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Podiums and fastest laps for Birelart at Franciacorta

FIA Karting World Championship - Franciacorta (ITA) - 12, October 2025

The 2025 FIA Karting World Championship held at Franciacorta confirmed Birelart's strength in all gearbox categories. From Noah Wolfe's podium finish in KZ2 to consistent top 10 finishes in KZ, not to mention the impressive performance in KZ2 Masters, the Italian manufacturer once again demonstrated the performance, balance and reliability of its chassis on one of the most demanding circuits in the world.

In KZ, Pedro Hiltbrand led the charge by setting the fastest lap in the race and finishing 6th in the Final after an impressive comeback. Winner of his Super Heat, he should have started 3rd on the grid, but a penalty pushed him back to 13th position at the start. His performance in the Final fully illustrates the competitiveness of the Birelart package on the Lombardy track. 

Cristian Bertuca, very close to his team-mate's pace, gained several places from the start to finish 7th, allowing two Birelart Racing drivers to finish in the top 10. Daniel Vasile (CL Racing) finished just behind him in 11th place.

Riccardo Longhi, an exceptional driver this weekend, was among the fastest on the grid. Unfortunately, he was pushed off the track at the first corner of the Final, compromising his chances of a good result, but he still provided important technical feedback to the factory.

KZ Finalists
- Pedro Hiltbrand: 6th
- Cristian Bertuca: 7th
- Daniel Vasile (CL Racing): 11th
- Riccardo Longhi: 17th

In KZ2, Noah Wolfe (VAR by Birel) once again impressed by finishing on the World Cup podium. Fast from the start of the meeting with the best time in his group in Qualifying, two race wins and a 2nd place in the Super Heat, the Briton fought at the front until the finish, ending up 3rd just two tenths of a second behind 2nd place. He thus confirmed his status as one of the most promising young talents in international karting.

Genis Civico Espona (CL Racing) scored a superb 8th place, while Luis Laurin Speck continued his progress with a fine 9th place. Samuele Leopardi, who was particularly fast, had to retire after 14 laps.

KZ2 finalists
- Noah Wolfe (VAR by Birelart): 3rd
- Genis Civico Espona (CL Racing): 8th
- Luis Laurin Speck: 9th
- Michael Ider: 17th
- Levi Arn: 22nd
- Zoe Florescu Potolea: 25th
- Juho Valtanen: 26th
- Corentin Rousseau (CL Racing): 27th
- Samuele Leopardi: 28th

In the team rankings, Birelart took 2nd place in KZ and KZ2.

In KZ2 Masters, Manuel Cozzaglio finished 5th after a consistent and clean race. Martynas Tankevicius climbed up to 12th place, while André Sousa and Sirio Costantini completed the top 20 in 17th and 18th place. These results allowed Birelart Racing to climb to 3rd place in the team classification.

KZ2 Masters finalists
- Manuel Cozzaglio: 5th
- Martynas Tankevicius: 12th
- André Sousa: 17th
- Sirio Costantini: 18th

Jordon Lennox brilliantly managed the entire weekend and the gearbox categories, while Riccardo Longhi focused on his role as a driver this time around.

Exceptionally well aligned this weekend, Riccardo Longhi said:

"We can be proud of what the entire Birelart team achieved at Franciacorta. In all three categories, our drivers showed the same fighting spirit and consistency that characterises our team. Hiltbrand and Bertuca were fast and consistent in KZ, Wolfe took two race wins and another world championship podium, while Cozzaglio was not far from the podium in KZ2 Masters.”

“Personally, coming back as a driver was a great experience, even if the Final did not go our way due to the collision at the first corner. It also allows me to bring a fresh perspective to the development of the equipment. I would like to commend the work of Jordon Lennox, who did a great job managing the team throughout the weekend and whose contribution was invaluable to the whole group.

These results illustrate the strength of our factory programme and give us great motivation for 2026."

Jordon Lennox, sporting manager at Franciacorta, concluded:

“The weekend was full of excitement and learning for the whole team. Seeing Riccardo back in his race suit was a real boost for our drivers and the factory. His return to the track, even if hampered by the collision in the Final, proves everyone's commitment to collective performance. We showed great consistency across all categories, and the podium finishes validate the technical direction we have taken. Thank you to all the team members and our partners for their unwavering commitment. We will continue this momentum to aim even higher in 2026."

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