Competition

KF3 World Cup: Leclerc in style

The most prestigious event amongst the Juniors (13-15 years) of the KF3 category, the 2011 World Cup version should remain as a grand cru in everyone’s memory. Because the number of candidates out for victory, not forgetting the young drivers all with an excellent potential future ahead of them, was especially important. And yet one of them was to excel above all the others throughout the weekend. Having set best lap time during the qualifying heats Charles Leclerc (Intrepid-TM) was only stopped from victory in the qualifying heats as the result of being penalised twice for excessive speed at the start. And so for the Pre-Final he set off from 3rd place … and winning same, which entitled him to grabbing pole position for the decisive Final. However a rather difficult first lap saw the Monegasque drop down to 4th position, behind the Frenchman Esteban Ocon (FA Kart-Vortex), the Brit Callan O’keefe (FA Kart-Vortex) and the Dutchman Max Verstappen (CRG-Parilla), finally being forced to retire a few laps from the finish. As from the second lap, O’keefe, previously 3rd in the KF3 World Cup in 2010, took over the lead and when Leclerc managed to grab second place, the gap was practically two seconds. As from then the Monegasque gleaned away tenths of seconds lap after lap to finally take over the lead 5 laps from the chequered flag. Following his victory last year at the Monaco Kart Cup, Charles Leclerc has now enjoyed his second major success, and he hardly had time to remove his helmet before he also received the congratulations by telephone from his manager Nicolas Todt.

Highly disappointed to have come so close to victory, Callan O’keefe was pleased to score his second consecutive podium in the World Cup, whilst Harrison Scott (Intrepid-TM), previously 3rd in the European Championship in 2010, once again managed to grab the bronze medal. The Brit took advantage of the battle between Esteban Ocon and the Italian Mattia Vita (Birel-BMB) in the last lap, the latter two losing several places in the adventure. The Norwegian Oystein Helgheim (Parolin-TM) in fact finished in 4th place ahead of « Speedy », alias Antonio Fuoco (Tony Kart-Vortex), the Brit Matthew Graham (Zanardi-Parilla), Mattia Vita (dropping back to 7th), the Spaniard Alex Palou Montalbo (FA Kart-Vortex), the Dane Nicklas Nielsen (Tony Kart-Vortex) and the Norwegian Dennis Olsen (Energy-TM). As for Esteban Ocon, he finished in 14th place overall.

Info CIK / © Photo KSP

Publié le 20/09/2011