The Sodikart chassis worked wonders in the south of Portugal, whatever the track conditions: in the heavy rain on Friday, on the dry track on Saturday, and in the Final under much milder skies. The French brand was able to rely on the effectiveness of its Racing Team and satellite teams in this tough, competitive international event.

"The world titles won in Portimao add to the exceptional results we have achieved in recent years," said team manager Florent Bizalion. "Of course, this World Championship crown and the one-two with Giuseppe Palomba and Senna Van Walstijn had a special flavour, as we had just missed out on the KZ title in the past. Everyone put in an incredible performance: the staff of the factory who do a fantastic job of providing us with perfect equipment for the whole team, our experienced technical staff and the drivers who gave their all. It's a real team victory."

A convincing double

The KZ World Championship kicked off with pole position for Senna Van Walstijn, who won the first two Qualifying Heats and set the fastest race lap in the rain. He confirmed this with a victory in the Super Heat ahead of his team-mate Giuseppe Palomba in the dry, which put the Italian on the 2nd row of the starting grid for the Final.

The Dutchman and the Italian found themselves at the heart of the battle for the title and finally made the difference against the competition. Palomba was crowned World Champion ahead of Van Walstijn. Emilien Denner demonstrated the full potential of the Sodi chassis and his ability to fight for the podium with his two fastest laps of the race, including the Final.

Anthony Abbasse masterful

Twice runner-up in the KZ World Championship with Sodikart in 2016 and 2017, Anthony Abbasse made his mark on the KZ2 Masters International Super Cup: P1 in his group in Timed Qualifying, P1 in all three heats, P1 in the Super Heat and P1 in the Final with the fastest lap in the race. One of the French brand's historic drivers clinched the FIA Karting title that was missing from his immense list of achievements in the 'Shifter' categories. Of course, it could only have been at the wheel of a Sodi chassis! The quality of the assistance and engines provided by the Renda Motorsport team did the rest.

Although European KZ2 Champion Mattéo Spirgel was not successful this time, the CPB Sport team congratulates Dutchman Dion Va Werven and Frenchman Jean Nomblot on their returns to 5th and 6th place respectively in the World Cup.

Comments from Bertrand Pignolet, Chairman of Sodikart

"In terms of technology and the standard of drivers, KZ is the most competitive category in karting. When you consider how difficult it is to win the World Championship, which is decided in just one Final, Sodikart can only be delighted to have made the best technical choices and put the right people in the right place.

"We have been crowned World Champions in two categories and we have done the double in KZ. It's the reward for all our efforts. This triumph is also the fruit of the incredible work carried out in our production unit, to offer drivers a factory chassis that performs well on all circuits, in all classes and in all conditions. I'd also like to pay tribute to the expertise of the CPB Sport and Renda Motorsport teams, and thank all our technical partners, including TM Kart and engine manufacturer Sani Competition."

About SodiKart

Founded in 1981 by a kart racing enthusiast, Gildas Mérian, Sodikart began producing its own racing and leisure karts in 1991. In 1993, Sodi chassis won their first World Championship title, both for drivers and manufacturers. In 1998, the establishment of the largest and most modern kart factory in Couëron, France, covering more than 10,000 m², enabled Sodikart to rapidly become the world's leading manufacturer.

Present on five continents and in more than 100 countries, Sodikart is a major player in the karting market thanks to its constant drive to innovate. The French company offers a unique range of products and services through its range of SODI Racing karts and SODI Rental karts, its ITAKAshop distance sales and specialised shops, the organisation of races and events by 3MK Events, as well as its choice of Tekneex accessories and Box's equipment.

The Sodi Racing Team lines up the official Sodikart drivers at the start of the biggest international competitions.