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Birelart and Hiltbrand shine at Franciacorta ahead of the World Championship

Champions of the Future Euro Series - Franciacorta (ITA) - 04, October 2025

Birelart Racing delivered a top-level performance at Franciacorta during the final round of the Champions of the Future Shifters, a real dress rehearsal ahead of the FIA Karting World Championship. Facing a strong international field and in cool but dry conditions, the Italian brand's drivers put in an excellent performance, heralding a very promising World Championship event on this same circuit.

Hiltbrand victorious in KZ
Pedro Hiltbrand won the KZ Final after an intense battle. After setting the 6th fastest time in Qualifying on Thursday, the Spaniard gradually moved up the rankings in the heats before dominating much of his Super Heat. Starting 3rd in the Final, he led the first five laps before temporarily losing the lead on lap 6 after contact with a rival, who earned him a five-second penalty. Hiltbrand then controlled his pace over the 24 laps of the race to cross the line in the lead, securing a victory built on speed and composure.

Daniel Vasile, who started 21st in Qualifying, had to contend with a dense field. His Super Heat was remarkable: he moved up from 19th to 5th place, gaining 14 positions, with the added bonus of the fastest lap in the race. In the Final, the Romanian driver from the CL Racing Team continued his momentum, finishing 5th after gaining three more places.

Cristian Bertuca, meanwhile, started 13th in the Final. Consistent and incisive, he gained five positions to cross the line in 8th, demonstrating with Vasile that Birelart was among the frontrunners.

Wolfe and Cozzaglio confirm their potential
In KZ2, Noah Wolfe (VAR by Birel) distinguished himself in Qualifying with the 3rd fastest time in his group, followed by three impressive heat victories. A breakdown at the start of his Super Heat forced him to start from the back of the grid, but he limited the damage by climbing back up to the middle of the pack. In the Final, starting 14th, he gained nine positions to finish 5th.

Genis Civico Espona (CL Racing Team) and Michael Ider distinguished themselves in the heats in a record field, but were unable to realise their potential in the decisive race. Kasper Schormans, meanwhile, shone particularly brightly: 4th in Qualifying among 119 competitors and the second most consistent driver over the six heats and the Super Heat, he confirmed his competitiveness throughout the meeting. A premature retirement after ten laps in the Final deprived him of a result commensurate with his level of performance, but he nevertheless finished 3rd in the 2025 Championship, a valuable podium finish against exceptional competition.

Samuele Leopardi made an impressive comeback, climbing 19 places, while Zoe Florescu Potolea gained 11. Returning to the European scene, Matheus Morgatto (CL Racing Team) showed great speed, but various incidents in the heats complicated his race before he climbed many places in the Super Heat and then 16 positions in the Final.

Congratulations also to Luis Laurin Speck, Corentin Rousseau and Jay Urwin for qualifying for the Final.

In KZ2 Masters, a category reserved for drivers over 35 years of age, Manuel Cozzaglio was consistently among the frontrunners. Involved in an incident while fighting for the podium, he had to start from the back of the grid and was unable to defend his chances.

"Franciacorta always brings out the best in drivers and equipment," commented Riccardo Longhi, Team Manager at Birelart. "This event is a perfect rehearsal before the World Championship. I am proud of the competitiveness of our drivers in all categories. The speed is there, the spirit is strong and we will be ready to fight for the titles next weekend. We are also proud to have been the best represented chassis at the event, with almost twice as many drivers as our closest competitor.”

Still based in Franciacorta, the Birelart Racing team is finalising its preparations for the FIA Karting World Championship. Next weekend, the KZ drivers will be aiming for the world title, the KZ2s will be competing for the World Cup, while the KZ2 Masters will be battling it out for the International Super Cup.

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