Anatoly Khavalkin on the podium of the European Championship in Portugal

A very good start to the season for the Parolin driver, who came within a step of the overall victory and firmly in second position in the Junior class. Anatoly proved to be even more competitive than in the preparation stage (Champions Of The Future), showing the great work done by him and the team on a new track. 

Already in qualifying, Anatoly was fast and managed to get into the overall top ten with eighth place, occupying the second position in group b. Just the start from the second row of each heat was decisive for the Parolin driver to recover positions during the heat, thanks above all to a great race pace. 

Out of the five heats available, Anatoly in fact scored three wins and a second place, the second places would have been two without a penalty in the fourth heat that forced him to be relegated in the standings and lose a few positions in the overall standings. The same positions that Anatoly then partly recovered with a great show of strength during Sunday morning's Super Heat, won ahead of his rivals and useful to place fifth on the starting grid for the OKJ final. 



In the final, Khavalkin recovered immediately and got the second place after only one lap, from that moment on it was a lonely race fighting for the first position, which ended in second place at four tenths from the top and with the second place in the general standings with 26 points. 

A.Khavalkin: "The final was really funny, I was very fast and I tried many times to overtake Matveev. We didn't succeed but we are really very satisfied and happy with the performance and speed on this track. We will go to Zuera for the Champions Of The Future with the same intent as in Portimao, which is to learn and improve as much as possible in view of the European Championship. I am very grateful to Parolin, my mechanic, GFR for the engines and my family".

Photo: Sportinphoto