With nearly 200 drivers competing across two categories, the FIA Karting World Championship is the most prestigious karting event in the world. MP Kartracing Team travelled to La Conca with 17 drivers, fielding a line-up that featured both established team members and several new faces.
After two weekends of testing, the race weekend got under way on Thursday with free practice. The team was immediately among the frontrunners and Friday’s qualifying sessions told a similar story. In OKJ, Daniel Miron Lorente pulled clear of the field to put his Henza on overall pole by more than two tenths of a second. In OK, Dan Allemann and Jakub Kameník led the way for the team, each qualifying second in his group. Mika Runitz and Yves Ris also impressed with strong results in their qualifying groups.
Picture: MP Kartracing Team
Qualifying did not quite go to plan for Henry Domain, who finished eighth in his group. The young Brit wasted no time putting that right in his first heat of the weekend. He gained five places on a brilliant opening lap, kept moving forward and soon took the lead. Mika Runitz showed how to defend with composure and finished third in his Friday heat.
In OKJ, Daniel drove a strong first heat and brought his kart home in second. Alex Lazarus also showed what he could do, putting a difficult qualifying session behind him with a fine drive into the top ten. The drivers contested their second and third heats on Saturday. Daniel got his day off to a strong start by winning his first OKJ heat, while Henry continued his charge through the field, climbing from eighth to second. In their final heat of the day, Dan and Mika were back among the frontrunners, finishing second and fourth respectively.
Overnight rain left the track wet on Sunday morning. With the qualifying heats complete, the starting order for Sunday’s superheats was set. Daniel’s excellent weekend earned him second on the grid, while Henry’s impressive recovery drives secured him third. Consistent finishes on Friday and Saturday also put Dan and Jakub in the top ten on the superheat grid.
Picture: MP Kartracing Team
Daniel carried his form into the superheat and took victory in a closely fought race. In OK, Henry lost several places in a hectic start, but his pace quickly brought him back through the field to finish a strong second.
Shortly after midday, attention turned to the World Championship finals. Dark clouds had gathered over the circuit. Daniel, Henry, Mika and Dan all qualified for the finals. Daniel started third and moved up to second early in the race. He soon went on the attack, closing right up to the leader and briefly taking the lead before ultimately finishing second. It was his first World Championship podium, on his debut for MP Kartracing Team and Henza.
In OK Henry was caught in traffic during the opening laps. The young Brit fought his way forward, broke clear of the battling pack and moved into second. By then race leader Hoogendoorn had built a sizeable gap, but Henry soon showed he had the pace to challenge for the win. He closed to within three tenths of a second, and for a moment it looked as though he might take victory. He came up just short and finished second. Celebrations followed, Henry was visibly proud of what he had achieved after a difficult start to the weekend.
The World Championship at La Conca showed that MP Kartracing Team could fight for the world title in both categories with its GFR-powered Henza chassis. Daniel’s second place in OKJ capped an impressive debut for the team, while Henry’s charge to second in OK showed how far he has come with the team this season. The OK team made significant progress throughout the season, with the team leaving La Conca with two World Championship podiums to build on.
Picture: MP Kartracing Team