Vladimir Ivannikov makes it happen

Vladimir Ivannikov, who has already shown great promise this season, went one better in Italy. After finishing 2nd in his group in Qualifying, he climbed to 6th overall. Consistent and incisive, he finished 2nd in each of his Qualifying Heats - including a win on the track - and set the fastest lap in four of them. After a 3rd place in Super Heat B, he started from 3rd on the grid for the Final. An excellent start saw him quickly move up to 2nd, a position he would hold until the chequered flag behind an impregnable leader.

Wolfe and Sharp solid throughout the weekend

Racing with VAR by Birel, Noah Wolfe was just as fast. After Qualifying in 7th place, he consistently finished in the top three throughout the heats, before finishing 2nd in Super Heat A. Unfortunately, a collision at the start of the Final pushed him to the back of the grid. Despite this, Noah made a fine comeback to finish 17th.

For his part, Aston Sharp (CL Racing) scored several top three finishes in the heats and a promising 4th place in Super Heat B. He then ran into difficulties in the Final. Eloi Gonzalez, meanwhile, made impressive progress: qualifying poorly, he made up 32 places during the heats before moving up another eight positions in the Final, despite a penalty.

The Juniors never give up

In the OK-Junior category, Ludovico Mazzola showed excellent potential in the heats before a retirement put the brakes on his progress. He made up for it with a 15-position recovery in the Final, just outside the top 10. Gustavo Marques Da Silva also made several encouraging passes.

The reaction of team manager Jordon Lennox

"The whole team is pleased with the work done at Viterbo. Vladimir Ivannikov's performance reflects our collective commitment and confirms that he is now a credible contender for victory. Noah Wolfe also showed once again that he can fight at the front, even if he lacked success in the Final. Our technical choices in the 'direct-drive' categories have been validated, and this very hot weekend confirms the effectiveness of our equipment, whatever the conditions."

Next event: Sarno

The Birelart Racing team will be back on track from 19th to 22nd June for the second round of the FIA European Karting Championship at Sarno. Pedro Hiltbrand will head the KZ standings, followed by Cristian Bertuca in 2nd place. In KZ2, Juho Valtanen, Corentin Rousseau, Jay Urwin and Noah Wolfe are currently in promising positions.

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.