Whilst Senna van Walstijn claimed a commanding victory in the KZ class at the Le Mans Karting Grand Prix, ably supported on the podium by Matheus Morgatto and Anthony Abbasse, young Cees Muijs secured the very first podium finish for the Sodi Mini chassis on the international stage at Franciacorta.
Two major circuits, elite fields and four podium finishes to their name: from 27th to 30th August, the Sodikart colours shone on all fronts. At Le Mans, during the final dress rehearsal ahead of the FIA Karting World Championship, the French teams displayed a formidable level of performance. In Italy, on the Franciacorta circuit for the opening round of the WSK Final Cup, the younger generation took the reins, capitalising on the groundwork carried out in the Mini category. It has been an overall result that brilliantly validates the technical direction taken by the Nantes-based manufacturer.
Grand Prix Karting at Le Mans
KZ: Van Walstijn in commanding form, Orlov hot on his heels
Faced with highly changeable weather conditions, from a waterlogged track on Thursday to dry tarmac on Sunday, Senna van Walstijn drew on his experience. Never finishing outside the top three during the Qualifying Heats and setting the weekend’s fastest time in Free Practice (49.781), the Dutch driver started from the front row in the Final. After a perfect start, he dominated the race from start to finish, setting the fastest lap of the race (50.329) in the process.
Maksim Orlov also impressed with his top speed, setting the team’s fastest lap (49.770) and securing a heat victory. Finishing 3rd at the chequered flag, he was unfortunately handed a penalty for a false start, demoting him to 6th place. Matteo Spirgel demonstrated his fighting spirit by gaining nine places in the heat before breaking into the top seven in the Super Heat, whilst Jean Nomblot, who was very aggressive with seven overtakes in Heat 3, was unlucky in the Final.
KZ2 and KZ2 Master: 97 entrants, a strong field in the Final
In KZ2, the CPB Sport drivers quickly took the lead. Right from Qualifying, Jayden Thien (2nd with 49.823), Marek Skrivan (4th with 49.871) and Matheus Morgatto (6th with 50.043) placed three Sodi karts at the top of the timesheet. This pace was maintained throughout the weekend, as demonstrated by Skrivan’s race victory and the spectacular comebacks of Dion van Werven (who won a heat after starting 25th) and Mark Zvarich.
At the end of an intense 21-lap Final, Matheus Morgatto secured 3rd place on the podium, closely followed by Jayden Thien (5th), who clocked the second-fastest lap time of the race (50.186). Marek Skrivan finished 11th, just ahead of Antoine Broggio (who staged an impressive comeback from 27th to 12th place) and Tom Spirgel (15th). Jenson Graham also climbed fifteen places (21st). All eight CPB Sport drivers who qualified for the Final crossed the finish line within the winner’s lap time.
In KZ2 Master, Anthony Abbasse made a resounding comeback: 2nd in Free Practice, winner of a Qualifying heat and 3rd on the finishing line with the third fastest lap. Jeroen Bos, who also won a heat, finished in 6th place, closely followed by Paul David (8th). Gregory Leder made the biggest leap forward in the Final, moving up from 35th to 20th place.
Paul Bizalion, Team Principal at CPB Sport
“This preparatory weekend ahead of the major World Championship event has been extremely positive, with one victory and three podium finishes across all categories. In KZ2 Master, we placed three karts in the top eight, with a special mention for Anthony Abbasse, who secured a remarkable podium finish against drivers who have been racing all season. Jeroen and Paul are also showing very promising pace for the World Championship.
“In KZ2, after a cautious start to fine-tune the set-up, the team found the right solutions. Matheus confirmed his consistency at the top with this 3rd place in a field of nearly a hundred entrants, well supported by Jayden and Marek. Finally, in KZ, Senna put on a masterclass in race management to secure a superb victory for Sodikart. The equipment performed flawlessly and the technical team did a fantastic job. Everything is looking positive ahead of the World Championship.”
WSK Final Cup - Franciacorta
Mini: first major podium for Cees Muijs
In Italy, the Sodikart Racing Team took on a strong field of 52 competitors. Right from the opening laps, Cees Muijs put his kart at the top of the timesheets by setting the fastest time in his heat during Free Practice (54.347). Displaying metronomic consistency in the heats (4th three times, then 3rd in the A-B heat), the young Dutchman started 7th in the Final. Driving a smart and incisive race, he fought his way up to 3rd place to secure his first WSK podium, just 0.091 seconds off the fastest lap in a historic result for Sodikart’s Mini programme.
Alfie Garrett also showed encouraging pace (8th in the A-B heat), before being forced to retire early on the third lap of the Final.
Adrien Leidinger, Team Manager of the Sodikart Racing Team:
“This first WSK podium with the Sodi Mini chassis is a reward for the whole team’s hard work. Performance levels remained consistent throughout the weekend, both during the morning warm-ups and in the heat of the afternoon with four new tyres. We continued our testing and trialled various technical set-ups with both our drivers to gain a better understanding of the equipment. Development is moving in the right direction, and this result has everyone fired up for what lies ahead. Well done to Cees for a superb race!”
Heading for the world stage
With just a few weeks to go before the FIA Karting World Championship at the Le Mans circuit, this full-scale dress rehearsal provides valuable insights. The sheer speed and handling of the Sodi chassis in changing conditions demonstrate the robustness of the technical package. Bolstered by this data and the winning dynamic forged between France and Italy, the team is approaching the final stretch with confidence and determination.