The first round of the 2025 WSK Final Cup in Franciacorta confirmed Birel ART's strength across all categories. Cristian Bertuca won in KZ2, while the young Junior and Mini drivers also put in strong performances. On a dry and fast track, the Italian brand once again combined pure speed, consistency and technical reliability.
 

KZ2
From the very first timed session, the Birel ART chassis proved immediately competitive. Private driver Massimiliano Pezzucchi, on Birel ART/TM, took pole position in Qualifying (46.387), while Daniel Vasile (CL Racing) and Cristian Bertuca finished in the top five. During the three Qualifying Heats, Vasile and Bertuca consistently finished at the front of the pack, taking 2nd and 4th place respectively in the intermediate standings, with Pezzucchi in 3rd.

Vasile then won the Prefinal in commanding fashion, ahead of Bertuca in 2nd. In the Final, Bertuca quickly took the lead and led most of the 17 laps to take a resounding victory. Vasile fought hard in the leading group to finish 6th, while Filippo Villani rounded off a solid weekend in 12th place.

Pezzucchi confirmed the performance of the chassis by setting the fastest lap in the race (45.887) on his way to 4th place. The Birel ART/TM combination stood out throughout the weekend: Daniel Vasile set a benchmark time on Saturday afternoon (45.830), while Cristian Bertuca set a new (unofficial) record time during Sunday morning's warm-up with a lap of 45.617.

Thanks to his success at Franciacorta, Cristian Bertuca takes the lead in the provisional WSK Final Cup standings in KZ2.

KZ2 finalists
Cristian Bertuca: 1st
Daniel Vasile (CL Racing): 6th
Filippo Villani: 12th
Jenson Graham (CL Racing): 14th
Noah Massa (CL Racing): 18th
Massimiliano Pezzucchi (Krypton Motorsport): 4th
 

Mini U10
In Mini U10, David Shitov and Philip Solvang both showed consistency throughout the weekend. Shitov regularly finished in the top 15 in the heats and started in the middle of the grid for the Final, which he finished 17th after nine laps, less than three seconds behind the winner. Solvang improved session after session to finish 23rd.

Mini U10 Finalists
David Shitov: 17th
Philip Solvang: 23rd
 

Mini Group 3
Cees Muijs showed a competitive pace right from the Timed Practice sessions, setting the fastest time in his group and the 2nd fastest overall. Consistently in the top 10 in the heats, he started 5th in the Final and crossed the line in 10th place after an exciting race.

Mini Group 3 finalists
Cees Muijs: 10th Vladimir Gugo: 30th
 

OK-Junior
Achille Rea made his OK-Junior debut after a successful career in Mini. He gained places in each heat and qualified for the Final without any problems, where he finished 23rd in the middle of the pack.

OK-Junior Finalist
Achille Rea: 23rd
 

OK-N Junior
The OK-N Junior drivers continue to learn in this new category. Jay Kostecki qualified solidly and progressed through the heats, but a spoiler penalty hampered his ambitions in the Final. Hayato Shimoyama, who performed well in Qualifying and the heats, unfortunately had to retire on the first lap of the Final following a collision.

OK-N Junior finalists
Jay Kostecki: 23rd before a penalty for a poorly positioned front fairing, finally ranked 25th.
Hayato Shimoyama: Retired
 

OK
In OK, Ludovico Mazzola, newly promoted from OK-Junior, progressed throughout the weekend to finish 14th in the Final. Vladimir Ivannikov, who was very fast at the start of the race and set a new lap record of 46.812 in his second heat, was delayed by contact in the Prefinal and then in the Final. Gustavo Marques da Silva had shown promising pace before retiring on lap 9.

OK Finalists
Ludovico Mazzola: 14th
Vladimir Ivannikov: 24th before returning to the pits a lap before the end, finally classified 33rd.
Gustavo Marques da Silva: Retired

Bertuca's success in KZ2, the lap records and the progress made by the young drivers are testament to the depth and balance of the Birel ART team across all categories.
 

Riccardo Longhi, KZ2 Team Manager, said: "Bertuca's victory is the result of perfect teamwork and an exceptional balance between chassis and engine. Vasile's victory in the Prefinal and Pezzucchi's performance illustrate the strength of our KZ2 package. The times achieved throughout the weekend prove that we are continuing to make progress. Starting the Final Cup with a victory and leading the championship gives us great confidence for the future."
 

Jordon Lennox, Direct Drive Team Manager, added: "Ivannikov's new lap record in OK demonstrates our level of performance, and Mazzola, Rea and the Mini drivers all showed fighting spirit and consistency. The work done by our technical teams and partners is paying off in every category, and it's very positive to see our young drivers building on this foundation to improve every weekend."
 

Birel ART Racing will be aiming for similar results in the second round of the WSK Final Cup, scheduled to take place in Cremona from 7th to 9th November.