RMCIT Max Senior Qualifying: Jeff-Hall on pole position

107 Max Senior drivers divided into three sessions competed in Qualifying at Le Mans for the 2023 Rotax Max Challenge International Trophy. The skies were overcast but the track was dry with a 19°C air temperature on Thursday morning.

Session 1: Jeff-Hall – 52”983
Adam Rahali (Kosmic/Rotax) was ahead of 10 other French drivers in 53’500 on his second lap. He then improved to 53’181 ahead of Simon Périgny (Tony Kart/Rotax) and Great Britain’s Ethan Jeff-Hall (Tony Kart/Rotax). Jeff-Hall set the fastest time of the series in 52’983 on his third lap, 0.149 seconds ahead of Rahali, then Mark Kimber (Gillard/Rotax) 3rd, 2 tenths behind, Périgny 4th and Montego Maasen (Kosmic/Rotax) 5th. Arthur Robin (Gillard/Rotax) finished 8th ahead of Jules Roussel (Sodi/Rotax). Oscar Pellemele (Sodi/Rotax) was 14th, Tom Billout (Tony Kart/Rotax) 16th and Micah Barthélémy (LN/Rotax) 19th.

Session 2: Higgins – 53”145
Paul Grisel (Kosmic/Rotax) took the lead on his second run in 54’223. Belgian Kai Rillaerts (Tony Kart/Rotax) regained the lead ahead of Titouan Lescalié (Tony Kart/Rotax). Briton Matthews Higgins (Tony Kart/Rotax) finished with the fastest time of the session – 53’145 – followed 55 thousandths behind Rillaerts, then Lewis Gilbert (Tony Kart/Rotax) 76 thousandths behind, Luuk Neessen (Tony Kart/Rotax) 4th and Kai Hunter 5th. Ethan Pharamond (Kosmic/Rotax) finished 7th at 0.159”, Nolan Lemeray (Sodi/Rotax) 11th and Lescalié 14th.

Session 3: Pappacena – 53”072
On the second lap, Italy’s Elia Pappacena (Tony Kart/Rotax) lapped in 53”668 ahead of Dutchman Devyan Roest (Tony Kart/Rotax) and Maxence Bouvier (Sodi/Rotax). Pappacena improved to 53”228 and finished in 53”072, 2 tenths ahead of Roest and 3.6 tenths ahead of Israel’s Yan Pinto (Tony Kart/Rotax). Guillaume Treillard de Quinemont (Kosmic/Rotax) was 4th and Bouvier 5th.

Info Kartcom with Kartlink / Photo © KSP – Arthur Saulnier