FFSA Karting Grand Prix is heading on the right

In very bad weather conditions, Karting Championship of France 2008 made its debut with the first Grand Prix of the season, in Lyon Saint Laurent de Mure. All the participants greatly appreciated the changes made to the Championship last autumn.

FFSA is adding a few more finishing touches to its formula to appeal pilots and make the competition more and more exciting for the next races.

Races are now held two days a week, with semi-finals and finals on Saturdays and Sundays respectively, thereby enabling spectacular overturning of the situation. Enhanced conviviality encouraged by FFSA was appreciated by everybody: breakfast offered every morning under the motor home, a permanently accessible space for race information, a plasma screen showing karting videos on demand or ongoing series times, all this was especially welcome when wind, rain or snow became heavier outside. Star Production Team covered the event, with a view to broadcasting it on television, but also to upload it online, on new Internet site ffsa.tv.

KF3 : 30 KF3 pilots ran in the same, single group. On Saturday, Bryan Laloux obtained the best official qualifying time and in the pre-final he started from the pole position, side by side with his compatriot Clemente Picariello; however, it was Brandon Maïsano who came off better. In the final, Brandon didn’t have the good setup to prevail and in the end Picariello made it, ahead of Mickael Heche and Jeffrey Schmidt.

The clock was reset on Sunday morning. Maïsano obtained the best time during official time qualifying, started in pole position in the pre-final, did the best lap during the race and won. Jeffrey Schmidt and Mathieu Jaminet completed the trio.

Guillaume De Ridder took advantage of the confusion that reigned at the start of the final to grab the pole position. Clemente Picariello started 23rd but made an incredible recovery and finished 2nd. Adrien Leidinger was on the third step of the podium.

Picariello leads the Championship with 90 points, followed by Mickael Heche, 57 points and Guillaume De Ridder, 50 points.

KF2 : 40 pilots present were divided into 2 groups for official time qualifying. Clément Bluy and Paul-Loup Chatin won the first and second group respectively. Bluy dominated his semi-final from the beginning to the end.

Bailly finished 2nd and Lacaze 3rd. In the other semi-final, Julien Deschamps took the lead of the race, followed by Guillaume Barbarin. Vincenzo Schillaci was 3rd. After a difficult start, Robin Frinjs won the final, followed by Sébastien Bailly and Sami Luka.

Sunday was another day. Olivier Tilkin obtained the best time with 57’’359 and Clément Bluy conquered the pole in his group. Tilkin started at the front of the grid in the 1st semi-final. Julien Deschamps was 2nd, followed by Robin Frinjs, yesterday’s winner.

In the other series, Clément Bluy started from the pole followed by Kenny Vermeylen and Sébastien Bailly. In the final, Belgian Olivier Tilkin confirmed his talent and won ahead of Barbarin and Vermeylen.

Bailly now leads the Championship with 62 points, followed by Tilkin and Vermeylen at 52 points. There are 4 Belgians in the first 4 places.

KZ2 : On Saturday morning, Enzo Zéfirini dominated official time qualifying and won his semi-final, followed by Nuvolini and Varutti. Grosso was the winner of 2nd semi-final, while Abbasse finished 2nd and Ryall 3rd. In the final, there was a superb victory by Anthony Abbasse in his first race on gearbox 125! Eric Ramon and Emilien Grosso went on the podium.

On Sunday morning, Anthony Abbasse, best after official time qualifying, emerged during the very first lap. Two Swiss, Kevin Lüdi and Ken Allemann won the semi-final, followed by Mike Courquin.

The last semi-final was dominated by Pierre-Etienne Chaumat, while Grosso finished 2nd followed by Ramon. During the final, Lüdi and Allemann retired with mechanical problems, leaving Grosso to precede Chaumat and Morgan Weber.

In the Championship, Emilien Grosso is 1st with 90 points, followed by Anthony Abbasse, 70 points and Pierre-Etienne Chaumat and Enzo Zéfirini, both with 52 points.

Fuente: FFSA