Starting first with the non-FIA OK and OKJ races, we can safely say that the calendar will, as always, put the protagonists to the test, as they are called upon not only to be competitive but also to stay loyal in the long run. Let's find out which tracks, which protagonists and which factors could play a key role in the upcoming season.
Modern karting is consistent with itself, and given the increase in the performance of the vehicles, the tracks on the calendar are all tracks - well known - where the vehicles will be able to express themselves at their best in terms of speed. It is widely believed, albeit controversially, that the move towards fast (very fast, in some cases) circuits is now inevitable and therefore that certain "old fashioned" tracks are no longer part of the FIA racing circuit. The new-entry Franciacorta, which has some characteristics of the circuits of the past, proved to be a very fast track in the first round of the COTF Winter Series and promises averages on a par with the other circuits on the calendar where the parity of the averages between OK and KZ has been a fact for some time now. In OK and, above all, in OKJ, it is difficult to identify less than 10 possible protagonists, given that there are several winning teams on paper and that there is very little difference between the first and the last.
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Certainly the experience will be a determining factor, which will call some names to give the expected proof of maturity, even if nothing can be taken for granted in a tussle that will inevitably be conditioned by the rule of the pushback bumper that, as some insiders have rightly pointed out, distorts the natural inclination of the guys to dare. As for the tyres, there is widespread support for the hope that their performance does not undermine the fine-tuning work, as unfortunately happened in 2021. The choice of a World Championship in the heat of southern Italy, after two editions heavily conditioned by the rain, was almost unanimously welcomed).
THE VOICES OF THE PROTAGONISTS - READ MORE
Modern karting is consistent with itself, and given the increase in the performance of the vehicles, the tracks on the calendar are all tracks - well known - where the vehicles will be able to express themselves at their best in terms of speed. It is widely believed, albeit controversially, that the move towards fast (very fast, in some cases) circuits is now inevitable and therefore that certain "old fashioned" tracks are no longer part of the FIA racing circuit. The new-entry Franciacorta, which has some characteristics of the circuits of the past, proved to be a very fast track in the first round of the COTF Winter Series and promises averages on a par with the other circuits on the calendar where the parity of the averages between OK and KZ has been a fact for some time now. In OK and, above all, in OKJ, it is difficult to identify less than 10 possible protagonists, given that there are several winning teams on paper and that there is very little difference between the first and the last.
Certainly the experience will be a determining factor, which will call some names to give the expected proof of maturity, even if nothing can be taken for granted in a tussle that will inevitably be conditioned by the rule of the pushback bumper that, as some insiders have rightly pointed out, distorts the natural inclination of the guys to dare. As for the tyres, there is widespread support for the hope that their performance does not undermine the fine-tuning work, as unfortunately happened in 2021. The choice of a World Championship in the heat of southern Italy, after two editions heavily conditioned by the rain, was almost unanimously welcomed).
THE VOICES OF THE PROTAGONISTS - READ MORE
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Riccardo Longhi - Birel Art Driver and Team Manager
"The tracks they put on have to be interpreted. We don't have to worry more about one track than the other, as we are working to be at our best on all of them and then obviously see how things will evolve. Talking about OK, the most complicated one for some rookies could be Portimao because it is a particular track and requires commitment. All the other tracks are pretty well known to everybody so I don't think there will be many problems. It may take a few riders a little longer to learn the circuit, but there are many others who work well right from the start and after one session are already able to push to their limits. The World Championship at Sarno, starting from OK, I think it's the best choice to do it here in Italy, at the end of the day all the foreign drivers race practically the whole season in Italy, so as well as being comfortable it's more faithful to reality and applies to races in Europe. I think it's better than going to unknown tracks because, as we know, the World Championship is a dry race and sometimes strange conditions arise that reward some more than others. In Europe, on the other hand, you know that the results are "real". On the technical side, the tyres will certainly make a difference. With the Vega tyres it should be business as usual, but with the MGs I'm afraid there will be a few surprises, hopefully as few as possible. The "Le Cont Prime" tyres already used in the WSK don't give any strange problems, so we should be on the safe side. If I had to tell you a track where I know I'll go fast right away, I'd say that we hope in all of them, especially in OK and OKJ it's never easy to say it so quickly, because often unexpected things happen and it also depends on the drivers, it's clear that we go to every track with the only aim of making the most of everything. In OK we are growing, I hope Bertuca can stay up there like the others, we have a good group. The three Tony Kart drivers (Taponen - Coluccio and Turney) will definitely be worth watching: besides being fast, they all have the necessary experience to use when it counts, so I think they will be there in front and even if they might have difficulties on some tracks, they will stay in the game. For the Junior it's always difficult to say, clearly we hope in Kirill Kutskov and Francot who are growing race after race, to identify a favourite today and moreover in the Junior is really difficult".
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GIANCARLO TININI - CRG
"With modern karts it is unthinkable not to race on these circuits, which are objectively more suited to the characteristics of the vehicles, but there is also one thing to be said: there are very few tracks that can 'afford' to organise FIA races. In a certain sense, or rather, it is fundamental to say, the size of the paddock and the infrastructure are more important than the track itself, understood as the track on which the drivers then compete. I'm happy with the test in Sweden and I think it's right that we're going to race there because - just like in the past - going to those countries opens up market opportunities for us manufacturers. Those who also do the engine clearly have a small advantage, but as is now a fact, winning depends on too many factors, not least that rule that I personally can't stand: the pushback bumper. It affects driving style, guys drive a certain way just to avoid or induce behaviour that involves moving the nose. In this way the races are distorted: they start closing the door immediately because they know how it will end".
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Marco Parolin - Team Parolin
"These are all great tracks. As far as OK and OKJ are concerned, maybe the calendar will be a bit warmer, in the sense that Portimao, Zuera and Sarno will be races where we will have to manage temperatures of a certain kind. Kristianstadt will be the coolest, but we'll be racing there in the middle of summer. It can certainly be considered the novelty of the year, but I wouldn't consider it so much. It is a track where once every three years we have always raced, like last year with KZ. It is a track well known to all the teams: the only variable there will be the weather. The level is very high in all the categories, plus, each category has its specialists. There are private teams who concentrate on certain categories which often give us factory constructors a hard time. If you look at last year's results in Junior, Ricky Flynn is always up there and he is one of the best prepared competitors in the category, besides all the different manufacturers. The driver/track factor is much more important in OKJ, where the driver who runs the most and knows the most tracks is favoured. In OK and OKJ, we did very well at Portimao two years ago, doing second with Al Dhaheri in OKJ in the Champions on the Future before the world championship in the dry and also in OK with Travisanutto and Wharton we did very well. So Portimao seems to me to be a track where our material works. Also at Zuera in 2020 we took pole position in OKJ in the European round. The same goes for Sarno where last year we finished in the TOP-5 OKJ with Khavalkin. In OK we have very young drivers, two rookies, Deligny and Orlov, who have already shown in these first races that they are very fast. Of course experience counts and it could be a disadvantage during the season. But I think we can be competitive in all the tracks of the European OK and OKJ. But in general international karting is becoming more and more professional, so much so that the kids are now real professionals. Many of them do this for a living, in the sense that they don't go to school or do their schooling online and they drive a lot. You only have to look at the gaps in the past few races to understand that it is very difficult to take a leader for granted in each category. The level is very high and you are gambling the races on a tenth of a second".
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Luigi Coluccio - OK (Tonykart Official Driver)
"Talking about the calendar and specifically about the OK World Championship, I can say that I'm happy to race at Sarno even if I preferred the old layout, it was run in a different way. On the new track a few things have changed but it will be a World Championship at home so we will have plenty of opportunities to do well. I don't think there are any unknowns about the weather, so we are confident.
For the European Championship, among the tracks on the calendar, I have to say that I'll focus a lot on Kristianstad, it's the one where I feel best and I'm also particularly attached to it because of the many results and good times I had there (European podium and World podium), it all started there. As for the others, I know that at Portimao I might struggle a bit, looking back at two years ago. I was pretty good in the dry, but I didn't feel at my best on a wet track. If it rains here too it will be a roulette for everyone, and I'm talking about Zuera too. Franciacorta will be very interesting, we have two races to prepare for and we will mainly focus on collecting useful data. Surely we can do well, it is a new track but with interesting characteristics from the point of view of the design, it is very technical. Regarding the technical aspects, on every track I think it's a subjective thing. Obviously there are times when we all go fast but it's up to us to adapt to the riding style, the track and try to be at our best with the whole package. Obviously if the chassis adapts to you it's even better, it makes things easier, that's what we work for. At the moment, for the FIA tracks, I would say that Kristianstad might be the one where we will be strong right from the start, it also suits my style better. As for the tyres, I just hope there isn't as much difference between one compound and another, many times no one could explain the differences in terms of lap times. This year it should be better but I hope everything is better.I would say that I see my teammates as the most formidable opponents, starting with Joe (Turney) and Tukka (Taponen), then of course there are other names to keep an eye on such as Lindblad or other juniors who have just moved up in class such as Slater: with more experience he can come through".
Tuukka Taponen - OK (Tony Kart - Reigning World Champion)
“All the tracks you race on have unique characteristics that will inevitably decide the fate of the races. Portimao is for me the best of the four in the European Championship; I got a good result here in 2020. The thing that I find most challenging on this track is driving with a long ratio. Another element, a good position on the track right from qualifying is very significant for the rest of the weekend. In Zuera I’ve always been strong; it’s one of the longest tracks and also technical. A good track position in qualifying is important, especially because of the long straight. In Kristianstad, I was strong in OKJ, as far as I remember; it's a track that offers good overtaking opportunities. It's nice, you know, to have a European Championship round in Scandinavia too! Franciacorta: new track and asphalt so new that you can drive without the bumps, many double corners that wear out the tires. Coming then to the World Championship, racing in Italy will give a hand to many. Sarno is a very bumpy track, also looking at the other races; for sure there are great overtaking opportunities so everything can change in a short time. There are no opponents more fearsome, given that everyone is very strong, starting from my teammates and all those who have always been in front already last season and in these first races.”
DINO CHIESA - KART REPUBLIC
"The tracks chosen for the European and World Championship tests, all medium-fast, confirm the trend of the evolution of the performance of the vehicles and are more than adequate to guarantee a balanced battle in the various categories. Talking about OK and OKJ, I don't see any substantial novelty in the choice of the circuits, except for the inclusion of Kristianstadt (where we have already raced), which could be the only round that could reserve some surprises. It is a track where, inevitably, little testing takes place. It is one of those circuits where the set-up of the car can really make a difference and where we could find outsiders in the top positions. Racing at Sarno in mid-September reassures me on one hand that we will be able to race in the dry, which unfortunately has not happened in the last two years. I'd rather lose a World Championship in the dry at Sarno, but raced at my best, than two in a row in the wet elsewhere. Both in Portimao and Campillos, at a very advanced stage of the season, the bad weather played too important a role and penalized us somewhat. "OTK has put together a team with clear intentions: its presence with only the TONY brand will help them to concentrate resources and it looks like one of the teams to beat, as it has experienced riders and not in its first year with them. Its drivers have what it takes to win. I also foresee Tm among the protagonists: I'm sure someone powered by Tm will emerge, Forza UK and Birel Art are definitely to be watched. As far as we are concerned, our "bishops" with whom we have always been in the front in recent years (Ugochukwu, Antonelli, Camara, to name but three) have all migrated to Formula and so - with the exception of Lindblad - we are starting again from youngsters as always. Arvid will compete in two categories, OK and KZ, and while in OK I'm sure he is one of the main candidates for both titles, in KZ he will certainly show good things (as it was for Kimi Antonelli) but winning immediately, considering the experience of the rivals, will not be easy. The question mark for the rest of my team, which however has a fresh World Champion, Nakamura Berta, inside it, is just experience. I may say it against my interest, but I believe that all 36 drivers running an OK or OKJ final are capable, if we talk about the technical potential of the vehicle, of winning the World Championship or one of the European rounds. The level is high and the performances are incredibly close. There are no races won due to the 'obvious superiority of the vehicle', this is a fact. Having said that, I repeat, on a track like the Swedish one, perhaps a better tuned vehicle - perhaps from some local team - could make the difference. On all the other tracks, which are by now well known to us, the fight will be as close as ever. I think that the novelty of the VEGAs in OKJ is a very positive element. Let me explain: VEGA tyres 'rubberise' the track more, because of their characteristics. The consequence is that when other categories, such as OK with MGs, run on a rubberized track, the performance improves up to one second per lap: this will be a factor that will allow us to make the most of MG tyres, which in a monopoly regime - being a tyre that does not 'rubberise' the track - perform less well".
Jamie Croxford (Forza Racing)
"This year, logistically, it seems has been thought out a little bit more: to put Portugal first and then Zuera makes a bit more sense than the last couple of years. It’s also positive from a Team point of view, trying to organize logistics and everything. I also like the entering of Kristianstadt. We had historically very good showings there. From a team point of view we have to be competing in every race and in every condition ALWAYS! This is our aim. Objectively when you have drivers with less experience in their first season it’s harder to do, of course. Not impossible, but it is harder. The drivers with second/third-year experience you expect them to be at the front. It’s hard for us this year because we have a very young team in both categories, but we have a lot of young talents as well. So we are looking forward to the challenges: we have to work harder, but nothing is impossible!” (And last year’s World Title was proof of that! - ed.). As usual, RFM is a benchmark for me from very early on (in the last five years they have two world titles each. - ed.) But everyone can win: the manufacturer Teams OTK, KR, Parolin, Energy, everyone seems to be in a good position, especially in the junior category, where the engine seems very close now between Tm and Vortex. Each track has maybe a small advantage and you have to work a little bit harder, but you know all three brands are very competitive. No one has a big advantage. I am very happy with the material we have, but all the details matter. As I mentioned, I think among the teams the level this year is extremely high, for sure 2/3/4 different chassis that can perform very well. All three engine brands seem to be working very well. Especially in the junior category it really doesn’t seem to be anyone with a big advantage. However, one of the biggest factors is the driver, who has the most experience, who has the most confidence, who is the calmest and relaxed. Very tough and very high level among the teams for sure.”
