18th position in the Final.
Back in competition after a summer break, Enzo Deligny showed excellent competitiveness to reach 2nd in the OK-Junior heats thanks to four wins and a fastest lap in the race. Winner of his Prefinal, he fought hard in the top five of the Final and finished 4th in the Championship. After his 41st time, Maksim Orlov was delayed by two retirements in the heats. During his Prefinal on a wet track he came back to the front, his 16-place improvement taking him to 4th place. He improved again on the dry track in the Final to reach 6th position. Anatoly Khavalkin made up 11 places during the Qualifying Heats thanks to three top three finishes and two fastest laps. He started well in the rain in the Prefinal, but lost ground afterwards. Thanks to his speed in the Final, Anatoly regained 21 places in 17 laps and finished in 8th position.
Guillaume Bouzar qualified thanks to a 15-place gain in the Prefinal, but did not reach the finish of the Final. René Lammers was fast in a category where he still lacks experience and started with a top 10 in Qualifying before obtaining a 2nd place and two top sixes with a fastest lap in the heats. However, several incidents slowed down his race and he had to retire in the Prefinal. For his debut in OK-Junior, Matias Orjuela narrowly missed out on qualification among the 36 finalists.
Christian Costoya was once again one of the contenders in Mini, with 101 participants in Lonato. After 3rd in Qualifying, 2nd in the heats, he won his Prefinal. He took part in the fight for the Final victory and finished 5th to score 4th in the Championship. Dries Van Langendonck soon found his feet with Parolin Motorsport. Twice winner, twice 3rd and with a fastest lap in the heats, he encountered problems at the start of his Prefinal and qualified with a loose spoiler. Very determined, he drove an impressive Final and finished 8th with the fastest time and 18 places gained. Oliver Kinmark lost time in the heats before coming back into the game in the Prefinal, then finishing 17th in the Final. Simas Baciuska qualified for the Final thanks to a good effort in the wet Prefinal and finished in 29th position. Jack Illife showed a clear improvement during the timed sessions and then in two of his heats where he reached the top three and set a fastest lap. The new recruits to the team added to their international experience with more or less success. Among them, Alessandro Truchot made the strongest progress.
After three seasons dedicated purely to the direct drive categories from Mini to OK, Parolin Motorsport has made a successful return to the gearbox karting field in 2021 with its TM Racing engines. At the Kristianstad world meeting Lorenzo Travisanutto dominated the FIA Karting International Super Cup – KZ2 and added a fourth major success to his record. Parolin’s success was complemented by James Wharton’s top five finish and Viktor Öberg’s 7th place.
“Lorenzo’s victory in our colours gives us great pleasure,” commented Marco Parolin. “The two-time OK World Champion approached his first season in KZ2 with a lot of humility. He has gradually discovered the subtleties of driving a gearbox kart. We are proud to have been able to provide him with the very competitive equipment to win in Sweden. The whole team proved to be very competitive as we placed three drivers in the top seven and I thank Gallifa Kart for the quality of the TM Racing engines. James achieved his best international result in his last race in karting, by reaching 5th place after superb progression while Viktor Öberg, who joined us for the occasion, was well placed despite limited racing this season. Angelo Lombardo had also performed well among the 91 participants before having to retire in the Final. The performance of our drivers in the World KZ Championship was less convincing, but the competitiveness of the equipment was there as Francesco Celenta’s 3rd fastest time in the Final attests. Parolin Racing Kart has proven the quality of its entire chassis range at the highest level this season from Mini to KZ, to assert its place among the best current manufacturers.“
Parolin Motorsport has allowed Lorenzo Travisanutto to rediscover the fighting spirit that took him to the top of karting competition in 2018 and 2019 in OK. The Italian Champion gained confidence as the KZ2 races progressed. Already a strong performer at the last European meeting in Adria, he returned to victory in Kristianstad after an ideal run. He started by taking pole position in Qualifying against 90 drivers from all over the world, and then went on to win three heats with the fastest time each time. Leader of the heat classification, he drove a perfect Final. First of all he had to get a good start and resist the impetuousness of his rivals in the first laps. Once this was achieved, Lorenzo was able to break away from the rest of the field and calmly manage the closing laps to secure a historic victory in this de facto world cup.
James Wharton was one of the protagonists of the competition, regaining 13 positions during the heats thanks to four top fives and two fastest laps in the race. Confident in his equipment, the young Australian regained another four places during the Final and concluded with a superb top five at world level with a total progression of 17 places since Qualifying – a nice way to end his karting career. The Swedish Viktor Öberg has found his competitiveness with Parolin Motorsport. Three times in the top five of the heats with a fastest lap, he qualified in 8th place for the Final. After a slow start, Viktor made up eight places to finish in a very good 7th position. Angelo Lombardo was at ease again by coming back to 4th and 3rd in his heats, but he had to retire quite early in the Final.
In KZ, the World Championship was less successful for the Parolin Motorsport drivers. Qualifying was not brilliant and several setbacks in the heats did not help the situation. However, Francesco Celenta managed a good Final with a significant seven-place recovery and the third fastest time to finish 14th, while Mario Schettino did not finish the race.
The second round of the European KZ & KZ2 Championship saw the Parolin Motorsport drivers demonstrate the effectiveness of their TM Racing-powered Parolin chassis in both classes. Lorenzo Travisanutto showed steady progress and finished on the KZ2 podium after a strong Final 10-place gain with the fastest lap, while Francesco Celenta, also the fastest in the Final, also made up ground to finish 7th in KZ.
“We were very pleased with Lorenzo Travisanutto’s development,” said Marco Parolin. “Although he is still a novice in gearbox karts, he has quickly gained confidence in his equipment and is already among the best in the KZ2 category. He set four fastest race laps during the meeting and his sense of attack was excellent. This is extremely positive for the whole team. James Wharton was unfortunately delayed several times by penalties, which prevented him from reaching the Final. We also had Angelo Lombardo with us this weekend. He was in need of racing but was increasingly competitive. Finally, Francesco Celenta set the fastest time in the KZ Final and moved up 10 places, which is also a good sign.“
The high temperatures that reigned in Adria complicated the work of the drivers and the technicians, as well the tyre management, which was not without some problems. The races were very competitive with very few incidents during the whole competition.
In contrast to the first European event, Lorenzo Travisanutto put in solid runs from his 14th position in Qualifying, which allowed him to start the Final in better circumstances. He was again at his best in the Final race, which was by far the longest. His ability to maintain a high pace over time was remarkable. He set the fastest lap with two laps to go and gained 10 places on a circuit known for not favouring overtaking in this category. Reaching the podium is a great reward for the driver and his team.
James Wharton was very disappointed not to find the same level of performance in Qualifying that he had in Free Practice. Whatever the explanation, he found himself 48th with the task of making up places in the field. Two penalties impacted on his progress and qualification for the Final went out the window.
European KZ2 champion in 2009, Angelo Lombardo then had to pause his top level career for ten years. He had an interesting run during the heats despite a distant starting position, but could not join the 36 finalists.
Francesco Celenta was more successful in Adria than Wackersdorf. A regular top ten driver in both the Qualifying and the heats, he had everything in place in the Final to aim for a good result. Unfortunately, the melee in the early race saw him lose several places. With great determination he made an impressive 10-place recovery, an achievement on this circuit, and finished 7th with the fastest lap in the race just a few metres behind the future champion.
The competitiveness of Parolin Motorsport in the gearbox categories is confirmed race after race. It will be interesting to follow the performance of the Italian team at the world meeting in Kristianstad, Sweden, in early September.
Within a week of each other, the progress of the Parolin Motorsport team has been very clear between the Champions of the Future and the last round of the European Championship which has just ended in Zuera. The rising stars of the Italian factory benefited from even more competitive equipment to assert their talent at the highest level. In the Junior class, Orlov took another podium, Al Dhaheri finished in the top five and Spina showed his strong potential in OK.
“It was a very positive weekend,” explained Marco Parolin. “Our drivers learned from the previous competition and our technicians fine-tuned the equipment. The races were as intense as ever on the Spanish circuit and we are proud to have obtained more conclusive results. Maksim Orlov had even more merit to reach the Junior podium, while Rashid Al Dhaheri reached the Final top five with the fastest lap in the race. Anatoly Khavalkin was also more consistent. In OK, Alfio Spina is definitely a great asset for the team. He has made excellent progress into the European top five. I’m delighted that Brando Badoer was able to develop in this way and that James Wharton made a very convincing comeback.”
OK-Junior: Orlov and Al Dhaheri confirm
Maksim Orlov had an even more exciting race this weekend. He started 42nd and made up 25 places during the heats, including a 3rd place with the fastest lap. His ease in the battle of the pack was a pleasure to see. After a superb start in the Final, he kept on progressing towards the front before joining the top three during a legendary last lap, totalling a gain of 14 places. At this level, it is a great demonstration.
Rashid Al Dhaheri was back to his best during this very strong weekend. He finished his heats with a 2nd place and then a victory that put him in the top 10. Determined, he came back quickly to the top five of the Final, continued to fight until the end to finish 5th and took the fastest lap in the race.
Anatoly Khavalkin also did very well in the heats starting from the middle of the grid. He was 5th in the last heat with the fastest lap. A heavy penalty sanctioned his fighting spirit and delayed his return to the top of the table. Unleashed, he started like a rocket in the Final and had regained 15 places in a few laps when a collective collision put an end to his ambitions. Amongst the other Junior drivers of the team, Nicolas Ambiado confirmed his amazing potential by moving up 37 places during the heats after having been sanctioned during Qualifying.
Spina gains confidence
Despite an average time in Qualifying, Alfio Spina put in a very good performance in the heats, making up 20 positions to enter the top five. He was 3rd in the Final on the first lap, but then dropped back during some tough battles, although managed with a lot of determination to get back to 8th place, his best result at this level.
Brando Badoer had a very encouraging run with efficient heats that allowed him to regain many places. His great fighting spirit in the Final allowed him to move up to 15th position despite being behind in the first three laps under yellow flags. James Wharton made up for his poor Qualifying position by regaining 16 positions during his heats and made another impressive 15-place recovery in the Final to finish 19th.
After the superb performance of Anatoly Khavalkin last week in Sarno, another Parolin Motorsport driver caused a sensation in OK-Junior this weekend in Zuera as Maksim Orlov brilliantly finished 3rd in the Champions of the Future series. Rashid Al Dhaheri also performed well, finishing 8th in the Final race, while Alfio Spina was fighting for the top 10 in OK despite a difficult weekend. This eventful weekend confirmed the ability of the Parolin / TM Racing karts in both categories with a week to go before the conclusion of the European Championship at this same circuit.
“We are very pleased with Maksim Orlov’s result”, said Marco Parolin. “He has been making great moves for a few races now without being able to put them into practice. This weekend everything went well for him and he was able to exploit the potential of his machine until the end. An international podium finish is an important moment for any driver. Rashid Al Dhaheri was also consistent in a very competitive environment and we are delighted that he was able to finish in 8th place. Alfio Spina was well on his way to a good run and he deserved to be fighting at the front in the Final stages. We are confident in our potential and we are ready to face the end of the European Championship next weekend positively.”
OK-Junior: Orlov stars in Zuera
Maksim Orlov put in a string of top performances throughout the meeting. 19th in Qualifying, he progressed to the top 10 in the heats and continued with a comeback to 3rd position in the Prefinal. He then confirmed this by consistently fighting his way into the top three in the Final. His presence on the podium was a fitting reward for his efforts and talent.
Rashid Al Dhaheri’s Final result only partially reflects the energy he spent to get there. He had gone some way in the heats to make up seven places, but his nine-place climb in the Prefinal was crucial. He continued to fight valiantly in the Final to finish 8th. Anatoly Khavalkin had started too far back to make up for his two retirements in the heats. His 21-place recovery during the Repechage proved his great speed.
The Chilean driver Nicolas Ambiado was able to regain 28 places with a good consistency during the heats, but it was not enough to open up access to the Final phases. His other team-mates did not often experience the conditions required to allow them to overtake their delay in Qualifying.
Strong potential for Spina in OK
Alfio Spina has strong competitiveness in OK and he proves it in every race. 9th in Qualifying meant he had the necessity of maintaining the pace without a costly retirement in a three heat format. He nevertheless managed a good Prefinal at the edge of the top 10 with a progression of eight places before having to be satisfied with 16th in the Final. Brando Badoer had more difficulties in the battles before finishing 20th. James Wharton had made up eight places in the Qualifying Heats, but his retirement from the Prefinal after making up 10 places halfway through the race did not work in his favour.