Fourth round of the CIK-FIA Karting World Championship (KF1)18/09/2011
Bridgestone’s kart tyres tamed the heat
Round four of the 2011 CIK-FIA KF1 Karting World Championship was held on 16-18 September at the International circuito di Napoli in Sarno right at the bottom of mount Vesuvius. Not only does the circuit have excellent facilities, but is a challenge for both man and machine especially when the temperatures are high. With track temperatures over the race weekend reaching up to 50 degrees, the heat provided the teams with an extra challenge.
Bridgestone’s experienced engineers knew what to expect and selected one of the harder compounds out of the range for this event. The choice clearly paid off and it was during racing that the Bridgestone’s were really in a class of their own. Nyck de Vries for example set the fastest lap of the event on lap 25, proving the consistency of the tyres. The Dutchman took pole position for both the Saturday and Sunday races and won race one and two in dominant style. However, luck was not on his side in race three when his engine blew up, leaving the road clear for Flavio Camponeschi to win. A feat that the Tonykart driver repeated in race four, making him a very popular person on Sunday among the Italian fans.
With one round to go, in Suzuka Japan, the championship is still open. Nyck de Vries is the favourite with Aleander Albon his main challenger for the World title and Flavio Camponeschi a strong outsider. It will be an interesting final. One thing is sure; the 2011 Karting World Champion will be equipped with Bridgestone brand kart tyres.
