Max gets the 2nd place in qualifying heats in Ortona

Published on 21 July 2013 by Niels Hendrix

Not everything went according to plan and to expectations of the eve, but CRG works drivers have often been among the front-runners in this second and final round of the European KF and KF Junior Championships underway at the International Circuit of Abruzzo. After qualifying heats on Saturday, Max Verstappen confirmed to be in the fight for the title (he is third in the standings). The final word will be said on Sunday with the pre-finals and the most awaited final.

Max Verstappen is in Ortona to compete for the KF championship in an epilogue that can have some surprises in store, due mainly to a too simplistic pointsscoring system (only the top 20 drivers of the Alcaniz final and the top 20 of Ortona will get some points) which will call for discriminant factors in the likely event of a scoring tie among several drivers.

After the strong start on Friday with the win in the first heat, Max Verstappen had a more troubled Saturday due also to some unlucky episodes as when in the formation lap in the second heat he found Pedro Hiltbrand of team LH stalled on track when he was warming up tyres: the collision with the Spanish driver damaged the axle of Verstappen's kart.

Verstappen could not add any further win to his scoreboard on Saturday but he has always been within the pack to try and get another success. At the end he secured a second and two third places which will grant him a front row start for the pre-final where he will be proceeded only by his main rival in the championship, Nicklas Nielsen. The current classification leader after the win in Alcaniz has been very quick in Ortona too where he scored two wins a second and a third place.

Max Verstappen's comment: "In the first heat today the speed was not bad, I ended second and I was quite quick. In the second heat I had an incident with Hiltbrand in the formation lap and the chassis got bent. Ahead of the third heat the kart was fixed but as I got on track I still had some setup problems. All in all we are competitive, and as soon as everything will be fixed I will be competitive again in the pre-final and final. Sunday things will be difficult but I will do my best. We'll see."

Niels Hendrix