Cristian Bertuca put in a superb performance at Franciacorta against a strong field of 85 drivers: 5th in Qualifying, 5th after the heats, he fought hard for overall victory and finished on the third step of the podium. Daniel Vasile won two Qualifying Heats as well as Prefinal B and finished 4th in the Final, which enabled him to move back up to 2nd place in the championship. Pedro Hiltbrand made an exceptional comeback of almost 40 places over the weekend, finishing 6th in the Final with a gain of nine positions, while Jean Luyet came close to the top 10. Four Birel ART drivers are also in the top 10 of the provisional rankings. Artem Severiukhin, who had performed very well during the heats, was delayed by a retirement in the Prefinal, but came back to 11th on the Final finishing line before being penalised for his front fairing.

Victorious the previous week in Cremona, Ean Eyckmans was once again one of the protagonists of the OK category in Franciacorta. The young Belgian made steady progress, gaining another four positions to finish 2nd in the Final. Mees Houben and Noah Wolfe (VAR by Birel), who set the fastest lap in the Prefinal, were also very competitive, but a number of setbacks affected their final result.

David Moscardi certainly had the resources to achieve a very good result in the Mini U10s, 8th in the heats and 10th on the grid in the Final, but he was unable to start the race. Senn Lindeman managed to make up a lot of ground despite several setbacks.

Cristian Tonalini put in a good performance in the OK-N Junior class on his debut with Birel ART. With the level of competition in this new category rising with each race, Tonalini improved by five places to 9th in the Final, after setting the fastest time in Prefinal A.

"The results from the start of the season continue to be very encouraging for Birel ART", said Ronni Sala, President of Birel ART, "The performance is there in KZ2, OK and Mini. The varied conditions of this winter period mean that we can work on different configurations while remaining very competitive. The whole team is highly motivated, we're not slackening in our efforts and we can hope to make a real impact in the WSK Super Master Series standings at the fourth and final round in less than two weeks' time at Sarno."

About Birel Art

Birel ART 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, Birel ART 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 Birel ART'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. Birel ART 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, Birel ART's customers.

Birel ART 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.

Birel ART'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.