He was definitely one of the most impressive drivers of the season in KF3, winning four times in the French Championships. A beginner in the category (!), he had already collected many victories in the Mini and then Cadet series (already on a Sodi chassis...) and was quickly pampered by the media and by a few key decision makers in car racing circles, who saw in him the potential for a very promising future. This is why the Anglo-French karter Alex Baron, who will soon turn 15, has become the subject of keen interest on the part of major official teams.
In the end, it will be the Sodi Racing Team which will accompany Alex in KF2, along a path that will lead him very quickly to the most important international events. "At the very beginning of the season I had already had the chance to share my first podium in Florida with the Sodi Team and I knew already that if I had another an opportunity to meet again the French team, it would be my N° 1 priority. Sodi has the ambition and the means to impose itself at the highest level in the next few years. I knew the seriousness, technical competence and strength of this company and I wanted to share with them this strong desire to succeed! We will work very hard to keep and maybe improve the current, excellent level of performance. I can already say that my first practice session in Val d'Argenton with Nicola De Cola, SRT Team Manager, has been really exciting".
Gildas Mérian, president of Sodikart, does not conceal his satisfaction at having recruited a driver who, after just a few months, has become, together with Pierre Gasly, one of the greatest hopefuls of the discipline. "We had had our eyes on Alex since last winter, when he had pleasantly surprised us during comparative tests. This is why we had helped him at the beginning of the season, though the Team was already complete for the French Championship. However, it was clear that Alex was one of our priorities for the future. Though his size is not very suitable for KF3, he demonstrated his exceptional qualities from the very beginning of this season, and his skills are going to grow over the next few years. Alex will stay with us for a long time and we hope we will accompany his throughout his career in karting!"
Joining the team as official driver, Alex BARON (who, by the way, has entered the FFSA 10/15 programme) will start his apprenticeship in KF2 in the well-know international Las Vegas event, in less than two weeks' time; there, he will join for the occasion other Sodi Racing Team 2009 drivers, i.e. Anthony Abbasse (KZ2), Loïc Réguillon (KF2) and Pierre Gasly (KF3, but racing in TAG Junior in Las Vegas).
Definitely, with the arrival of Alex BARON the Sodi Racing Team has already begun to define its strategy for the 2010 season under the best auspices!
A few comments by Nicola De Cola, SODI RACING team manager
"It is always an exciting challenge when you welcome a new driver to an official team, though with Alex it is not a jump in the dark given his recent excellent performances. We had already carried out a first test and were favourably impressed by his very fast adaptation to KF2, both in dry and wet weather conditions. Of course some more tests will be needed before our driver feels totally at ease, but given what I have seen from Alex, I can already tell you that the Team will do its maximum to win the most important world titles with him and the other SRT's karters. I would like to say welcome to Alex: he can already count on the team, just as we count on him". |
