Due to the appearance of slight rain showers at different points during Qualifying, the lap difference between the sessions extended beyond the “101% limit”. As written in the regulation, the overall timing classification in the two classes was therefore established according to the order of each Qualifying Series and not according to each driver’s lap time, a measure aiming at to reduce inequality.

OK

Unlike the majority of the 22 other drivers using wet tires in the second Qualifying Series, Ayrton Fontecha (CRG/IAME) took the bet of putting dry compounds for his attempt against the stopwatch. He went out first on track to find an improving racing line that allowed him to set the fastest time in a narrow two-lap window, building a gap of 4.8 seconds from his closest rival. His performance should have given him the category’s Pole position before it was later canceled for cutting the track limits. A decision that promoted the Italian Luigi Coluccio (BirelART/TM), the fastest in the third Series in 1’07”934, to the first spot in the overall hierarchy.

The fastest in Session 2, Morgan Porter (KR/IAME) followed in second position in the classification ahead of Alessandro Irlando (BirelArt/TM), leader of the first session, Rasmus Kortelainen (Tony Kart/IAME), Dino Beganovic (Tony Kart/Vortex), and Nikolas Pirttilahti (KR/IAME), all leading their respective groups for the Qualifying Heats to unfold from tomorrow until Sunday morning.

OK Junior

As for Fontecha in the Seniors, a similar decision was given to Ken Oskar Algre (Tony Kart/Vortex) in the Junior class. The Estonian set the fastest lap in the first Qualifying Series, a performance synonymous of Pole position that was also canceled for going over the track limits. Conrad Laursen (FA Kart/Vortex) inherited the overall fastest lap in 1’02”683 ahead of Nikita Bedrin (Tony Kart/Vortex) and Alfio Spina (KR/IAME), followed by Maceo Capietto (KR/IAME), Marcus Amand (Kosmic/IAME), and Alex Dunne (Tony Kart/Vortex).

Check out the complete Qualifying results for OK and OK Junior.

Schedule

Saturday08:00 – 09:25 Warm-up
09:30 – 18:20 Qualifying Heats
18:40 – 19:10 Press Conference
Sunday09:00 – 10:25 Warm-up
10:30 – 12:25 Qualifying Heats
13:50 OK Junior Final
14:55 OK Final
15:40 Press Conference

How to follow the event?

Like for every event in the FIA Karting calendar, The Racebox provides you with a special page featuring live timing and live streaming plus our daily reports and social publications to keep you up to date with the results and info from Genk.

Text: Guillaume Alvarez

Photo: Alex Vernardis