Karol Basz at Monza for his debut in the Super Trofeo Lamborghini
The Monza circuit will inaugurate Karol Basz’s new course in the European Super Trofeo Lamborghini Championship which this year will run its tenth season. The season of seven rounds, including the World Final al Vallelunga, will begin this week at Monza followed by Silverstone, Misano, Spa-Francorchamps, Nurburgring and Vallelunga.
The 27 year old Polish driver will wear for the first time the colours of Imperiale Racing and will share the cockpit of the new Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO number 44 with Vito Postiglione in the Pro class. The car is equipped with completely redesigned aerodynamics compared to last year’s model. This will be the first important appointment for Karol as he has not yet had the opportunity to test the powerful car from Sant’Agata Bolognese.
After his positive debut in GT cars in last year’s Italian Gran Turismo Championship – Super GT Cup in which he set pole position and three podium finishes, all with a Lamborghini Huracàn, Karol is called to take another important step forward in his Gran Turismo career.
“I am pleased to come back to racing and to make my debut in the Super Trofeo Lamborghini with Imperiale racing and with an expert driver such as Vito Postiglione. If in the next rounds I will also have learn the circuits, this weekend I will be able to concentrate only on the new “Lambo” as I already know Monza’s secrets”.
“A new season is beginning for Karol which is becoming a new step forward in his career towards professionalism. Last year he managed to amaze us by quickly setting pole position on debut and then with a number of podium finishes. Now he is called to an even more demanding challenge but he has his papers in order for a season at the highest levels,” commented managers Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti.
The two rounds of 50’ each will start on Saturday 21st beginning at 3.10pm and Sunday 22nd at 12.20pm.
Karol Basz to debut in the Super Trofeo Europa Lamborghini with Imperiale Racing
After his excellent debut last season in the Italian GT Championship at the wheel of the Lamborghini Huracan, this year Karol Basz is called to take another important step forward in his Gran Turismo career.
The 27 year old driver from Krakow will be at the wheel of the Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO of Imperiale Racing in the Super Trophy dedicated to the car maker from Sant’Agata Bolognese. The car is equipped with aerodynamics that have been completely redesigned compares to the previous version.
As usual the Monza Circuit will see the start of the European series which has reached its tenth edition in the setting of the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup to be run on the weekend of April 21-22. The series will continue in England at the Historic Silverstone Circuit (May 19-20) and then at Misano in June for the third round, Spa-Francorchamps (July 26-27) and Nurburgring (September 15-16).
In his European debut Karol Basz will share the cockpit of the “Lambo” with Vito Postiglione. “I am really happy to begin this collaboration with Imperiale in the Super Trofeo Europa and am excited to share the cockpit with an expert and fast driver such as Vito Postiglione. I expect that the season will not be easy since there will no time to organize tests before the debut at Monza and I will also have to learn some tracks such as Silverstone which I will study on the simulator, but I am ready,” commented the satisfied Polish driver followed by Minardi Management.
“We are very happy to have reached this agreement with Imperiale racing. Despite the fact that this is once again a debut, there are the foundations for doing well at Monza. Last year Karol surprised everyone by taking pole position on his debut. Reaching the Super Trofeo Europa represents another piece in his career,” commented managers Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti.
WSK Super Master Series | Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished the championship in third place.
A week after a solid performance on the Sarno track which was conditioned only by the penalty inflicted in the Final after the finish Andrea Kimi Antonelli came back to Naples’ International Circuit for the fourth and final round of the WSK Super Master Series.
It was not an easy weekend for Energy Corse’s young driver from Bologna who in any case closed the mini championship in third place overall in the 60 Mini category after filing away the final appointment in sixth place in the Final and fifth place in the Pre-Final.
“We’re sorry for how this Championship finished because in all the rounds Andrea showed that he deserved final victory. Despite an unfavourable weekend he continued to fight on the track without losing heart and we file away the WSK Super Master Series with third place in the ladder. Now we are concentrating on the Italian Championship,” commented managers Giovanni Minardi and Albert Tonti.
WSK Super Master Series | At Sarno Andrea Kimi Antonelli confirmed that he is a protagonist
Two weeks after his authoritative win on the La Conca track, Andrea Kimi Antonelli confirmed that he is one of the protagonists of the WSK Super Master Series.
On Naples’ International track during the round that had been cancelled due to snow Energy Corse’s flag bearer greeted the weekend with a win in the Pre Final after having won third place in the Qualifying heats which was the fruit of a first and a second place in the Eliminatory Heats, together with a fifth and the ninth position won in the first and last rounds respectively.
In the Final the young driver of Bologna made himself the protagonist on a good struggle with Stenshome and crossed the finishing line in third place, but the race marshals punished the driver’s actions with a 5” penalty which took him hack to ninth place.
“The weekend began with some difficulties, but continued with steady growth with a win in the Pre Final that was not easy and third place in the Final. Unfortunately the struggle with Stenshome was considered irregular and therefore a five second penalty was inflicted. In a week’s time we must have a perfect weekend in order to finish in the best was possible a championship in which Andrea was constantly the lead player,” commented Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti.
In a week’s time Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be in action once more in Naples’ International Circuit for the fourth and final appointment of the WSK Super Master Series where he will be in second place on the ladder with a gap of eight points from top place.
Foto: Energy Corse/KSP
WSK Super Master Series | Andrea Kimi Antonelli wins at La Conca as well
Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s win today at La Conca’s International Circuit in the latest round of the WSK Super Master Series was never in doubt despite a beginning marked by a problem with the kart.
The weekend of the young driver from Bologna tagged Mercedes – AMG began by gaining pole position in the Qualifying Heats as the result of two wins, a second and third in the Elimination Heats which then continued with strong wins in the Pre Final (Group A) and the Final which he finished with a leads of more than 5 tenths of a second over Stenshome.
For the driver followed by Minardi Management it was the third success in the season after winning the WSK Champions Cup and the Winter Cup.
“Despite a problem at the beginning of the weekend which was perfectly solved by the efforts of the team and the motor mechanic, Andrea scored another success by driving really well all the heats. We’re happy with the weekend here at La Conca because he carried on working with the team. Our minds are now on finishing the championship well with the double appointment at Samo,” commented managers Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti.
After having been forced to cancel the second round on the track due to bad weather on the Samo track, the organizer of the championship announced that the stage will be run on the weekend of March 29th – April 1st on the Naples International Track.
Foto: KSP Reportages/Energy Corse
(Foto da sinistra: Alberto Tonti, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Giovanni Minardi)
Kart | Andrea Kimi Antonelli sets his seal on the Winter Cup
Three weeks after the authoritative win in the WSK Champions Cup with which Andrea Kimi Antonelli ushered in the new season in the colours of the Energy Corse team, the young driver from Bologna won the 23rd edition of the Winter Cup.
Saturday on the Lonato track Andrea Kimi Antonelli confirmed that he is the protagonist of the Mini Rok category by putting up two wins in the Qualifying Heats of Group B and then continued his winning streak on Sunday with success in the Super Heats, crossing the finishing line more than five seconds in front of his nearest rival.
Only in the Final Heats did he let up the pace to Poland’s Piotr Protasiewicz, crossing the finishing line in second place, before masterfully completing the weekend with a win in the Final which gave him the second trophy for the season.
“We are truly happy with Andrea Kimi’s new wins since he showed extraordinary and constant potential for all the weekend, even if it is true that his masterpiece came in the Final. After having slipped to fourth place he did not lose heart and with great determination he climbed back up to get the win. His growth with the Energy Corse team continues with them once more making excellent material available” commented managers Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti.
“It was an excellent weekend in which I enjoyed myself by winning four races and finishing the Final Heats in second place. Unfortunately I did not start the Final well, but as soon as the tyres came up to heat I climbed back up to the head of the race and to the Cup” was the comment from a satisfied Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be once more one of the protagonists on the Lonato track on the weekend of March 1st to 4th for the second round of the WKS Super Master Series.
Kart | Andrea Kimi Antonelli dominated Adria under the rain…but a contact in the Pre-Final kept him out of the Final
After his success in the WSK Champions Cup last week Andrea Kimi Antonelli was putting together another weekend as a protagonist on the Adria track in the first of the four rounds of the WSK Super Master Series.
Despite a difficult start due to a technical problem that meant that he slipped to twentieth place in the first round, on a wet track Saturday Energy Corse’s kart driver from Bologna put together three consecutive wins in as many rounds in the Preliminary Heat and climbed up the ladder to seventh place.
The cold shower came a few metres after the start of the Pre-Final due to an unlucky contact with another kart which forced him to retire early, keeping him out the Final.
“Unfortunately it was a weekend of highs and lows. After an uphill start due to problems with his kart on Friday Andrea Kimi did not lose heart and he dominated the three subsequent rounds under the rain. Sadly, this fantastic job was nullified on Sunday morning during the Pre-Final when he went off the track. In any case we are happy with his weekend because Antonelli made further steps forward in his feeling with Mick Panigada’s new material and he is feeling increasingly at home with the team. We await the appointments at Lonato with trepidation,” commented managers Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti.
Photo: KSP Reportages/Energy Corse
Fernando Alonso to debut at Le Mans and in WEC
After having followed it for all of last season, this year Fernando Alonso will reach his objective of participating in the 24 hours of Le Mans at the wheel of the Toyota TS050 Hybrid. For the World Champion this will be a season full of commitments since together with the 21 grands prix with McLaren-Renault there will not only also be the marathon at Sarthe, but he will also take part in the 18/19 WEC Super Season, always at the wheel of the Japanese car number 8, together with Kazuki Nakajima and Sebastien Buemi.
This will be another debut for Nando after his positive participation in the Indianapolis 500 which ended with his retirement due to a broken motor, which was possible thanks to the blessing from the team of Woking. Coming back from the disappointing Daytona 24 hour event at the wheel of the Ligier LMP2 of the United Autosports tea, Alonso will sign on to make his debut in the World Endurance Championship at the wheel of the LMP1 in the 6 hour event at Spa-Francorchamps (May 5th and 6th) which will be run before Le Mans (June 16th and 17th) and will then only miss the 6 hour event at Fuji due to the overlap with the US Formula 1 Grand Prix which will have the priority.
“I wish Nando all the best of luck as he will be called to make a noteworthy commitment. He will find himself in situation that will not be easy, having to pass from one category to another and, above all, between cars that are different greatly from each other, The endurance races (6 hours or 24 hours) require a very different preparation compared to an F1 GP,” commented Gian Carlo Minardi.
“I do not condemn, nor do I support this choice, but I see a lot of discontinuity on this programme. After having taken part in Daytona with a Ligier LMP2 he will front up to Le Mans and the WEC with a Toyota TS050 Hybrid, while last year he ran the Indianapolis 500. Nando is giving a strong demonstration of the strength of his commitment to racing by seeking new challenges and this can only be good for the sport since it generates interest, but I find it excessive” concluded the manager from Faenza.
Kart | A winning debut for Andrea Kimi Antonelli for Energy Corse in the WSK Champions Cup
Andrea Kimi Antonelli began the new season with an authoritative win in his first race for team Energy Corse. On the Andria circuit the very young (he was born in 2006) karting driver from Bologna dominated the whole weekend of the WSK Champions Cup in the mini category, clocking up the fine total of 5 successes.
Assigned to Group A, Andrea Kimi Antonelli put together three wins and a third place in four of the five rounds of the Eliminatory HEAT and registered a decisive comeback in the Pre Final when he managed to make up four places which brought him the win and pole position for the Final.
The Masterpiece then came in fact in the final round when the driver followed by Minardi Management gave all the spectators a heart thumping last lap when he recovered two positions after having gone down to third place and then once again cut the finish line in first place.
“This really was a weekend that was full of satisfactions beside Andrea Kimi together with his new team, Mick Panigada’s Energy Corse. Andrea Kimi showed that he has adapted quickly to the new material and the team’s new method of work and took another step forward professionally after already being been rewarded last year.
There is nothing to say about the competition, with the pole. and the wins in the rounds and the Pre Final, but the real masterpiece came in the Finale when, after having been overtaken by two drivers and going down to third spot he did not get discouraged and with superb lines won back top spot and thus the win.
We can put away this important first success with a lot of satisfaction, but we are already concentrating on the new weekend of racing which will put the seal on his debut in the WSK Master,” commented managers Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti.
GT Italian | Karol Basz at Mugello to close an exciting season
The Mugello circuit will close the Karol Basz’s debut season in GT with the seventh and final round of the Italian Gran Turismo championship. After having missed the Vallelunga round due to a clash with the CIK FIA kart world championship the Polish driver will once again be at the wheel of the Antonelli Motorsport team’s Lamborghini Huracan Super GT Cup with which he put himself in the spotlight in his first race by taking pole position in the debut weekend at Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit and going on to take podium finishes and collecting points.
It was in July on the demanding Tuscan circuit in the fourth round of the Italian championship that Karol convincingly took the podium in both races with second and third place in race 1 and 2 respectively, gathering a harvest of twenty seven points of the season’s sixty eight points.
“I am really happy to be able to close my first season in GT at Mugello. It is a track I like a lot where I had one of the best weekends of the season with the double podium. I am ready and after having missed the round at Vallelunga I am anxious to get back behind the wheel of the Lamborghini. It has been an intense and positive season which I will try to close in the best way possible,” commented Karol Basz.
“We are coming to Mugello after nearly a month away from GT racing, but Karol is determined to close the season in the best way after the disappointment in the kart world championship. He put a lot of work into the simulator and we hope to file away the first season with a deserved win after two podium finishes in July. The car has always performed well and Karol really likes the track,” was the analysis of managers Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti.
The green light for race-1 will come on at 5.05pm on Saturday 7th while the curtain will come down on the season in the second race scheduled for 12.35pm on Sunday 8th.
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GT Italy | Karol Basz once more on the podium at Imola after an incredible comeback
It was another podium finish for Karol Basz at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit which was the stage for the fifth of the seven rounds of the Italian Gran Turismo championship when he took third place at the end in race-1 on Saturday afternoon.
After a quick start from the front row with the second fastest time in qualifying-1 the Antonelli Motorsport’s Polish driver, together with Takashi Kasai, became the protagonist of a comeback after having been forced to make an unexpected pit stop due to the puncture of a tyre in the early part of the race that took the “black and orange” Lamborghini Huracan Super GT Cup to last place. Despite the tricky track the pair of Karol and Kasai became the protagonists of an incredible comeback and thus continuing the series of positive results (third consecutive third place) and also setting the fastest lap for the race.
“The first race was really incredible as we were forced to change tyres due to a puncture in the first part of the race that put us in last place. It was very exciting to overtake all those other cars and finishing in third place. Unfortunately the presence of the safety-car in race-2 did not give us the chance to repeat the feat. In any case it was a very positive weekend and I must thank all the Antonelli Motorsport team which gave us a fantastic car and my managers Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti,” commented a satisfied Karol Basz.
“It was a weekend that legitimized Karol’s potential also in GT competitions. After having gained the front row of the starting grid in qualifying he became the protagonist of race-1 following a great comeback after a puncture and without committing the slightest error. We also applaud his team mate Kasai. Unfortunately the long presence of the safety car in the second race reduced the chances of a comeback, but we can put away another weekend with a podium on the plus side. We are ready for the final part of the season,” commented managers Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti.
In two weeks the championship will go to the capital on the Vallelunga circuit for the sixth and penultimate round. In the meantime Karol will be involved in the World Kart Championship in England.