The British favorites are all in their expected positions at the front. The British team is setting the pace as anticipated, with 26 drivers participating here in Sarno, especially in Senior – which is somewhat of a "flagship class" since this is where it all began. However, don’t think they’re racing as a team – far from it! “We’d never want another Brit to win, are you kidding?” more than one driver with the Union Jack on their suit confided off the record. That said, watching them continuously overtake each other in the heats is spectacular, and they manage to do so without forcing each other off the track.
That said, it’s not only about the British. In the DD2 categories, drivers from Central, Northern, and Eastern Europe continue to excel, with pole positions claimed by Belgian Xen De Ruwe, competing here with the Slovenian team, and Frenchman Picot in DD2 Master (over 32).
That said, it’s not only about the British. In the DD2 categories, drivers from Central, Northern, and Eastern Europe continue to excel, with pole positions claimed by Belgian Xen De Ruwe, competing here with the Slovenian team, and Frenchman Picot in DD2 Master (over 32).
Returning to the most competitive class, Senior, Elia Pappacena thrilled Italian fans by leading Prefinal A until the last lap when Callum Bradshaw (former OK World Champion) snatched first place from him with a precise maneuver. The Italian would have started from the second row, surrounded by British drivers, if he hadn’t received a penalty for a jump start that pushed him down to eighth position, making him the first non-British driver for tomorrow’s race. In Prefinal B, the British dominated, with the top seven drivers finishing within a second of each other. Kai Hunter secured pole position for the final, joined by Matthew Higgins (recently 3rd in the OK World Championship at PFI) in a lineup featuring seven Brits in the top seven spots. In 2023, the most anticipated race concluded with a podium decided only after a post-race review that relegated the first three finishers – Rillaerts, Hunter, and Ethan Jeff-Hall – allowing Serbian Andrej Petrovic to etch his name into the Rotax Hall of Fame. Perhaps this year’s winner will be decided at the checkered flag.
In Junior, the front row belongs to British driver Nelson and Danish driver Nissen (with Italy's Giaquinto attempting a comeback from 33rd position), while British drivers also hold pole positions in the Mini, with Albert Friend, and in the Micro, with Milward. Robert Schopian (Ger) and Maurits Knopjes (Ned) will be in front in the Electric E20 Senior and E20 Master categories, respectively.
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