OK: Podium for Martinese, Van Langendonck still leader

On the grid for the Final, Borys Lyzen (KRZ Motorsport) and Jacob Micallef (KR Motorsport) were in the best position to aim for victory, but in the end it was Iacopo Martinese (KR Motorsport) who took the third step of the podium after a well-controlled Final. Dries Van Langendonck (Prema Racing), who had set the fastest time in his group in Qualifying but was in the E series, was not in the best of situations in terms of tyre management compared to his rivals. However, the Belgian from the Prema Racing team will arrive in Viterbo as the series leader.

OK-Junior: Devin Walz on the rise

Devin Walz (KR Motorsport) got the competition off to a flying start from pole position and confirmed this with his first podium in the 2025 series. A Prefinal winner, Noah Baglin (Prema Racing) finished just behind him in 3rd position. The Final did not go in Dean Hoogendoorn's (Prema Racing) favour, despite him having finished P1 in all four heats. However, his lead over his team-mate Baglin remains substantial in the overall standings. Six KR-IAME packages made it into the top 10 in the Final, thanks to the performances of Will Green (KR Motorsport), Valerio Viapana (Team Driver Racing Kart), Antonio Pizzonia (Fusion Motorsport) and Michael McGaughy (Koski Motorsport).

Podium finishes for Nuvolini, Legenkyi and Bergman in Franciacorta

Lucas Palacio (KR Motorsport) had to contend with illness and a high fever so was unable to play the role he would have liked in OK-N Junior. However, he is still leading the WSK Super Master Series. In the Final, everything came down to the last few laps. Many Nuvolini (Prema Racing), who is making his debut in the category this year, finished a creditable 2nd ahead of Oleksandr Legenkyi (Team Driver Racing Kart).

In the Mini categories, the KR chassis once again demonstrated its full potential by winning several heats and accompanying Josh Bergman to 3rd place on the U10 podium ahead of his Kidix Driver Performance team-mate Wynn Godschalk. Bergman has a 74-point lead in the overall standings. And in 60 Mini 'Group 3', Niccolo Perico will be looking to take the title on 16th March.

Comments from Dino Chiesa, Head of KR Global Motorsport Company

"All our drivers faced stiff competition at Franciacorta and many of them took centre stage. The KZ2 category proved to be very interesting and represented excellent preparation for the FIA Karting Championships. We were able to test the potential of our equipment. Danilo Albanese set two fastest laps in the race, Paolo Ippolito had three top three finishes, including one in a Prefinal, while Stan Pex (SP Motorsport) started from the third row in the Final. It's promising!

"The team appreciated the solution of fitting tyres in the parc ferme in OK-Junior to improve equality of opportunity. In fact, we set the two fastest times in Qualifying and the front row of the Final was occupied by two KR-IAMEs from the Prema Racing team. We're looking forward to the conclusion of this WSK series at Viterbo."

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.