Another fine showing in all categories

No fewer than 79 drivers equipped with KR chassis took part in the event at South Garda Karting, representing almost a quarter of the field. Although the thermometer was a few degrees warmer than the previous week, the atmosphere remained chilly throughout the event, as did the tarmac of the Italian track. So the technical side of things had to react accordingly, and the choice of using the KR1 chassis fitted with a ø32mm tube proved to be the right compromise for the conditions.

Barely down and already back on top of the podium

At the wheel of their KR-IAME karts, Oleksandr Bondarev (Prema Racing) and Niklas Schaufler (DPK Racing) have managed to rack up two wins in the space of a week! With their confidence soaring, the two drivers seem to have taken their place on the podium in Lonato. In OK, Bondarev drove the perfect race: pole position, victory in all three heats, in the Prefinal and in the Final. Salim Hanna was just behind his team-mate for a long time before finally finishing P4. David Cosma Cristofor (Cetilar Racing) was also very competitive, finishing in P6. Gerasim Skulanov (DPK Racing) battled his way to the front in the Qualifying Heats, before falling back on Sunday.

Apart from Schaufler, who was dominant on Sunday, other drivers were in with a chance of a podium finish in the OK-Junior class... Arjen Kraeling (KR Motorsport), Rocco Coronel (Victory Lane) and Iacopo Martinese (Cetilar Racing) were in the top six on Saturday evening after the heats. Martinese and Kraeling had the opportunity to lead the proceedings in their Prefinal and finished P4 and P6 respectively in the Final.

Japan's Sara Matsui reveals herselfConsistently at the front in Lonato in OK-N Junior, Sara Matsui (KR Motorsport) gave nothing away to climb to 2nd place on the podium, just ahead of Valerio Viapana (Team Driver Racing Kart). In KZ2, Daniel Stell (Dörr Motorsport) was 4th after the Qualifying Heats. His retirement in the Prefinal prevented him from achieving a better result. In Mini U10, Lucas Palacio (KR Motorsport) came close to a podium finish, but a penalty sent him back to 10th place.

In the Mini class, every other driver in the top 10 was equipped with a KR-IAME: Daniel Miron Lorente finished P2, Daniil Kutskov P4, Zdenek Babicek P6, Oleksandr Legenkyi P7 and Antoine Venant P10. Well done to the Driver Racing Kart, AKM Motorsport and Kidix teams for this brilliant overall result.

Comments from Dino Chiesa, Head of KR Global Motorsport Company

"It's always very satisfying to confirm our victories, as it proves that we're working with continuity. Many of our drivers have shown great competitiveness and I can only encourage them to continue along this path. Hard work, speed, discipline and determination are always rewarded in the end.

This series of winter races at Lonato is coming to an end. We're looking forward to continuing our development work at other circuits and to winning more races. Finally, I have a special thought for Luca De Donno and I send him all my condolences for the death of his mother which occurred during the meeting."

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.