The French Championship reaches its turning point

After two Grand Prix, there are still four races out of eight to go and the protagonists of 2008 French Championship are still all there, fighting hard. The competition between French and Belgian pilots is intense in KF2 and KF3, but not as much as in KZ2, where it is really impressive. Therefore, Grand Prix Karting FFSA at Essay will most likely mark a turning point for the season. In addition to that, the calendar includes a parallel FFSA Formula race, i.e. a national promotion category which is very accessible and attracts quite a number of enthusiasts.

Surrounded by a particularly pleasant verdant landscape, the circuit of Grand Ouest Pays d’Essay (1200 m long) offers a technical track, where the ability of pilots counts much more than the power of their karts. The Essay race will be held in mid-May, thereby increasing the chances of nice weather conditions, so much needed to enhance performances during the race as well as the mood of the paddock and the public.

In KF2, Lacaze is on the Ascent
2007 French Champion is back on track again, after a first Grand Prix with ups and downs. Charles Lacaze won at Salbris on a dry track on Saturday and he came second the following day in the pouring rain. His two team mates from Equipe de France FFSA Karting, William Benedetti and Loïc Réguillon, also showed their potential during the final race. Five Belgian pilots, in particular fast and constant Robin Frijns, are now catching up to the ranking leader. Kenny Vermeylen and Sébastien Bailly are following close behind and Sami Luka could also do well at Essay. The French do not want to be left behind and although some of them had ups and downs on season debut, their potential is always ready to show. Guillaume Barbarin, Clément Bluy or Julien Deschamps are just a few of the most promising outsiders of this season.

KF3, yet another match between France and Belgium
Although Brandon Maïsano and Jonathan Hélias have scored very good results at Salbris and have made significant progress in the Championship ranking, it is Guillaume De Ridder who is making his way to the top. However, all these pilots might end up meeting at the top of the ranking at Essay. But Belgian Clemente Picariello and Suisse Jeffery Schmidt haven’t said their last word either. A small
group of pilots (like Hélias, for example) who have just made their debut in the KF3 category after racing in the Junior series have not gone unnoticed, from the very first race. We are talking of Mathieu Jaminet, Nelson De Carvalho and Pascal Belmaaziz, who have shown their talent by preceding more experienced pilots.

Master Class in KZ2
A completely different picture has emerged in 125 gearbox, where there is a majority of French pilots, generally rather experienced. Young Enzo Zéfirini is the current Championship leader, just ahead of Emilien Grosso. Thomas Mich - who won the title in 2006 - is often the fastest, while Anthony Abbasse, unlucky at Salbris, is amongst the best pilots in this category. There are many pilots who could show what they are capable of at Essay. Morgan Weber, always competitive, Norman Nato, very fast and promising, but also Pierre-Etienne Chaumat, Mike Courquin or Pierre Krypciak, often fighting hard for victory. Suisse Ken Allemann and Kevin Lüdi could also obtain good results, as well as British Michael Ryall.

Grand Prix FFSA Formula
For the first time, this promotion category will find at Essay an exceptional setting, to make itself better known to the public. Indeed, fans will have a chance to appreciate the two extremes of French karting: on the one hand, the top level, with KF2, KF3 and KZ2, and on the other hand the accessible side of karting, with amateur pilots, in FFSA Formula. It is a single-type, single-brand category, which offers the opportunity to race for real but at an affordable cost, without any need for expensive equipment and material: indeed, here only pilots’ talent makes a difference.

Leave a Reply