Home Roundups Roundup: Kiyohara dominates Pilota opener in Shanghai

Roundup: Kiyohara dominates Pilota opener in Shanghai

by Peter Allen

Photo: Formula Pilota China

Japanese driver Shota Kiyohara was unstoppable in the opening round of the Formula Pilota China season in Shanghai, winning all three races…

Kiyohara topped the two qualifying sessions by nine tenths and one second respectively over Italian karting graduate Antonio Giovinazzi.

Kiyohara stalled at the start of the first race, allowing Indian Parth Ghorpade to take the lead. Kiyohara had dropped eight positions, but fought his way back through into the lead before the end of the ten lap race and finish six seconds clear of Ghorpade. Giovinazzi was third, ahead of Kiyohara’s Ukyo teammate Ren Nagabuchi and Briton Dan Wells.

Kiyohara won race two by seven seconds over Wells, with last year’s European KF2 karting champion Sami Luka in third place. Giovinazzi and Sean Gelael completed the top five. Kiyohara completed his clean sweep in the shorter six-lap race three, seven seconds ahead of Giovinazzi with Nagabuchi in third.

The second round of the season takes place at Ordos in China on 8 July.