Pictures Fotocar13
OK JUNIOR
The 13-year-old Ugo Ugochukwu, on the eve of this Fia Karting event, certainly could not be considered as the surprise of the championship and not only for what he showed in the last two months, very intense agonistically. The American from his very beginnings on an international level, starting with Rok the Rio in Las Vegas and the Rok Cup Superfinal in Lonato, had stood out by showing a certain propensity to occupy the top tiers of the races. He is among those of the new generation you can bet on, as did the Sauber Karting Team of the French engineer Frédéric Vasseur, CEO of Sauber Motorsport AG, in partnership with KR of Dino Chiesa. If anything, what surprised us was his interpretation in facing the three events that allowed him to deservedly conquer the continental title of the Cadets of Direct Driver. A title that officially places him among the most interesting drivers among the new generation. On the occasion of this European Championship, he has shown that he can also run with his head as well as with his foot. This competitive evolution, today more than ever, is spreading considerably, and is the daughter of the mechanism created by the motorsport feeder system that already pushes this approach from karting for the drivers near moving into cars. And Ugo Ugochukwu reflects this new mentality in the best possible way, and the victory in the second round in Sarno and the second final place in Wackersdorf, after dominating in qualifying and in the heats, confirm this predisposition. Although the Junior category has always been the most agitated, but fortunately less rowdy than a few years ago (and even in Wackersdorf there were flashes of competitive excess as if the race were to be decided at that juncture, but it is not so), in the occasion Ugochukwu never allowed himself to be influenced by certain restless and not at all profitable behaviors, managing the salient phases with extreme clarity, thus proving himself more mature than his peers. Second place in Zuera, conquered with stubbornness after an exciting comeback, appeared as a fore-warning sign. The icing on the cake was then set in Sarno, the second test which practically decided the fate of the championship. This time he does err in qualifications and sets the second-best time behind Dodds; in the heats he wins the pole of the final, taking home those 10 points so precious in view of the championship. In the final, he dominates, crosses the finish line six seconds ahead of Slater who passes in second place. A result that leaves no room for discussion or doubt. Thus the prediction on the candidate for the title changes radically. Also because Taponen, the winner of Zuera, does not confirm his performance in Sarno, and does not seem able to respond to the American’s provocation. In Wackersdorf Ugochukwu adopts the same strategy as Sarno, going fast immediately and putting everyone in line – behind him - right from the tests. “Et voilà, le jeu son fait!” So even before the final, there was already his name inscribed on the plate of the 2020 Fia Karting European Championship and, with the title in his pocket, Ugochukwu let himself go like a leaf in the vortex of a stream, closing the event in the best possible way, behind the winner of the last race, Lindblad, second in the general classification.