The FIA Karting is inaugurating a new event from 25th to 28th September 2025 with the World Cup for the OK-N and OK-N Junior categories alongside the third and final competition of the FIA Karting Academy Trophy - Junior. The 211 participants started the Free Practice sessions with great ambitions, despite changing weather conditions throughout the sessions. The Cremona track was not completely dry when some of the drivers took to the track for Qualifying, forcing the teams to make difficult choices. In the Lombardy region of Italy, South African William Marshall in OK-N, Italian Gioele Girardello in OK-N Junior and Lithuanian Nojus Stasionis in Academy-Junior achieved the fastest times.
OK-N: Marshall in pole position by 2 thousandths of a second
With drivers from a variety of backgrounds, predictions proved difficult to make, especially as the first of the three groups to start Qualifying had to contend with a wet track. Just over a dozen of the 30 drivers chose to fit Maxxis slick "option" tyres. While the karts fitted with treaded tyres quickly set the fastest times, the track dried out significantly in the final minutes of the session. This gave the drivers on slicks the advantage, with Nicolas Fuca (ARG) at the top of the standings in 51.154 ahead of Pierre-Armand Karras (GRE), Alexandre Lopez (FRA) and the experienced Danny Carenini (ITA).
As expected, lap times improved by a few seconds when Group 2 took to the track. William Marshall (RSA) quickly set an excellent time of 48.602, which no one was able to beat. Iwo Besztreda (POL) fell short by less than 7 hundredths of a second and Wojciech Woda (POL) by about a tenth, ahead of Antonio Apicella (ITA).
While many thought that the pole position would go to the third and final group, Manuel Scognamiglio (ITA) ultimately fell 2 thousandths of a second short of beating the South African. Behind them, the times remained very close, with 5 thousandths of a second separating Federico Nardozi (ITA) and Nikos Kopetskyi (UKR). Fourth place in Group 3 went to another Italian, Alessandro Cocozza, who was very popular on home soil.
Top 12 in OK-N Qualifying
1- Marshall, William (RSA) Tony Kart / TM Kart / Maxxis - 48.602 (gr. 2)
2- Scognamiglio, Manuel (ITA) KR / IAME / Maxxis - 48.604 (gr. 3)
3- Fuca, Nicolas (ARG) Tony Kart / TM Kart / Maxxis - 51.154 (gr. 1)
4- Besztreda, Iwo (POL) Tony Kart / TM Kart / Maxxis - 48.668 (gr. 2)
5- Nardozi, Federico (ITA) DR / Modena Engines / Maxxis - 48.637 (gr. 3)
6- Karras, Philippe- Armand (GRE) LN / IAME / Maxxis - 52.081 (gr. 1)
7- Woda, Wojciech (POL) KR / IAME / Maxxis - 48.700 (gr. 2)
8- Kopetskyi, Nikos (UKR) Lenzokart / LKE / Maxxis - 48.642 (gr. 3)
9- Lopez, Alexandre (FRA) Tony Kart / Vortex / Maxxis - 52.472 (gr. 1)
10- Apicella, Antonio (ITA) LN / TM Kart / Maxxis - 48.739 (gr. 2)
11- Cocozza, Alessandro (ITA) Sodi / TM Kart / Maxxis - 48.670 (gr. 3)
12- Carenini, Danny (ITA) KR / TM Kart / Maxxis - 52.550 (gr. 1)
OK-N Junior: Gioele Girardello finishes the session as leader
The track conditions required the use of LeCont "rain" tyres for the first group, which saw Valentino Manta (ARG) top the timesheets in 1:02.520. Another driver from the American continent, Fernando E. Visuet Cruz (MEX), finished second ahead of Téo Policand (FRA). About thirty minutes later, slicks were back in use, allowing Albert Tamm (SUI) to improve his time by more than 14 seconds. He relegated his two pursuers, Augustin Feligioni (MON) and Christian Blandino (ITA), to three tenths of a second behind.
It was not until the third group that the pole position winner was revealed, namely the new Italian champion in the category, Gioele Girardello (ITA). The Italian driver with 47.932 and Germany's Sebastian Riedel with 47.991 were the only ones to break the 48-second barrier. Victoria Farfus (BRA) took the lead shortly before the end of the session with 48.008, before her rivals improved on their final lap!
Top 12 in OK-N Junior Qualifying
1- Girardello, Gioele (ITA) Parolin / TM Kart / LeCont - 47.932 (gr. 3)
2- Tamm, Albert (SUI) Parolin / TM Kart / LeCont - 48.241 (gr. 2)
3- Manta, Valentino (ARG) Kali'Kart / IAME / LeCont - 1:02.520 (gr. 1)
4- Riedel, Sebastian (GER) KR / IAME / LeCont - 47.991 (gr. 3)
5- Feligioni, Augustin (MON) Tony Kart / Vortex / LeCont - 48.541 (gr. 2)
6- Visuet Cruz, Fernando E. (MEX) Henza Kart / TM Kart / LeCont - 1:02.730 (gr. 1)
7- Farfus, Victoria (BRA) KR / IAME / LeCont - 48.008 (gr. 3)
8- Blandino, Christian (ITA) LN / TM Kart / LeCont - 48.544 (gr. 2)
9- Policand, Téo (FRA) KR / IAME / LeCont - 1:02.892 (gr. 1)
10- Sulpizio, Edoardo Mario (ITA) DR / Modena Engines / LeCont - 48.087 (gr. 3)
11- Weiland, Max (USA) Magik / TM Kart / LeCont - 48.577 (gr. 2)
12- Karagiannis, Nikolaos (GRE) Monster Kart / TM Kart / LeCont - 1:02.904 (gr. 1)
Academy-Junior: A clear advantage for Stasionis
While the first Qualifying Heats got underway in Cremona for the OK-N and OK-N Junior categories, the drivers in the FIA Karting Academy Trophy-Junior took to the track in the late afternoon for their Qualifying session in milder weather than in the morning. The 41 participants were divided into two groups. Overall, they took advantage of the full six minutes available to them to try to achieve the best possible performance, and it was most often on their last lap that they set their best times. This was the case for Nicola Frigg (SUI), who clocked 49.069 in Group 1 ahead of Julian Rivera Salas (ECU) and Nik Brecelj (SLO). Championship leader Oiva Vettenranta (FIN) finished in fourth place.
With six drivers faster than the best in Group 1, the track offered a surface that could enable the pole position to emerge. Nojus Stasionis (LTU) impressed with a time of 48.488, three-tenths of a second ahead of Tudor Ioan Jercan (ROU). Tied on points with Vettenranta in the Trophy standings ahead of this eagerly awaited final round, Maël Le Marchand (FRA) was in an interesting third place. With the exception of Erik Poulsen (SWE), who finished 20th in Qualifying, all the other title contenders secured a place in the top 10, promising plenty of excitement over the weekend.
Top 12 in Academy-Junior Qualifying
1- Stasionis, Nojus (LTU) - 48.488 (gr. 2)
2- Frigg, Nicola (SUI) - 49.069 (gr. 1)
3- Jercan, Tudor Ioan (ROU) - 48.841 (gr. 2)
4- Rivera Salas, Julian (ECU) - 49.186 (gr. 1)
5- Le Marchand, Maël (FRA) - 48.896 (gr. 2)
6- Brecelj, Nik (SLO) - 49.243 (gr. 1)
7- Gyoshev, Kaloyan (BUL) - 48.921 (gr. 2)
8- Vettenranta, Oiva (FIN) - 49.329 (gr. 1)
9- Lines, Finlay (GBR) - 48.933 (gr. 2)
10- Nunez, Luis Fer (MEX) - 49.579 (gr. 1)
11- Reistrup, Marc Alexander (DEN) - 49.082 (gr. 2)
12- Rodriguez Fuente, Hernan (ESP) - 49.597 (gr. 1)
Identical equipment for all Academy-Junior drivers: Exprit / Vortex / LeCont
Continuation of the provisional programme for the Cremona event
Saturday 27th September
08:00 - 09:23: Warm-up
09:35 - 17:30: Qualifying Heats
Sunday 28th September
08:30 - 09:25: Warm-up
09:35 - 10:10: End of Academy-Junior
Qualifying Heats
10:15 - 11:50: OK-N & OK-N Junior Super Heats
13:30 - 16:20: Finals and podium ceremonies
The Cremona event can be followed live and free of charge via live timing and streaming on the website.