Good weather on Sunday created the conditions for a successful Final in the sun. The presence of CIK-FIA President Akbar Ebrahim and CIK-FIA Vice-President John Ryan in the protocol for the starting grids and on the podiums was appreciated.

The races were very intense with the tension growing as the Finals approached. There was entertainment at all levels with constant battles in the pack as well as the fight for victory. Many brands and teams had the opportunity to showcase their competitiveness with some very sharp drivers.

Matveev's total domination in OK-Junior

In Portugal, Dmitry Matveev (ITA - Tony Kart / Vortex / Vega) was the undisputed star of this first round of the FIA Karting European Championship - OK-Junior. Poleman in Qualifying, leader after the Qualifying Heats and after the Super Heats, he managed a very good Final against an increasingly pressing opponent. Anatholy Kavalkhin (Parolin / TM Racing / Vega) had won the Super Heat A ahead of Matveev and never let him escape in the Final. During their battle, the two drivers distanced themselves from the rest of the field by more than 4'', which says a lot about their form. For his first full season in OK-Junior, René Lammers (NLD - Parolin / TM Racing / Vega) was a consistent front-runner throughout the race. Sixth at the start of the Final, he came back to the top three. Thomas Strauven (BEL - LN / Vortex / Vega) battled with him for third place, but Lammers reacted and secured his first podium at this level. Nathan Tye (GBR - Sodi / TM Racing / Vega) was one of the great protagonists of the weekend as he won the Super Round B. He was pushed back to seventh place during the Final, but managed to climb back into the top five.

Matveev's statement in the press conference:

"My rivals always stayed close and I had to stay very focused throughout the weekend. The other important point was not to miss the starts in order to keep the initial advantage. I didn't need to push hard in the Super Heat to stay ahead of the pack. I had to fight harder in the Final as Anatholy Khavalkin was always threatening. I stayed calm and didn't look back. I had to defend my position a bit in the last lap and everything ended well. Koski Motorsport did an excellent job and my kart was perfect from the beginning to the end of the race. I would like to thank them very much."

Provisional 2022 FIA Karting European Championship - OK-Junior standings after Round 1

1- Dmitry Matveev (ITA) 35 points
2- Anatholy Khavalkin 26 points
3- René Lammers (NLD) 23 points
4- Nathan Tye (GBR) 20 points
5- Thomas Strauven (BEL) 16 points

Severiukhin with brilliance in OK

Apparently Artem Severiukhin (ITA - Tony Kart/Vortex/MG) really likes the Portimão circuit. After taking the lead on Saturday evening after the Qualifying Heats, he never relinquished control of the first round of the FIA Karting European Championship - OK. He first won the Super Heat A on Sunday morning before managing the Final perfectly, leading from start to finish. The rookie Tomass Stolcermanis (LVA - Energy / TM Racing / MG) tried to overtake him at the end of the race, but without success, especially as he lost his second place due to a badly positioned front fairing at the finish. Joe Turney (GBR - Tony Kart / Vortex / MG) was able to regain his second position on the starting grid while Oscar Pedersen (SWE - Tony Kart / Vortex / MG) made good progress from seventh to third position. Noted for his strong progression during the heats, the 2021 FIA Karting World Champion - Junior Kean Nakamura-Berta (GBR - KR / Iame / MG) confirmed his value in third place in Super Heat A. He then made up four positions in the Final to finish at the foot of the podium ahead of the experienced Evan Giltaire (FRA - KR / Iame / MG).

The winner gave his analysis:

"My strategy was to get a good start so that I had a small advantage from the first lap. It was tighter in the Super Heat, but in the Final everything went well. I was able to concentrate on pure performance without having to worry too much about my rivals. This allowed me to increase my lead consistently and to see what was coming at the end of the race. The aim is to be able to count on the same competitiveness in three weeks time for the next round in Zuera. I trust the Ward Racing team to do their utmost in this respect."

Provisional 2022 FIA Karting European Championship - OK standings after fisrt event

1- Artem Severiukhin (ITA) 35 points
2- Joe Turney (GBR) 29 points
3- Evan Giltaire (FRA) 19 points
4- Oscar Pedersen (SWE) 17 points
5- Kean Nakamura-Berta (GBR) 16 points

FIA European Karting Championship Calendar - OK & OK-Junior

28th April - 1st May: Zuera (ESP)
2nd - 5th June: Kristianstad (SWE)
7th - 10th July: Franciacorta (ITA)

Full results for the Portimão event can be found on the official FIA Karting Championship app for mobile devices and on the website.