MARIEMBOURG - Whether he's racing at home or elsewhere, Flavio Caira wins wherever he goes. The fourteen-year-old karting ace from Hennuyères stormed to a well-deserved victory at his home circuit on Saturday during the fourth round of the GK4 Kart Series. The Walloon racing prospect achieved this by winning two heats and the final in the IAME X30 Junior class.
"Here at my home track, I really wanted to win this weekend. Only winning was good enough for me," Flavio said with determination. He made good on that ambition. Though he qualified third, he mounted an impressive recovery in the races. His comeback drive in the final was particularly impressive.
Flavio started the first heat from third position, which proved no obstacle. "I had a good start. After the first corner I was already running second. Two laps later I moved into first place and took the chequered flag in that position," he summarised.
With victory in the first heat secured, he could start the second heat from pole position. The speedy Belgian didn't ease off in that race either. He held the lead from the start and pulled out a comfortable gap. "I didn't need to defend," he noted with satisfaction. With two wins in the bag, he could head into the final full of confidence.
Initially, things went awry there. "I didn't get a good start. The driver in P2 passed me round the outside. Then three more drivers got past me," Flavio recalled. It was a grip issue. He struggled with his kart for the first five laps. The tyre pressures weren't optimal. When grip returned later in the race, he demonstrated why he belongs amongst the absolute elite in his class.
With a series of stunning overtaking moves, he charged ever further forward. "After four or five laps the grip came back. I was worried I wouldn't be able to win the final, but then I felt: right, I'm going to win this," he remembered. And so it came to pass. Flavio overtook all the drivers who had passed him and powered to victory nonetheless.
What explains his outstanding form this season? Flavio had to think for a moment. "I don't know... I've got plenty of experience now, another year under my belt and more to draw on from the start. That makes the difference - I feel I have the experience," he analysed.
The home victory in Mariembourg naturally left him hungry for more. "For the second part of the championship, I think it'll be good. I just want to keep going like this. Of course, when you're winning, you don't want to stop winning," Flavio grinned.
His next challenge awaits in Genk, where the next round of the IAME Benelux Series takes place. "We didn't have a good weekend last time out in Ostricourt. I'll just train for the race, and we'll see," he remained realistic. He knows the Genk circuit well. "Not better than here, but I know it well. I usually go well at Genk. Earlier this year, I finished second there in the GK4." The question is whether he can deliver in the Benelux Series as well. "It's possible to do well there too. We'll see!"
Flavio thanks his team, his mechanics, his father, mother, his brother Livio and his family for all their support, his engine tuner and his team VDK.
Flavio Caira's racing activities are supported by: Paddock Distribution, Bell Helmets, Tercam and Kart Republic.