Van Langendonck takes OK-Junior pole position at Champions of the Future in Valencia

115 OK-Junior drivers are taking part in the first Champions of the Future Euro Series event in Valencia (ESP) from 6th to 9th March 2024. The skies were partly overcast on Thursday morning, with temperatures starting at 12°C for Qualifying Practice. It was time to discover the Maxxis tyres.

Group 1: Craigie – 54”981
Kenzo Craigie (KR/Iame) was fastest in 54”981, but Niklas Schaufler (KR/Iame) closed to within 5 thousandths on his fourth and final lap. Sebastian Lehtimaki (Tony Kart/Vortex) took 3rd place ahead of Sebastian Minns (LN/TM) and Alfie Slater (LN/TM). With Kacper Rajpold (Tony Kart/TM), the top six were within 8 hundredths of each other. Making his OK-Junior debut, William Calleja (Parolin/TM) was 11th, while Théo Battisti (Sodi/TM) was 17th.

Group 2: Van Langendonck – 54”835
Dries van Langendonck (Exprit/TM) took the lead on his second lap ahead of Mats van Roojen (Tony Kart/Vortex). Dries improved to 54”835 on his third lap, 0.179” ahead of Archie Lovatt (Exprit/TM). François Kerdal (CRG/TM) took P3 at 0.286”, followed by Drew Walz (Exprit/TM) and Ilie Tristan Crisan (Tony Kart/Vortex). Dean Hoogendoorn (KR/Iame) finished 11th ahead of Chiara Battig (KR/Iame).

Group 3: Costoya – 54”981
The second lap began to show signs of things to come, with Christian Costoya (Parolin/TM) in the lead and still the fastest in 54”981, level on points with Craigie, leader of Group 1. Florentin Hattemer (KR/Iame) followed at 73 thousandths, Arthur Hoang (KR/Iame) 3rd, then Vladimir Ivannikov (Energy/TM) and Bruno Gryc (Tony Kart/Vortex) for the top five. Bogdan Cosma Cristofor (Exprit/TM) was 8th, Louis Cochet (KR/Iame) 11th ahead of Jack Illife (Parolin/TM) and Oliver Kinmark (Tony Kart/TM). Mattéo Rivals (Sodi/TM) was 22nd.

Group 4: Sala – 54”846
The fourth Junior session proved to be a strange one, with only two laps run for most of the participants and significant gaps between them. Filippo Sala (LN/TM) was fastest on his second lap – 54”846 – 0.149” ahead of Arjen Kräling (KR/Iame), then Rocco Coronel (KR/Iame) at 0.288”. Thomas Pradier (KR/Iame) was 4th fastest, followed by Andrea Manni (Exprit/TM). Aloïs Girardet (Energy/TM) finished 23rd.

Info Kartcom with Kartlink / Photo © KSP