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, and 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, and 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 Marti 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 KZ Master using Parolin equipment at the next round of the European Championship at Sarno from 19th to 22nd June.