The deadline for the FIA European Karting Championship event in Třinec is fast approaching (19th-21st May) and this event organised by RGMCC was anticipated in many ways. Not exactly easy to get to grips with, especially for the younger and less experienced drivers, the 1223 metre track proved interesting. Despite some concerns, there was no shortage of overtaking opportunities on this track and some of the drivers clearly demonstrated this by making some great recoveries. The tarmac was not too aggressive with the tyres, which held up well throughout the races. KR Global Motorsport Company salutes the efforts made by the Czech circuit management to organise this event in the best possible conditions, which contributed to the appeal of the meeting.

OK-Junior: Bondarev hits the target with his KR-IAME

Oleksandr Bondarev has been waiting for a podium finish in a major OK-Junior event for some time. After his two podiums in 2023 in FIA Karting and WSK, the Ukrainian achieved his goal with the KR Motorsport team. Consistent in the heats, he won his Super Heat before making the difference in the Final, winning the fastest lap in the race. The Italian Iacopo Martinese, who is now wearing the Cetilar Racing colours, accompanied him on the third step of the podium after an eight-place improvement.

The KR chassis allowed other young drivers to confirm their potential and to showcase their skills, such as Taym Saleh (Sauber Academy, P11), David Cosma Cristofor (P16) and Luna Fluxa Cross (Prema Racing, P20 after a 16-place improvement). Thibaut Ramaekers (VDK Racing) was 4th after the Qualifying Heats and was unlucky on Sunday, as were Arjen Kraling, Niklas Schaufler (DPK Racing), Matt Corbi (VDK Racing) and Augustus Toniolo.

OK: Joe Turney has a string of successes

Already a winner in Valencia in the Champions of the Future Euro Series in March, and also in the FIA Karting European Championship in Spain, Joe Turney has won a second consecutive victory in the RGMMC series. It's not often that a driver manages to win after setting the 51st time in the Timed Qualifying session! The Briton missed out on the Qualifying session completely, but then proved that he had the speed to move up to 1st position. His KR-IAME was unbeatable in Třinec!

The KR chassis was the best represented in the OK Final. For Prema Racing, Kean Nakamura-Berta had a brilliant performance: P2 in Timed Qualifying, P2 after the heats, P1 in the Super Heat and P3 in the Final! Alex Powell, who set the fastest lap, also had a place on the podium, but he crashed at the back of the pack just after the start before coming back in 8th place! Yuanpu Cui and Enzo Tarnvanichkul had to retire in the Final. Too bad for Enzo who had shown his progress in the heats. Fionn MacLaughlin (VDK Racing) was unlucky in the Final, but he was always in the top 10. Congratulations also to the DPK Racing trio in the Final (Aleksander Bogunovic, Nacho Tunon and Kiano Blum). Lenn Nijs, Thomas Strauven and Kiano Blum were also among the protagonists of the meeting.

Dino Chiesa, Head of KR Global Motorsport Company, commented:

"We will have good memories of this first trip to Třinec. It's always good to see our young drivers on the podium like Oleksandr Bondarev and Iaccopo Martinese in OK-Junior. In OK, Joe Turney showed again that he is a great champion, but he must continue to be wary of the rising stars that are Kean Nakamura-Berta and Alex Powell. However, we must be careful. We have won both categories this time, but this should not be taken as a promise of victory for the next FIA Karting event. Our competitors will undoubtedly work even harder to beat us on 21st May. It's up to us to stay competitive and to evolve further to reach the highest possible level of performance."

"Finally, I would like to thank RGMMC for having made the choice to schedule the Finals on Saturday. Many of our technicians and mechanics were able to fly back on Saturday evening to be with their families on Sunday. This gave them a welcome rest before tackling work again at the beginning of the week!"

About KR Global Motorsport Company

At the end of the 2017 season Dino Chiesa officially presented the new Kart Republic entity and its characteristic logo. The yellow, orange and red colours reflect the colours of the Serenissima Republic which, from 697 to 1797, marked the history of the Padua region, home of the KR brand. The wing refers to those of the lion of St. Mark, the symbol of Venice, the capital of the Venetian Republic.

On 1st January, the KR chassis received CIK-FIA homologation. The success was immediate! In the very first season, the German Hannes Janker became European OK Champion in 2018. A few weeks later, the Italian Lorenzo Travisanutto (KR-IAME) became FIA Karting World Champion. The KR chassis quickly became a reference in the most important international events, as well as in many countries around the world. The successes in FIA Karting followed one another. At the 2022 World Championship in Campillos, less than four years after its launch, KR was the most represented brand in the paddock.

Over the years, the Kart Republic factory has continued to develop, launching the Alonso Kart brand in 2020 and relaunching the famous DAP name in early 2023. The various activities of the Italian company are now grouped under the "KR Global Motorsport Company". The head of the company, Dino Chiesa, is one of the most influential figures in the world of karting. The Italian engineer is also one of the best talent scouts in the world of karting. He has helped the rise of drivers such as Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton and Nyck De Vries. Many Formula 1 team academies trust him, including those of Mercedes, Red Bull, Alpine and Sauber. The famous Prema Racing team has just announced its entry to the world of karting, in partnership with Kart Republic.