Competition

KFJ Final: Ticktum wins, but the Champion is not yet named

The front row was 100% RFM for the final of the European KFJ Championship at Ortona with Daniel Ticktum (FA Kart / Vortex) on pole on the outside and Enaam Ahmed (FA Kart / Vortex) inside. They were followed by Martijn Van Leeuwen (Zanardi / TM) who had a place on the outside, and Alexander Vartanyan (Tony Kart / Vortex). The temperature was around 35°, the sky slightly cloudy. The leader in the standings, Lando Norris (FA Kart / Vortex) started from 9th, the second Matteo Raspatelli Matteo (Tony Kart / Parilla) in 13th. In third, Van Leeuwen is best placed of the title contenders with Shwartzmann (Tony Kart / TM) in eighth position.

Nervousness from the competitors justified a red flag before the start of the race in an attempt to calm the situation, including the leaders. Sasakorn Chaimongkol couldn’t then restart and rushed back to the pits. Ticktum took the lead ahead of Van Leeuwen and Leonardo Pulcini (Tony Kart / Vortex). Lando Norris dropped to 27th, Bryan Elpitiya 28th, Max Defourny 30th and Raspatelli 31st. Shwartzmann took fifth ahead of Ahmed. Niko Kari (FA Kart / Vortex) was in fourth position. Gabriel Aubry (Birel / TM) was fighting for 6th place. Van Leeuwen fell to 12th position, and Pulcini was just behind the leader now Ticktum. Norris was back up to 18th place, just behind Jules Bollier (Kosmic / Parilla). Norris hit trouble and returned to the pits. He absolutely had to finish the race to win the Championship and was up to that moment on equal points with Ticktum. Defourny continued to rise, he was 17th, but it was going less well for Aubry who lost places, 13th on the 11th lap. We also needed to watch out for Van Leeuwen who was up to eighth. He was still moving forward and the title could come to him, but the gap with his pursuer was too significant to win fair and square. Shwartzmann was also in a good position for the title. Norris was placed 25th.

Ticktum continued to control Pulcini who was 3 tenths behind. In third, Ahmed was more than 3” in front of Shwartzmann, Daruvala and Kari. Ticktum won the race, but in second Pulcini was under investigation, as was Van Leeuwen in 7th and Ahmed in third from Daruvala and Sitnikov. Three drivers are tied on points at the top of the Championship, and the 2013 Champion cannot be named until the publication of the offiial results.