Max Verstappen triumphs in KF3 and wins both in the pre-final and in the final and widens the gap in the ranking. In Spain also Michelle Gatting wins in the KF2 pre-final. Thonon is a brilliant runner up in KZ1. Kozlinski gets a sixth place in Super KF
22/04/10
Author: Vroomkart International
Zuera (Spain), 18th April 2010. Definitely positive the results achieved by CRG-Maxter in Spain in the third event of the Euro WSK, which took place on 17-18th April on the fast International circuit of Zuera. The overall performance of the “all black” drivers was brilliant, with six positions on the podium and with three outstanding wins. In particular Max Verstappen achieved a double triumphs in the KF3 junior category and Michelle Gatting won the pre-final in KF2.
Good results for CRG in the top category too – the gear shift category KZ1 – where Jonathan Thonon showed all his potentialities and his boldness: in the final he recovered up to second place after the pre-final KO. In Super KF CRG-MAXTER drivers suffered a bit more: they did not manage to get good results, except for the World Champion Arnaud Kozlinski who, despite a technical problem with his radiator, was able to get a good sixth place after a remarkable recovery.
On the Spanish circuit the not yet thirteen year old Max Verstappen proved once more his talent; he won both the pre-final and the final at the end of two hard fought races where drivers battled inch by inch till the chequered flag. With this double triumph, the Dutch driver is just a step away from the KF3 Championship: now he is 87 points above the runner up, the English driver Albon, and 101 points above his country mate Hoevenaars.
“I got two wins in the heats – says Verstappen – but also a placing in the back positions (11th) when I went off the track because of the rain on Sunday morning. In the pre-final I had to fight till the last lap to outdo my competitors. The final was very tough too, but after being pushed back in fourth position, I did my best to overtake my rivals. I’m very glad now: in the ranking the gap between me and the other drivers is rather wide.”
Also in KF2 CRG-Maxter achieved an outstanding win that, anyway, did not arrive totally unexpected. It was the Danish driver Michelle Gatting, of the CRG Junior team, who got it despite her young age – she is not 16 years old yet-. She succeeded in the pre-final at the end of a race characterized by a long series of overtakings, whereas in the final she managed to get hold of the third step of the podium after losing ground in the fight of the first laps. Now, the blonde Michelle occupies the third position of the championship ranking, standing more than a chance to do great things in the last two events of the championship.
In KZ1 Jonathan Thonon has momentarily lost the leadership of the championship; however, in Spain the CRG driver demonstrated that he is the one to beat for the final rush for the championship. A start crash in the pre-final pushed him back to the sixth position, but in the final he completed a terrific recovery which brought him right at the back of the leader and a inch away from the win. Thonon’s great shape and the great quality of the CRG chassis and Maxter engine are confirmed by the fastest lap obtained by the three time champion of the world both in the pre-final and the final, making the team and the driver feel very confident about the final part of the championship.
CRG gained the sixth podium of the day in KZ2, where the more and more competitive Antonio Garcia from Tenerife got a good third place in his category after making himself conspicuous in the recent European Championship at Sarno.
Giancarlo Tinini, CRG Chairman: “For us, on the whole, the race at Zuera went quite well. In KF2 Michelle Gatting was a bit unlucky during the start in the final, otherwise she would have been able to compete with D’Agosto for the win and double her win of the pre-final. In KZ1 Thonon recovered well in the pre-final and in the final. In Super KF we are looking for some solutions to get to the top again: the position we have now does not belong to our tradition. I think we will do definitely better in the next meeting at Genk.”
Omar Di Gesualdo, CRG Team Manager: “Max Verstappen conquered a double win at Zuera and he is now very close to the trophy in KF3- I think the young Dutch driver will be able to get it in the next race in Belgium. His participation in the WSK has been a great success, and he is a great tester too both for the chassis and the engine. I’m sure he will have a brilliant career. In KF2 Michelle Gatting is a beautiful surprise: she is a fully fledged driver, with a great instinct even though she is still very young. In KZ1 Thonon is simply wonderful, he always manages to get out of the trickiest situations. He has been growing up a lot in these last few years and he can take the best out of our equipment. In Super KF we are testing some new solutions that can bring us to excellent developments; in this race Koslinski showed the potentialities of our work. However, Maxter is working a lot on this engine, and I’m sure that we will have great satisfactions very soon.”
Jonathan Thonon: “For me Zuera was a great race. I was obliged to recover in the pre-final; I was 20th because during the start I and Renaudie bumped into each other because his engine had broken down and I finished 6th. In the final I got very close to the win: the chassis and the engine were perfect. I’m very happy. Now we are moving to Genk, in Belgium, which I consider my hometown, where I hope to regain the top position of the championship.”
Arnaud Kozlinski: “Unfortunately a stone made a hole in my radiator during the race; it started leaking and it made my temperature rise too much. This is the reason why I couldn’t get a better position in the final. We need to get better performances, but anyway our work is giving us the first remarkable results: we will have some novelties very soon. In KF our target is to achieve good performances in the next WSK World Series, because the chances left in this European championship are very few.”
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Good results for CRG in the top category too – the gear shift category KZ1 – where Jonathan Thonon showed all his potentialities and his boldness: in the final he recovered up to second place after the pre-final KO. In Super KF CRG-MAXTER drivers suffered a bit more: they did not manage to get good results, except for the World Champion Arnaud Kozlinski who, despite a technical problem with his radiator, was able to get a good sixth place after a remarkable recovery.
On the Spanish circuit the not yet thirteen year old Max Verstappen proved once more his talent; he won both the pre-final and the final at the end of two hard fought races where drivers battled inch by inch till the chequered flag. With this double triumph, the Dutch driver is just a step away from the KF3 Championship: now he is 87 points above the runner up, the English driver Albon, and 101 points above his country mate Hoevenaars.
“I got two wins in the heats – says Verstappen – but also a placing in the back positions (11th) when I went off the track because of the rain on Sunday morning. In the pre-final I had to fight till the last lap to outdo my competitors. The final was very tough too, but after being pushed back in fourth position, I did my best to overtake my rivals. I’m very glad now: in the ranking the gap between me and the other drivers is rather wide.”
Also in KF2 CRG-Maxter achieved an outstanding win that, anyway, did not arrive totally unexpected. It was the Danish driver Michelle Gatting, of the CRG Junior team, who got it despite her young age – she is not 16 years old yet-. She succeeded in the pre-final at the end of a race characterized by a long series of overtakings, whereas in the final she managed to get hold of the third step of the podium after losing ground in the fight of the first laps. Now, the blonde Michelle occupies the third position of the championship ranking, standing more than a chance to do great things in the last two events of the championship.
In KZ1 Jonathan Thonon has momentarily lost the leadership of the championship; however, in Spain the CRG driver demonstrated that he is the one to beat for the final rush for the championship. A start crash in the pre-final pushed him back to the sixth position, but in the final he completed a terrific recovery which brought him right at the back of the leader and a inch away from the win. Thonon’s great shape and the great quality of the CRG chassis and Maxter engine are confirmed by the fastest lap obtained by the three time champion of the world both in the pre-final and the final, making the team and the driver feel very confident about the final part of the championship.
CRG gained the sixth podium of the day in KZ2, where the more and more competitive Antonio Garcia from Tenerife got a good third place in his category after making himself conspicuous in the recent European Championship at Sarno.
Giancarlo Tinini, CRG Chairman: “For us, on the whole, the race at Zuera went quite well. In KF2 Michelle Gatting was a bit unlucky during the start in the final, otherwise she would have been able to compete with D’Agosto for the win and double her win of the pre-final. In KZ1 Thonon recovered well in the pre-final and in the final. In Super KF we are looking for some solutions to get to the top again: the position we have now does not belong to our tradition. I think we will do definitely better in the next meeting at Genk.”
Omar Di Gesualdo, CRG Team Manager: “Max Verstappen conquered a double win at Zuera and he is now very close to the trophy in KF3- I think the young Dutch driver will be able to get it in the next race in Belgium. His participation in the WSK has been a great success, and he is a great tester too both for the chassis and the engine. I’m sure he will have a brilliant career. In KF2 Michelle Gatting is a beautiful surprise: she is a fully fledged driver, with a great instinct even though she is still very young. In KZ1 Thonon is simply wonderful, he always manages to get out of the trickiest situations. He has been growing up a lot in these last few years and he can take the best out of our equipment. In Super KF we are testing some new solutions that can bring us to excellent developments; in this race Koslinski showed the potentialities of our work. However, Maxter is working a lot on this engine, and I’m sure that we will have great satisfactions very soon.”
Jonathan Thonon: “For me Zuera was a great race. I was obliged to recover in the pre-final; I was 20th because during the start I and Renaudie bumped into each other because his engine had broken down and I finished 6th. In the final I got very close to the win: the chassis and the engine were perfect. I’m very happy. Now we are moving to Genk, in Belgium, which I consider my hometown, where I hope to regain the top position of the championship.”
Arnaud Kozlinski: “Unfortunately a stone made a hole in my radiator during the race; it started leaking and it made my temperature rise too much. This is the reason why I couldn’t get a better position in the final. We need to get better performances, but anyway our work is giving us the first remarkable results: we will have some novelties very soon. In KF our target is to achieve good performances in the next WSK World Series, because the chances left in this European championship are very few.”
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