Antoine Sylva Venant crowned world champion in junior kart class

Photo: KSP Reportages

Antoine Sylva Venant was victorious in the CIK-FIA World Championship for OK Junior karts last weekend at La Conca.

He topped his qualifying group, won two of his three heats, superheat C and then the final.

The 87-driver field was split into four qualifying groups, and Zack Zhu topped the first by 0.156 seconds over Antonio Pizzonia Jr. Daniel Miron Lorente pipped Niccolo Perico by 0.186s in Q2, and Zdenek Babicek edged Mason Robertson by 0.038s in Q3. Venant’s pole advantage over Julian Frasnelli was 0.05s.

Venant and Zhu faced each other in heat two, and Venant prevailed by 0.026s, with Gioele Girardello completing a podium split by 0.097s.

Girardello led home Venant and Priam Bruno in heat six, before five-second penalties demoted them to sixth and seventh and Miguel Manzano became runner-up. It was close in heat 10 too; Venant victorious by 0.038s over Manzano and 0.368s ahead of Girardello.

Olexandr Legenkyi dominated heat one, as Miron Lorente finished second and Oskari Walle climbed 10 places to third after Emerson MacAndrew-Uren was penalised. Niccolo Perico beat Legenkyi to heat nine victory, and won heat three ahead of Harry Williams.

Babicek, Frasnelli, Miron Lorente, Max Felde and Zhu each won a heat before the final one, in which Bruno and Will Green went wheel-to-wheel in the last laps and Bruno triumphed by 0.026s.

Superheat A took place on a drying track, and after passing Girardello on lap three Perico pulled away for a 3.193s win. Green was second, with MacAndrew-Uren and Girardello a distant third and fourth.

It was dry for superheat B, disputed by Miron Lorente and Williams. The former won by 0.214s, Bruno was third and Guilherme Busato made a 20-place improvement to fourth, 0.579s off victory. Venant was unchallenged in superheat C, with a 1.499s gap to Robertson.

Perico had pole for the final, and despite a wobbly start built a 1.352s opening lap lead. Robertson, Girardello, Miron Lorente and Venant chased, while Green went off.

Robertson lost out in a double pass on lap two, and Miron Lorente took second into turn 15. Venant and Manzano eased past Girardello on lap five of 20, as Perico’s lead was wiped. Miron Lorente slid down Perico’s inside on lap seven, with Venant following through a corner later.

Venant took the lead at the turn 15 hairpin on lap nine, then swapped places with Miron Lorente again at turns one and two. Victory was practically settled on lap 11, as Venant pulled 1.923s clear and Perico went off.

Legenkyi, up from 19th, was now fighting Manzano and Girardello for third. There were bold dives on lap 16 as Girardello briefly held third, and on lap 19 he got past on the kerbs. He then defended hard against Legenkyi, sending both way off. Manzano therefore completed the podium.

Frasnelli had clear air after overtaking Perico for what would become fourth, with the latter then squabbling with MacAndrew-Uwan. Leonardo Gorski and Robertson joined in late on, and when Girardello rejoined the track it caused a pack battle.

Perico pipped Gorski (who was penalised post-race), and Girardello just beat Henri-Constant Kumpen (also penalised).

Final results (20 laps)