16/12/2020
RMCIT 2020: QUALIFYING PRACTICE
SENIOR: pole position for Westover
On Thursday 10th December, Qualifying Practice for the Rotax MAX Challenge International Trophy took place on the wet track of Portimão. The 67 Senior drivers were divided into two groups.
Linus Hensen (DEU – Mach 1- Kartschmie.de) and Sean Butcher (GBR – Kosmic – KR Sport) were the fastest in the first laps of Group 1. Nicolas Picot (FRA – Tony Kart) and Dylan Léger (FRA – Tony Kart – Kart Management) were in the top five with Clayton Ravenscroft GBR – Komsic). Hensen improved the fastest time for the third time, Butcher took the lead with less than a minute to go then Picot took the lead. Hensen finally concluded with the best lap in 1’14”834, in front of Picot and Butcher together, less than five hundredths behind the leader. Ravenscroft took 4th place 0,168″ later and Miska Kaskkinnen (FIN – Tony Kart – Daems Racing) finished 5th, 4 tenths ahead of Léger. Andreas Hebert (FRA – Tony Kart – Daems Racing) was 16th, Arthur Roché (FRA – Kosmic- PKS Competition) 21st and Yann Bouvier (FRA – Kosmic – KRS) 27th.
In Group 2, Louie Westover (ESP – Tony Kart) had a strong start and confirmed with a strong lead on the second lap, very close to the performance of Hensen in the other group. The third lap didn’t bring any advantage, but Oliwier Pylka (POL – FA Kart – DHR) got closer to Westover who was still in the lead after four laps. He used all his resources to improve at the end of the session and took pole position with 1’14”518, followed by 0,362” by Morgan Porter (GBR – KR – Argenti Motorsport). Bradley Barrett (GBR – Sodi – Sodi Vitesse) finished 3rd, Pylka 4th and Kovacs Szombor (HUN – Kosmic – KSB Racing Team) 5th. Kylian Tarnier (FRA – FRA – Tony Kart – PKS Competition) was 14th, Guillaume Barbarin (FRA – Exprit – KBK Competition) 20th, Micah Barthélémy (FRA – Exprit – Kartrunner) 22nd, Noa Hipp (FRA – Tony Kart – Kartrunner) 24th and Corentin Franchi (FRA – Kosmic) 30th.
Grube: in the lead of the DD2 Masters Qualifying
Rudy Champion (FRA – Sodi – PKS Competition) was first in the lead in the DD2 Master Qualifying Practice of the RMCIT in the rain at Portimao. Henrijs Grube (LVA – Exprit – Team Victoria) then took 1st place, followed by Antti Ollikainen (FIN – Haase – Haase Racing Team), while Romain Mangé (FRA – Tony Kart) was in the top five. Grube improved to 1’14”972 and took pole position almost three tenths ahead of Ollikainen and Champion. Ilja Aloskins (LVA – Tony Kart – Team Victoria) finished 4th by four tenths followed by Slawomir Muranski (POL – Tony Kart – 46 Team). Mangé took 7th place, Christophe Adams (BEL – Sodi) finished 9th ahead of Damien Loiseau (FRA – Kosmic – KBK Competition). Bruno Dos Santos (FRA – Sodi) was 13th.
Loven Rytter: fastest in DD2 Qualifying
Silas Loven Rytter (DNK – Tony Kart – RS Competition) attacked from the outset during the RMCIT DD2 Qualifying Practice at Portimao. Xander Przybylak (BEL – Tony Kart – Bouvin Power) came within a few hundredths of a second, then the two men improved 4 tenths ahead of Petr Bezel (CZE – Sodi – KSCA Sodi Europe) who was then overtaken by Manuel Tenschert (AUT – Ricciardo – KSB Racing Team). Loven Rytter finally pocketed pole position – 1’14”013 – with a 51 thousandths lead over Przybylak. Tenschert took 3rd place by 0.374”, a tenth ahead of Hannes Morin (SWE – Sodi – Sodi Vitesse) and Bezel. Paolo Besancenez (FRA – Sodi) was 17th.
Macintyre: the RMCIT Junior poleman
In the first group, Evan Giltaire (FRA – Sodi – Sodi Vitesse) and William Macintyre (GBR – Kosmic – KR Sport) were fighting for the lead far ahead of their opponents. Macintyre concluded with a superb last lap in 1’15”278, 4 tenths ahead of Giltaire. Ethan Pharamond (FRA – Kosmic – KPR) took 3rd place 9 tenths off the fastest time, followed by Milan Loven Rytter (DNK – Tony Kart – RS Competition) and Tom Braeken (BEL – KR – SP Motorsport). Jules Roussel (FRA – Sodi – Extreme Limit) finished 17th, Hugo Herrouin (FRA – Tony Kart – Malevaut Sport) 20th, Karel Schulz (FRA – Tony Kart – Daems Racing) 21st and Romain Andriolo (FRA – Kosmic – KPR) 28th.
It took longer to settle down in the second group. Freddie Spinlow (GBR – Kosmic – KR Sport) was in the battle for 2nd place behind Junior Jonsson (SWE – Birel ART), whereas Andy Ratel (FRA – Exprit – KBK) was 3rd. Tim Gerhards NLD – KR – SP Motorsport) was then close to the leader, before Spinlow took the lead, nearly a second off the best time from Macintyre in the first group. Patriks Locmelis (LVA – Komsic – KSB Racing Team) concluded in the lead with a last lap of 1’16”040, one tenth ahead of Spinlow, and Alessandro Giusti (FRA – Kosmic – KPR) took 3rd place only a thousandth behind. Gerhards finished 4th by a hundredth and Maksim Orlov (RUS – Parolin – Parolin Russia) took 5th position. Ratel was 8th, Charles Roussanne (FRA – Exprit – KBK) 15th and Téo Blin (FRA – Tony Kart – Kart Management) 16th.
Silkunas: on pole in the last lap in Mini
Rodrigo Vilaça (PRT – Tony Kart) took the lead in the Mini Qualifying before Ethan Jeff-Hall (GBR – Tony Kart – Strawberry Racing) came back to the top of the table. Thomas Strauven (BEL – Tony Kart – Strawberry Racing) then improved the score until the last lap, but Markas Silunas (LTU – Praga – Pilenai Racing) finally took the pole position with 1’20”160, followed by Strauven by 13 thousandths. Vilaça finished 3rd by 0,181”, with Jeff-Hall 4th and Harry Hannam (ARE – MS Kart – DHR) 5th. Mathis Carnejac (FRA – Alpha – KPR) was 15th, Lisa Billard (FRA – Alpha) 18th and Valentin Hervas (FRA – DR – DR France) 22nd.
Feghali takes the Micro pole position in Portimao
Jacob Ashcroft (GBR – KR – Dan Holland Racing) and Christopher Fegahli (LBN – KR – Dan Holland Racing) battled it out for the lead in the Micro Qualifying, several tenths ahead of their closest rivals. Juliusz Ociepa (POL – Energy – KRK Racing) was however getting closer, accompanied by Franciszek Belusiak (POL – Energy – KRK Racing). Feghali started the last lap in the lead and took pole with 1’22”924. Ashcroft was back in 2nd position by 0,141”, Ociepa finished 3rd in front of George Nassar (LBN – KR – Dan Holland Racing) and Max Sadurski (NLD – Energy).
Info Kartcom with Kartlink / Photos © KSP