Competition

Naud fights to the end for victory

Valentin Naud (Kosmic / Parilla) and Gautier Becq (Sodi / Parilla) took the front row for the KF3 final, in front of Matteo Raspatelli and Julien Darras, both on Tony Kart / Parilla. Gabriel Aubry (Birel / TM) and François Bécamel (Kosmic / Parilla) were the third row ahead of Callum Ilott (Zanardi / Parilla) and Bastien Leguay (ART GP / Parilla). Delayed, Ilott failed to regain his position. Becq got the better of Naud at the lights, but Naud reversed the positions before the end of the first lap. Bécamel advanced to third from Leguay, and Benjamin Lessennes (Kosmic / Parilla), Darras in sixth and Paolo Besancenez (Sodi / Parilla) seventh. Bécamel passed Lessennes, and Darras took Besancenez before the 3rd lap. Naud controlled the race with a small lead from Becq who didn’t give up, as well of the always incisive Bécamel. The French also attacked Becq who did not expect it and gave away his second place.

Romain De Leval (Kosmic / Parilla) joined the fray in sixth position, behind Besancenez. Bécamel inexorably closed on Naud who hit the gas at the halfway point, setting the fastest time to protect the lead. Ilott made a fantastic comeback, this time to 10th from last place at the start. Since the morning, the marshals waved yellow flags before the hairpin so that competitors were vigilant about the trace amounts of water on the fastest part. Unfortunately, this removed one of the main overtaking points of the circuit.

Bécamel was back in the wheels of Naud, Becq was closely followed by Lessennes and Besancenez who was threatened by De Leval: in short, the Belgians were on the attack! Darras, in 7th, set the fastest lap time on lap 14. Suddenly Lessennes attacked Becq, Besancenez tried to take advantage, but Becq skillfully kept his place ahead of Besancenez, Darras, De Leval and Lessennes. The Belgian offensive failed. But it wasn’t over, De Leval and Lessennes resumed the advantage over the French at the beginning of the last lap. Naud won the race after bravely resisting Bécamel in second. 3rd place was uncertain until the end, De Leval eventually seized it before Lessennes in fourth, Darras fifth with the fastest lap in front of Besancenez in 6th, Raspatelli 7th, Becq 8th, Ilott 9th and Nikita Mazepin (Zanardi / Parilla) 10th.