Verstappen World Champion in KZ

There was a prestigious global front row: Marco Ardigo (Tony Kart / Vortex) and Max Verstappen (CRG / TM) started from the front of the decisive race of the KZ World Championship at Varennes. We should not forget Paolo De Conto (Birel / TM) and Patrik Hajek (Praga / Parilla) on the second row and Davide Fore (CRG / TM) and Charles Leclerc (ART GP / TM) just behind. The engines were silenced.

Ardigo was the quickest to jump, Leclerc appeared immediately in second position ahead of Verstappen, Felice Tiene (CRG / Maxter) and De Conto. Hajek was out in a collision a the pylon, and Toninelli and Dreezen were also missing. Tiene attacked Fore for fifth position. Verstappen returned to second on the second lap. Bas Lammers (Intrepid / TM) made up a whopping nine places. On lap four Verstappen led from Ardigo and Leclerc. De Conto was fourth, Fore fifth, Jordon Lennox-Lamb sixth.  Fore passed De Conto.

Verstappen took a few lengths ahead of his pursuers who were in a group of six drivers. Lammers continued to attack Tiene and take his eighth position, while Fore passed De Conto to take fourth. At halfway Verstappen was seven tenths ahead of Ardigo, Leclerc, Fore and Lennox.

Lennox-Lamb attacked Fore on lap 11 then Leclerc passed to take second place ahead of Ardigo. De Brabander retired on lap 13 due to engine failure. Lennox was now threatening Ardigo, but the Italian responded by returning to Leclerc. He passed the Monegasque driver with Lennox in his wake, benefitting the British driver who took second on lap 15. Verstappen was now almost three seconds ahead of his opponents. Fore lost several places, De Conto moved up to fifth from Lammers and Mirko Torsellini (Tony Kart / Vortex).

Ardigo never gave up and was following in Leclerc’s wheel tracks. But it didn’t go as he wished: Leclerc took second place on the last lap ahead of Lennox, and Ardigo dropped to eighth. Max Verstappen won the first KZ World title overwhelmingly, Charles Leclerc is vice-World Champion in front of the very deserving Jordon Lennox-Lamb. Ben Hanley made a striking return to fourth position with the fastest lap and regained 12 places, Lammers was still fighting but the equipment wasn’t up to it and he was sixth, a feat in itself. Jaime Alguersuari (Tony Kart / Vortex) had his best performance of the weekend, returning to the top ten, ten places better than where he started.

Info Kartcom with Kartlink / © Photos KSP