Christian Costoya’s European Championship lead was strengthened this weekend at the third round out of four at Viterbo in Italy, where the Spanish star qualified on pole and won all his races, with team-mate Beau Lowette matching his pace. Junior driver Bruno Blanco is also rapidly gaining in strength and took his first FIA Karting top ten.

Costoya at the front from Friday to Sunday

Christian started the weekend with pole on Friday at lunchtime before winning all his heats by a significant margin. Super Heat A followed a similar pattern before the Final where Christian was nearly three seconds ahead of his closest rival, completing a weekend where he led every single race lap!

Team principal Marco Parolin was understandably delighted

“It was another great weekend for Christian, he did a super job. Of course the package was working really well, we have worked hard for the last month at Viterbo. Basically we tried everything possible to be perfect. We knew this race was crucial to strengthen our leadership in the Championship and Christian simply did the job. No mistakes from the practice sessions onwards, he gave the right feedback, we made the right calls. The result reflects his good form, and in my opinion he has something really special. I wish him a bright future because I really believe he has all the skills to make it to the top.”

Fellow OK driver Beau Lowette is improving every time out, this time gaining seven places to 21st in the Final. He set his fastest lap just two thousandths from Christian’s fastest, to Marco Parolin’s satisfaction:

“For most of the Final he was matching Christian’s pace which means a lot to him and to us, because we cannot forget he has come from Rotax and doesn’t have much experience in these Championships. We are very pleased about the progress he is making and I hope by the World Championship he will be even closer to the front.”

All three Parolin OK drivers qualified for the Final, with Hugo Martí also making significant gains. 

OK-Junior drivers rebound

Bruno Blanco finished 7th in his Super Heat with the fastest lap, then went on to take 9th in the Final after an excellent start where he gained ten places. Juan Garciarce gained 14 places to 20th while Giacomo Giusto also qualified for the Final and moved up the order. 

Marco Parolin’s assessment of the younger drivers

“I’m super happy about Blanco, he’s making progress and is now constantly in the top ten. It’s a pity for him that he missed out on a heat result because of a crash that was not his fault, otherwise I believe a top five was possible for him. The speed of all the Juniors was pretty good, they still lack some experience to be able to fight for the top spots but I’m sure this will come. The atmosphere in the awning is pretty good and I really like how the whole team is working.”

The next event will be the WSK Euro Series in Cremona from 1st-5th July where Christian is leading the Championship. Modena Kart will compete in KZ2 and KZ2 Masters using Parolin equipment at the next round of the European Championship at Sarno from 19th-22nd June.

Parolin Motorsport was again in the ascendant in the third round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series at Viterbo with another win from Christian Costoya in the OK category, consolidating his position as the top-ranked international kart racer. This time the Spanish driver didn’t have it all his own way but he moved into the lead of the series with a masterful Final win, backed up by strong performances from his team-mates. 

Christian started the weekend with the fastest lap in his Qualifying group but due to track conditions this gave him 3rd overall. He converted this into four heat wins, but a DNF in the last heat prevented him from taking the lead in the intermediate classification. From pole in Super Heat 2, Christian was overtaken at the start and decided not to risk an accident by battling the leader so finished a few tenths behind while clearly having ample performance. This gave him 3rd on the grid for the Final, and from the start Christian was determined to make it through to the lead. He hit the front after just three laps and controlled the race to the end, winning by 1.8s. Christian is now leading the Champions of the Future Euro Series by 56 points, and continues to hold the lead of the FIA International Karting Ranking which compares drivers across all categories. 

Qarrar Firhand, also in OK, made up 14 places in the Final after a retirement in his Super Heat, while Beau Lowette narrowly missed out on a Final place after making up 15 places in the Super Heat. 

In OK-Junior Juan Garciarce was the revelation of the event with 2nd in his Qualifying session and two heat wins although he hit some setbacks on Saturday’s Final day. Bruno Blanco took up the baton to finish in the top ten in the Final, with Gioele Girardello and Priam Bruno also making strong comebacks. 

Team manager Marco Parolin’s analysis of the event:

“We’re pleased to approach the European Champiosnhip round with a victory and some good results especially in OK-Junior. Costoya is proving to be in good form, and our juniors are getting better and better, which is nice to see. Credit to Garciarce, who was able to win two heats in the weekend, and Blanco who finished in the top ten after some solid performances. However, the focus is on the next week, which is a crucial race for the rest of the season.”

Parolin Motorsport will now go straight into making final preparations for the next round of the FIA Karting European Championship this weekend at Viterbo where Christian Costoya is also the Championship leader in OK.