Cristian Bertuca put in an exceptional performance in KZ2, ticking all the boxes on the way to victory. After winning pole position, he went on to win all five of his heats in the wet, before continuing his winning form in the dry to win the World Cup Final. Matheus Morgatto, of the CL Racing team, climbed from 14th to 4th place throughout the heats and won Super Heat B with the fastest lap, putting the pressure on the leader throughout the Final before finishing less than 3 tenths off the pace after 20 crazy laps. The disappearance of Daniel Vasile after contact at Turn 1 deprived Birel ART of an important element, but Artem Severiukhin took up the torch by finishing 4th, while Jean Luyet climbed back up to 15th.

Pedro Hiltbrand was the unlucky hero of the KZ World Championship. His performance improved with each race, and he started the Final from pole position. Well placed in the wake of the leader, he went on the attack halfway through the race, but then had to give in to the aggressiveness of his rival so as not to risk losing everything, and had to settle for 3rd place on the podium when he had everything to win.

Davide Fore' needed time to climb back to the top of the KZ2 Masters International Super Cup standings. After dropping from 10th to 5th in the heats, he gained a place in the Super Heat and ended up in the top three in the Final. Andre Serafim lost ground when he retired in Heat 3, and could only manage 8th in the Final despite showing good potential.

'We made a few adjustments after the preparatory race and we're heading in the right direction', declared Team Manager Jordon Lennox. 'We showed an excellent level of competitiveness in all three categories and in all circumstances. This is essential for a great team like ours. Bertuca has always been a cut above the rest in KZ2 and he thoroughly deserves to win this title. Hiltbrand certainly had the potential to win in KZ, and we must salute the performance of Fore' who is still capable of finishing on the podium at over 50 years of age.'

'I'm delighted with Bertuca's victory in the World Cup,' confided Ronni Sala, President of Birel ART, 'and Morgatto's one-two finish is also a very good sign, even if we can regret Vasile's misadventure at the start. There was certainly room for a top three or even a top four that was 100% Birel ART... Nevertheless, we won the team classification for the category. In KZ, I'm disappointed for Hiltbrand. He did all he needed to do to win, but he was up against an opponent whose behaviour bordered on unsporting... That said, the competitiveness of our chassis was a pleasure to see at all levels. It's a great success for our brand.'

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.