kart | Riccardo Negro joins the Energy Corse factory

/in /by

Starting from the Swedish date of the KZ World Championship, Riccardo Negro will wear the official colors of the Energy Corse. After careful appraisals from Mick Panigada’s staff, Riccardo Negro becomes one of the official drivers, making available his know how and his experience to the factory from Seriate for the development of the frame and TM engine.

The first official race at the wheel of the Energy/TM will happen on the track of Kristianstand on next September, 4th. An event valid for the CIK-FIA International KZ2 Super Cup. An essential appointment for Riccardo, a driver with a great experience and a prize-list in which, among the others, it stands out the World Cup 2012 and the WSK Euro series victory in the following year.

“I am very glad for this agreement because it allows Riccardo to race for an official team. We hope it is the beginning of long-lasting cooperation with Energy Corse. Riccardo has all the qualities for be again a winning driver and along with this team, he will have a lot of satisfactions. Moreover, he can put his knowledges at their disposal for developing all the material, including the TM engine, at the best. I must congratulate my associate, Alberto Tonti, for reaching this important goal. It wasn’t an easy negotiation, they rewarded Riccardo’s qualities“, manager Giovanni Minardi says.

“We are very pleased to announce the beginning of the cooperation between Riccardo Negro and energy Corse. It is the result of careful assessments. In the testing days, he demonstrated professionalism and impressed the patron, Mick Panigada, his technical collaborators, and Piero Rizzi. The first step will be the World Championship in Sveglia. For Riccardo it is going to open an interesting project alongside one of the most renowned manufacturers”, manager Alberto Tonti explains.

“I am glad to take part in a competitive factory like Energy Corse and I must to thank Alberto Tonti and Giovanni Minardi. The aim is to collect, all together, the best possible result from the first race”, Riccardo Negro says.

DKM | Second place in a European perspective for Karol Basz in Genk

/in /by

With the second place gained in Genk valid for the third event of the German Kart Championship, Karol Basz proves to be a great protagonist in the “OK” category, remaining in the fight for the final title. With two more scheduled events, on the track of Oschersleben and Kerplen, the standard-bearer of the Kosmic Racing is just 21 points away from the top of the standings.

A testbed very useful for the next event in the European championship scheduled on the Belgian track at the end of the month during which Karol made different tests with the frame, ending race-1 with a fifth place and the Final in second behind of the current leader.

“It has been an important weekend that ended with the second place that left me in fight for the final win. Once again, I have to pay a compliment to all the Kosmic Racing Team. We made many different tests for the next European appointment. In free practice, I was very fast, instead I had some problems in setting during qualifying that I solved in time for the Final that ended with the second place”, Karol Basz says.

“After the test with the Lamborghini in Mugello, I wanted to see a Karol Basz focused on the kart and so he was. Once again, he did not save himself. He had also to defend his second place in the DKM Championship and had to prepare at his best the decisive appointment in the European CIK-FIA that takes place in Genk. He did his best exploiting the struggle between two drivers, inserting himself in the second place in race-2. Now, we’ll have a relaxing weekend in Poland during the 2nd Driver Summer Camp with Karol as an instructor and Giovanni Minardi and me as supervisors”, manager Alberto Tonti says.

 

F4 | Big scare for Joao Vieira in Mugello

/in /by

He managed to get by with a burn of first level on his leg, but the consequences of the accident could have been more serious for Joao Vieira protagonist of the fourth round in the Italian Formula 4 Championship powered by Abarth on the Mugello circuit.

At the start of the second race, the Tatuus of the Brazilian driver remains on the starting grid due to a clutch problem and a competitor hits it in the rear. The carom involves two other single-seaters. In the terrible impact, the rear tire almost touches the driver’s head, and a break in the radiator lets the 80°C water to flow out. Joao taken to the hospital manages to get by with a fright and a burn of first level on his leg.

“Luckyly everything went fine, and I got by with only a burn on my leg. These cars are very safe, even if we have still to work to protect the head better. In the impact, the rear tire almost touched my head. The important thing is that I am fine. For sure I’ll be on track in Vallelunga”, Joao Vieira says.

Joao greets the fourth event of the Tricolore series with the fifth place gained in race-1.

F4 | Joao Vieira towards the Mugello

/in /by

More than a months later Imola, and after he recharged his batteries in his green and gold land, Joao Vieira, Brazilian driver at Antonelli Motorsport, is ready to be back on track for the fourth round in the Italian F4 Championship powered by Abarth at the Mugello Circuit.

On the demanding Tuscan circuit, characterized with many rises and falls, he will chase that win that he failed because of some engine complications coming from his Tatuus F4. In addition to the various pitfalls of the track, the heat will be a rival to keep in mind for all the drivers.

“I expect a good weekend because I really like this track and I have always done well. There are many pitfalls and, as usual in this part of the Tuscany, it will be very hot. It is a track where the engine has a prime role. In the first events, the engine was our Achilles heel. With the first round of free practice, we’ll have the first results”, an enthusiastic Joao Vieira explains.

During the collective test, Joao Vieira and the Antonelli Motorsport team had their first good outcomes, moreover they made some set-up tests to find the best balance for qualifying and three races.“It was a positive day and this make us think positively for the weekend that starts tomorrow. In the first morning round, I signed the fourth best time laps, less of 3 tenths of seconds away from the first one, while in the afternoon we entered the track almost at the end of the session. During my fastest lap with new tires, they exhibited the red flag, so I went back to the pit, but up to that moment our results were good”, the driver from the Minardi Management concludes.

GP3 | Antonio Fuoco prevails at Silverstone

/in /by

After Antonio Giovinazzi signed two wins valid for the GP2 Series event at the Baku city circuit, in Silverstone it was Antonio Fuoco’s turn. At the wheel of the Dallara GP3 of the Trident Team, the driver from the Ferrari Driver Academy and ACI Team Italia achieved his first seasonal win. In spite of a slippery asphalt due to the rain fallen few minutes before the start, all the drivers chose slick tires, offering spectators an amazing race. Fuoco dominates ahead of Alex Palou and Charles Leclerc, in second and third position at the finish line respectively, with minimal gaps between 4 and 5 tenths of seconds.

“I did not do a good start, and given the circuit conditions, I decided to handle my position in the early laps. When I started to push, my pace was very good, and I managed to recover up to the first place.My team was saying to me to keep calm through the radio. It has been a very important weekend to us, and we made a great job. In qualifying, we were in sixth and we managed to end the weekend with a third place and a win”, Antonio Fuoco says.

Thanks to his success, Antonio strengthened his position in the overall standings, reducing his gap from the top to 14 points. In fifteen days, the next event will be in Hungary.

Frits Van Eerd dominates in Monza with the  Minardi PS04/B

/in /by

Great protagonist on the Historic Minardi Day in Imola and uncontested queen in Monza. We are talking about the Minardi PS04 of Frits Van Eerd that has dominated in the Temple of Speed of Monza, achieving the win in race-2 and the second place in race 1 valid for the third BOSS GP event.

Frits Van Eerd, along with the Minardi PS04 designed by engineer Gabriele Tredozi for 2005 F1 World Championship, demolished his competitors in a race that at the start saw 29 single-seaters with the Toro Rosso STR1, the Juaguar R5, the Benetton B197, and the Super Auguri SA06.

With three remaining scheduled events, on the circuits of Assen, Brno and Imola for the final, Frits Van Eerd holds the fourth place in the overall standings with 83 points, in the same position of his fellow Dutch countryman Klaas Zwart with the Juaguar F1.

Gian Carlo Minardi congratulates Frits Van Eerd and all his staff warmly for their amazing win. “In September, we will be at the circuit of Imola to support Frits”.

Karol Basz in Mugello with the Lamborghini Huracan

/in /by

Strengthened by his incredible recovery in the Final of the third event in the European karting championship disputed at the circuit of Portimao, Karol Basz has signed his debut at the demanding Mugello Circuit, at the wheel of the Lamborghini Huracan of the Antonelli Motorsport.

Thanks to the fourth place gained in pre-final, the Polish driver of the Kosmic Racing keeps his high position in the championship standings, at just five lengths from the top. Unfortunately, in the Final he was victim of a collision that forced him to move back up to the 28th position. With a great determination, he managed to recover up to the eleventh position, also signing the fastest lap of the race. After the pause at the circuit of Vallelunga earlier this year, waiting for the final event on the Belgian circuit in Genk scheduled for the end of the month, Karol is back at the wheel of the powerful supercar of Sant’Agata Bolognese. He is improving his feeling with the car, protagonist of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo, and is becoming familiar with the Tuscan circuit and its 5.245 meters.

“We are really satisfied about the first real testing day with the Lamborghini Huracan. We went into the circuit of Mugello with just 20 laps-experience that we did seven months ago in Vallelunga. In spite of his inexperience, Karol has emerged with an advantage of ’51”7 with used tires. We knew he would have done well, but he surprised us anyway. Now we must work to give him the opportunity to present himself on the grid of the 2017 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship.Obviously, a special thank goes to the Antonelli team and to its team principal, Marco, who gave us this opportunity. Tomorrow we will focus again on the seasonal events. The last engagements in the German and European championships are awaiting us” manager Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti say enthusiastically.

“It has been an amazing day to me. Another important experience with this marvelous Lamborghini Huracan in a very nice circuit. I must to thank both Minardi and Europart for this amazing experience. Now I am going to dedicate myself to the last karting events to complete the season at the best”, Karol Basz says.

ACI Team Italy – Giovinazzi triumphs in Baku. Minardi "F1 Boy"

/in /by

Along with Formula 1, also GP2 Series signed its debut in the new circuit, among the little roads of Baku. A weekend that will remain in the history of the second tier Championship, thanks to an Italian boy that managed to make playing the Mameli’s hymn twice. Thanks to an extraordinary weekend, Antonio Giovinazzi at his debut in GP2 dominated both the races, bringing the first successes to ACI Team Italia 2016. Six km track that showed the qualities of the boy from Martina Franca, 22 years old, also maker of the pole position and of the fastest lap in race. “I must absolutely congratulate Antonio Giovinazzi, he has been the uncontested protagonist in such a demanding and selective circuit like Baku. A 360° success with two wins, pole position and fastest lap. Fabulous what he showed us, expecially in race-2”, Gian Carlo Minardi observes.

At the end of the first lap of the race scheduled on Sunday, the standard-bearer of Prema slips at the bottom of the overall standing, but he recovers up to the top in the  last round also supported by safety-cars, with an overtaking at the expense of his team mate. “I have said that he is one of the best Italian drivers for years. He managed to fight with Max Verstappen on equal terms, bringing home two important wins. He is one of the boys that I suggested to FDA, but he wasn’t taken into consideration for different choices”, the manager from Faenza continues, also stressing the third place achieved by Raffaele Marciello in race-1. One swallow does not make a summer, and now he has to prove himself. Giovinazzi is a driver that can race for the title moreover is ready for 

Kart – Karol Basz on the podium even at Ampfing

/in /by

From the success in the inaugural event of the German DKM Championship in Wackersdorf up to the podium gained at the second round in Ampfing. Besides leading the overall standings of the European Championship, Karol Basz goes on in his row of positive results proving to be one of the great protagonists in the major category OK.

Certainly an important result for the standard-bearer of the Kosmic Racing. A result built meticulously during the whole weekend along with Olivier Marechal’s staff, in spite of an uncertain weather with an alternation of sun and rain. In the Final, Karol made himself protagonist of a good recovery, ending the race in third, after closing the Pre-Final just in seventh.

“I am glad for the podium, but in spite of a good speed, we made some mistakes. Anyway, I am in the second position, a step away from the first one and there are still three races. Anything can happen”, Karol Basz says.

“I am glad for the new positive result gained by Karol. After his win at the inaugural event, this podium is the demonstration of his tenacity. He has thought a lot from a championship point of view and carried out a good recovery in Final, that ended with a third place. A starting season very promising. Karol, beyond being fast and dedicated, is proving to be a very cold driver, a driver capable of keeping calm even in the most difficult situations”, manager Alberto Tonti observes.

Kart | Gian Carlo Minardi at 2016 Summer Kart

/in /by

Everything is ready for the 5th edition of the “Kart Summer Camp”, the summer camp aimed at little aspiring drivers. It is confirmed for July the traditional initiative promoted by ACI Sport (Italian Federation), organized by the Federal ACI Sport School, and dedicated to children aged 5 to 10 years.

From July 18 to 21, the very young drivers will turn on the engines on again in the International Circuit of Naples (Sarno – Sa) to have fun aboard the go-karts made available by the Parolin Racing, a brand that has become an historical partner of the Federal ACI Sport School in the Karting sector.

The children will attend a theoretical and practical program, under the watchful eye of the Federal Instructors, they will deal with the particular aspects of driving technique such as trajectories, braking, wet driving, and will engage in fair sessions of competition between skittles and simulated starts, qualifying, and races. All this without losing the recreational dimension that has to be, even for 2016, the key feature of this special summer camp.

There will certainly be the expert  eye of Gian Carlo Minardi, supervisor of the Federal School, who will monitor the children together with the usual working group composed of the psycho-pedagogue Glenda Cappello and the regulations expert Lucio Tonello.

The newness for 2016, instead, will concern the technical partnership with OMP, one of the leading companies in clothing for racing. It will provide free helmets, overalls, gloves and shoes for all the enrolled members and a media coverage of the entire campus thanks to some collaboration agreements with the photographer Marcello Angiolella, and with Pierre Productions for TV aspects. They will resume the highlights of the event as well as provide all participants a file with the complete clip of the show. There will be some occasions of relaxation and leisure time for the children in the evening, thanks to the presence of an animator that will entertain the kids with games and fun activities after dinner.

 For detailed information, it is at your disposal the new website of the Federal School ACI Sport: www.scuolafederale.acisport.it where you will find photos and videos of the day, or you can see to the Facebook page of the School. For information about cost, you can write to kart@scuolafederale.acisport.it.

CIK FIA | Karol Basz proves to be a leader at Adria

/in /by

With the second place conquered in Pre-Final and the fourth one in Final, Karol Basz greets the second event in the European OK Championship at the Adria’s circuit, strengthening his position at the top of the overall standings. Definitely, a not easy weekend for the Polish driver of the Kosmic Racing Team who proved his determination once again by becoming protagonist of important recovers. In Pre-Final, with a spring from the eleventh position, he manages to cross the finish line in second putting his name down for the win in Final.

In the middle of a downpour at first and then with a dry track, Karol is in second position when Sargeant hits his car. Thus, Karol ends his race out of the podium, in fourth position.

“Surely, it hasn’t been an easy weekend. The problems arose in qualifying have affected the race result. As usual, the team has made an excellent work. In Pre-Final, I did a good recover, but the regret remains for what happened in final. What a pity if you are hit two bends away from the end when you are struggling for the win and you have the second place in your hands. It is part of Motorsport. I want to see the glass half full because I greet Adria still leading the championship”, Karol Basz says.

“Without the final contact, we would have greeted Adria with a more substantial score. It has been a difficult weekend, but Karol has proved all his talent, becoming protagonist of a good recover in Pre-final and keeping himself away from risks. We will be ahead in the last two championship events, with an eight lengths gap from the first of the pursuers. This is the most important thing. Surely, I must congratulate and thank all the staff of the Kosmic Racing for their excellent work” manager Giovanni Minardi says.

F4 | Unlucky weekend for Joao Vieira at Imola

/in /by

Weekend to forget quickly for Joao Vieira who greets the third event of the Italian Formula 4 Championship powered by Abarth with just a point.

With 31 cars at the start, we are back to the original format, with three races for week-end instead of the qualifying rounds for reaching the Final. In two qualifying rounds, the driver at Antonelli Motorsport didn’t manage to go beyond nineteenth and sixteenth positions. Therefore, the aim was to get back on the top during Saturday and Sunday, exploiting the long straights of Imola and the particular feeling connecting the Brazilian driver to the Santerno. Unfortunately, numerous red flags and safety-cars, called onto the track for some accidents and for the rain, have drastically reduced the time of the recover, limiting the struggle in a single handful of laps.

“There is really few to say and to add. In qualifying, I didn’t make any mistakes, but I found myself in the second half of the group. I paid too much on the straights in terms of power.  During the race, on a wet track, I raced fast, but due to safety-cars and red flags, I did not have the chance to complete my recover. A real pity. Now I am waiting for Mugello where it would be great coming back to the format with rounds,” a disappointed Joao Vieira explains.

“It was definitively an unlucky weekend. We came here with important projects and we leave the circuit with none point. Surely, qualifying have been disappointing, but we would had the chance recover during the race. This has been impossible because in all three races, we raced less than 10 true laps of race. The red flags and the safety-cars have limited the action on track. We should come back to the first seasonal format with qualifying rounds to limit the impetuosity of young drivers, beyond to reprimand them. Otherwise, even in the next appointments we will live a similar scenario“,  Giovanni Minardi explains.

F4 | At Imola Joao Vieira plays for the win

/in /by

Strengthened by the podium and by the many points gained at Adria, Joao Vieira is about to live the third round in the Italian Formula 4 Championship powered by Abarth at the “home” circuit of Imola.

The demanding “Enzo and Dino Ferrari” circuit, that will host again Formula 1 during the Historic Minardi Day on June 25, will be a great testbed for the Brazilian standard-bearer under the Antonelli Motorsport who is intent on getting the high step of the podium missed in the first two weekend because of some engine complications.

With five events still scheduled, Joao is in the fifth position of the general standings, 23 points away from top three.

“Beyond being the “home” race, it is also my favorite circuit on calendar. Thus, I’d like to get a good result. It is a very fast and technical track where the engine is an important component. During the first two events, in this respect, we had some problems.At Adria, thanks to its layout, I managed to limit damages getting a good second place and 42 points. At Imola, instead, the engine will have more importance both in the long straights and in the output in the variants. During the first free practice session, next Friday morning, we will have the first response“, said Joao Vieira.

“We are at the third round and at the first true circuit on calendar. On this track, Joao has always raced fast, backed by a good car made by the staff of Marco Antonelli. I wish for a weekend free from engine complications so to have the chance to play for winning. I hope to greet Imola with a smile and, hopefully, with the cup of the winner” manager Giovanni Minardi says.