OK-N
Yuri Morelli confirmed his status as one of the drivers to beat in the category. After securing pole position, the Brazilian CRG driver claimed another heat win on Saturday morning, finishing more than a second ahead of Manuel Scognamiglio, the 2025 World Cup winner. The Italian gained one position to finish second and move up the standings in his group. Switzerland’s Alexis Genolet completed the top three, maintaining his place among the front-runners.
In the other morning heats, Garcia Lopez took victory after passing Riccardo Ferrari, while Pavan, although unable to repeat the progress he made on Friday evening, still gained three places to finish third.
Ioan Tudor Jercan also lost the lead in his heat, with Barbieri taking the win for his second victory of the weekend and moving to the top of the intermediate standings. Shortly afterwards, Cristian Blandino responded with a lights-to-flag victory, joining Barbieri on maximum points.
The two Italians went head-to-head in the same heat in the afternoon, with Blandino starting from pole position. Barbieri lost ground at the start and dropped to fifth, while the Zanchi Motorsport driver took control and gradually built a lead of more than a second by the finish. Barbieri ended the heat in fifth place and finished the day 14 points behind his compatriot.
Blandino tops saturday’s heats
Morelli also completed a perfect day, converting pole position into another heat win to reach 150 points. The result secures him pole position for tomorrow’s Super Heat. Behind him, Scognamiglio gained another place in his heat, finishing ahead of Garcia Lopez, who nevertheless remains second in the group standings behind the Brazilian.
The final heat of the day went to Lamberto Ferrari, helped by Jercan dropping several positions on the opening lap after starting from the front row. The victory moved Ferrari into second place in his group’s intermediate standings, although Blandino’s flawless run was enough to keep him out of reach for pole position.
Morelli and Blandino therefore end the day leading their respective groups on 150 points apiece, putting both in the strongest possible position heading into Sunday morning’s Super Heats.
OK-N Intermediate Classification – Group 1
Yuri Morelli (BRA, CRG) – 150 points
Aaron Garcia Lopez (ESP, DPK) – 132 points
Federico Rossi (ITA, AKM Motorsport) – 132 points
OK-N Intermediate Classification – Group 2
Cristian Blandino (ITA, Zanchi Motorsport) – 150 points
Andrea Barbieri (ITA, Zanchi Motorsport) – 136 points
Faidon Papafilippou (GRE, GSR Team) – 118 points
OK-N Junior
After being disqualified from his first heat on Friday evening for using non-compliant fuel, polesitter Abraham Schelvis Moron bounced back with a heat win on Saturday morning. However, it was Niccolò Perico who moved to the top of the intermediate standings after claiming his second heat victory of the weekend. The Italian continued his consistent run and strengthened his position among the leading contenders for the overall win.
Leo Laitinen lost second place to Gioele Carrer in his morning heat, but his runner-up finish in Friday’s opening race kept him near the top of the standings, just behind Perico.
Troy Ferguson, meanwhile, endured a more difficult start to the day after winning a heat on Friday. A poor launch off the line left the American on the back foot and, while trying to recover positions, he spun at Turn 2. Victor Gorun capitalised to take the lead, win the heat and move to the top of the intermediate standings in his group.
In the final heat of the morning, Luigi D’Ascoli and Edoardo Mario Sulpizio moved ahead of Devin Titz in the battle for the leading positions. The German recovered to finish second, but D’Ascoli gained ground in the intermediate standings.
In the afternoon, Schelvis Moron lost the lead of his heat to Elton Hedfors, who moved temporarily to the top of the group standings while awaiting Perico’s final race. The Italian showed no signs of pressure in his last heat of the day, managing the challenge from Orlando Rovelli, his closest rival. The Swiss driver gained seven positions but could not threaten Perico, who crossed the finish line with a margin of more than two seconds.
Mercedes Junior Driver Perico among the favorites for the World Cup in Junior category
In the other group, Ferguson ended the day on a much more positive note. A strong start allowed him to take the lead around the outside of the opening corner, passing Devin Titz. The German stayed close but could not regain the position. His second-place finish was nevertheless enough to put Ferguson provisionally at the top of the group standings, ahead of Gorun, who finished fifth in the afternoon heat after winning in the morning.
The standings changed once again in the final race of the day. Luigi D’Ascoli made a decisive move on Kolovos to take the heat win and reclaim the lead in the intermediate classification. The Italian finished on 141 points, just nine short of the maximum.
OK-N Junior Intermediate Classification – Group 1
Niccolò Perico (ITA, KR) – 150 points
Elton Hedfors (SWE, Modena Kart) – 128 points
Leo Laitinen (FIN, Parolin Finland) – 121 points
OK-N Junior Intermediate Classification – Group 2
Luigi D’Ascoli (ITA, Modena Kart) – 141 points
Devin Titz (GER, KR) – 132 points
Victor Gorun (ITA, Tellone Motorsport) – 130 points
Tomorrow the Super Heats will determine the starting positions for the Finals, the last step before the 2026 FIA Karting World Cup winners are crowned.
Live Streaming here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9sOHPPv9_Q
