After KZ, another European Championship title

Very much at ease in its gearbox version on the wide open spaces of Sarno, where Danilo Albanese became European KZ Champion on 9th July, the KR brand confirmed its competitiveness on the technical and selective Cremona circuit, in both OK and OK-Junior. In Lombardy, it was still hot and the KR chassis revealed its full effectiveness in these conditions, to the great satisfaction of the drivers, the teams and all the technicians in charge of operations. In the team standings, KR Motorsport is the 2023 Champion in OK-Junior, while Prema Racing has taken the lead in OK ahead of the World Championship in Franciacorta.

OK-Junior: Ramaekers winner, Bondarev champion

With six KR-IAME karts in the top 10, and the entire podium in both the Final and the overall standings, the KR brand left its indisputable mark on the 2023 European OK-Junior Championship. In Cremona, Thibaut Ramaekers (VDK Racing) dominated the proceedings. After taking pole position, the young Belgian held on to 1st place after the heats, after the Super Heats and in the Final, where he set the fastest lap of the race. The Cetilar Racing colours completed the double with Iacopo Martinese in 2nd place. The Italian, who was still racing a Mini 60 in 2022, confirmed his rise to prominence. Oleksandr Bondarev didn't have an easy time of it after qualifying 29th. The Ukrainian was able to use his talent to climb back up the field, without getting into a tangle or being penalised. His 3rd place in the Final enabled him to take the European Championship ahead of Ramaekers and Martinese.

After his podium in Denmark, Stepan Antonov confirmed his success by finishing 5th in the Final. Well done to Niklas Schaufler (DPK Racing) for his 8th place and to Noah Monteiro for his 10th place, which is his best result in this European Championship. Respectively 13th and 14th, Germany's Arjen Kräling and Australia's Lewis Francis had the opportunity to battle it out in the leading group. Taym Saleh (Sauber Academy), Chiara Bättig (DPK Racing), Kian Fardin (+14 places) and David Cosma Cristofor also took part in the Final.

OK: Three Prema Racing drivers in the top five

Red was the dominant colour in the lead group in OK at Cremona. At a meeting like this, it's important to stay fast right up to the last lap of the Final, and the KR-IAMEs from the Prema Racing team made a strong impression. After a short exchange of positions, Enzo Tarnvanichkul regained 2nd place from his team-mate Kean Nakamura Berta, which enabled the Thai to move back up to 9th in the Championship. The Briton moved up one place to 5th. From 29th in qualifying to 5th in the Final, the Jamaican was able to match the pace of the frontrunners and take a well-deserved 3rd place in the European Championship.

A penalty for incorrect positioning of the front fairing pushed Dmitry Matveev (KR Motorsport) back to 8th position, having crossed the finish line 6th in Powell's wake after a fine effort. Ireland's Fionn McLaughlin (VDK Racing), who has excelled in this European Championship, can be satisfied with his performance, which saw him finish sixth in the Final.

Luka Sammalisto (15th), Kirill Kutskov (DPK Racing, 16th, +20), Arthur Poulain (AKM Motorsport, 19th on his KR-IAME debut), Xavier Avramides (20th) and Luviwe Sambudia (retired) were among the 10 drivers with KR chassis in the Final.

Comments from Dino Chiesa, Head of KR Global Motorsport Company

"Cremona will remain an extremely positive meeting for Kart Republic and our partners, whom I would like to thank. We already had a great chance of finishing 1st and 2nd in the OK-Junior European Championship and I was hoping to make it a hat-trick. In the end, we did and I'd like to congratulate Iacopo Martinese on finishing in style in Cremona. He impressed me. Oleksandr Bondarev and Thibaut Ramaekers each won two of the four races in the Championship, so they really were brilliant."

"Cremona confirmed that the OK is a very difficult category, which always comes down to small details. In fact, four different drivers from different teams won this year. In that context, managing to place five drivers in the top eight in the Final, including two on the podium, remains an excellent result."

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.