Home victory for Hiltbrand

Pedro Hiltbrand made his ambitions clear right from the start of Timed Practice with pole position, before winning two of his three Qualifying Heats and taking 2nd place in the last one, after some hard-fought battles in a hotly contested category. Perfect at the start of the Super Heat, he masterfully won to take pole position in the Final. In the Final, he had to fight hard in the opening laps before taking the lead on the third lap, extending his lead lap after lap to give Birelart a prestigious victory on home soil.

Cristian Bertuca, who was penalised in the Super Heat, came back strongly to take 3rd place in the Final. For his part, Daniel Vasile, in the colours of CL Racing, was delayed by an incident in the Super Heat but nevertheless gained five places in the Final.

A wealth of talent in KZ2

In KZ2, Corentin Rousseau (CL Racing) proved to be a consistent performer, moving up from 12th in Timed Qualifying to 9th after the Super Heats, and then to 6th in the Final after a solid race. New Zealander Jay Urwin, in his second international race, improved all weekend to finish 8th, just ahead of Samuel Luyet, who made a spectacular ten-place comeback. Noah Wolfe (VAR by Birel), who got off to a good start with 7th place in Qualifying, had a tough time in the heats but showed his determination by moving up 16 places in the Super Heat and 19 places in the Final to break into the top 10. Juho Valtanen, long one of the fastest drivers and winner of a heat, was delayed at the start of the Final and finished 11th, a result below his actual performance.

Jenson Graham (CL Racing), Jean Luyet and Josep Vea Terrado also made good progress in the Final, while Gerard Cebrian Ariza and Genis Civico Espona (CL Racing) were unable to fulfil their potential, despite good performances earlier in the weekend.

Riccardo Longhi's reaction

"The whole team is delighted with Pedro Hiltbrand's success in Valencia, reinforced by Cristian Bertuca's podium finish, proof of the team's development expertise. We also equipped 11 of the 36 finalists in KZ2, confirming the popularity of our chassis with professionals, young talents and enthusiasts. I would also like to highlight the performance of Juho Valtanen who, without any problems in the Final, could have been aiming for the podium."

Next meeting: Viterbo

Birelart Racing is now preparing for the third round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series at Viterbo (Italy) from 28th to 31st May, before moving on to the OK and OK-Junior European Championships on the same circuit the following week.

About Birelart

Birelart is an Italian manufacturer of kart chassis that combines long experience and a keen sense of innovation with a boundless passion for motor sport.

Founded in 1959 by Umberto Sala, whose precise nickname was Birel, the company has played a pioneering role in the development of karting around the world since its very beginnings. The demand for quality has always been part of the DNA of the Lissone-based brand through its quest for success in competition. Over more than 60 years, Birelart has won 26 world titles, countless European titles and numerous national championships.

Birel has accompanied the careers of many great racing drivers, including Riccardo Patrese, Keke Rosberg, Stefano Modena and Emanuele Pirro, as well as the more recent Formula 1 stars Mika Hakkinen and Juan Pablo Montoya, Robert Kubica, Jenson Button and George Russell. Robert Kubica, Daniel Ricciardo and more recently Charles Leclerc have called on Birelart's expertise to launch their own chassis ranges.

Three generations have succeeded one another at the helm of Birel. Today, Ronni Sala, the founder's grandson, presides over Birel's destiny. In 2014, he ushered in a new era by joining forces with ART Grand Prix, a famous team on the single-seater scene, thanks to its association with Nicolas Todt and his partners. Birelart was born.

Ronni has contributed to the creation of an ambitious new project that will be at the forefront of the karting industry, thanks to original sporting, marketing and communication initiatives that will benefit the brand, the dealer network and, of course, Birelart's customers.

Birelart has built on its prestigious heritage to enter the 21st century and make full use of technology in terms of R&D, production, logistics and communication. Its area of expertise, based on high-level competition, has been extended to include production quality control for a large number of competitors around the world, as well as the leisure sector with its Rental range with both internal combustion and electric engines. The factory at its original site in Lissone, near Monza and within easy reach of Milan, has undergone constant modernisation.

Birelart's high level of expertise, with its well-balanced blend of tradition and innovation, is reflected in the results it has achieved in racing, offering fans around the world the opportunity to become real drivers or to have fun and experience the thrill of adrenaline on the track.