Let’s see how one actually laps the 1,300 meters and 15 curves of the Franciacorta Karting Track in a description that necessarily will be a bit more complex than usual because we are in the presence of a circuit that is anything but simple or trivial. After crossing the finish line, you will face turn 1 at full throttle: it is not difficult or demanding, but it affects the setting up of the following turns 2 and 3, where you arrive in 6th gear at about 140 km per hour. This speed leads the KZ drivers to prefer hard braking with their wheels straight, while with single-speed karts with rear brakes it is possible to brake a little more “in” at turn 2. Here the choice of the entry trajectory is between one that is a little more internal, two-thirds of the width, joining at the half point with curve 3 which is narrower; or staying wide, favoring the speed of travel, but also traveling several meters more, risking moreover (in race situations) to opening one’s flank to those who are trying to pass us. A choice to evaluate also according to your vehicle and driving style. In any case, the two curves are covered in 3rd gear. Even at the exit, you can choose whether to use almost the entire width of the track or to stay more towards the center, depending on the speed with which you wish to tackle curve 4 smoothly: even in this case there is no unique recipe on the best line, but must be assessed directly on a case by case basis. Then you arrive in 5th gear at the demanding corner of turn 5, which you face in 2nd gear: the difficulty depends both on the lack (for now) of references, and on the fact that the curve is very abrupt. Factors that make the approach to this curve delicate, with a high risk of arriving slightly long, thus compromising the entire following stretch.
At the exit, you go to touch the internal curb of curve 6, and here too you try to stay towards the center of the track to better face curve 7, which is taken in full without braking, possibly even a little wide, at the apex, to facilitate entry to the next. At this point, we found a difference between Longhi and Kremers: the first enters in 4th gear, while the Dutchman prefers changing into 5th, even with the same final ratio. In any case, they both lighten up, while remaining turned, in setting up curve 8 in a stretch that can make the difference in the speed with which you arrive (in 5th) at curve 9. Here you reach the braking section with such rapidity that you feel you are still exiting the previous curve, and also this time it is necessary to connect in the most appropriate way possible with curve 10 which, being narrower, requires you to clearly raise your foot halfway between the two curves, which are covered in 3rd. Again, at the exit Longhi extended 3rd gear as much as possible, while with shorter ratios Kremers had to “tap in” 4th gear. Here it is necessary to evaluate well how far or long to stay on the left and how much to move to the right to better face the double curve 11-12, which is tackled in 2nd. Especially with the KZ, it is preferable to exit without widening (so much so that the apex is taken almost at the end of the internal curb) in order to travel curve 13 in the smoothest way possible, without “rowing”, and without risking ending up wide on the curb on exiting. This would, in fact, compromise the second-fastest straight of the circuit. It should also be said that in this section (ie from curve 9 to 13) it is important to find trajectories that do not “cross” excessively between one curve and the other: this would easily lead to travelling too many meters more and making yourself more vulnerable to rivals who follow you. We then arrive at the uphill braking for the final hairpin bend, turn 14, where in 6th we reach a speed just a little lower than the speed after the finish. Here you shift down to 2nd, braking hard, but avoiding to “block” the kart too much, because the hairpin is not very tight (compared to similar ones of other tracks) and therefore requires you to maintain a certain travel speed.