JULIA ANGELARD IS DISSATISFIED AFTER THE FINAL IN LONATO

/in /da
  • The fifth round of the ROK Cup Italia was not too kind to the 13-year-old JSTR by Jastrzębski Racing competitor.
  • Although there were hopes for a solid pace, both qualifying and the final race did not go the way of the Minardi Management protégé.
  • The changing weather conditions also proved to be a major obstacle, including an intense downpour over the track combined with a storm preceding the final run.

South Garda Karting in Lonato is a karting facility that is well-known to competitors competing on Italian soil. Julia Angelard appeared on this track for the third time this year, but this time the competition was slightly different. “Night Lonato” involved qualifying runs in the afternoon, a heat race in the evening and the final, which was scheduled for 22:40, but due to a raging storm, it was held after midnight.

From the rain to the gutter
Although the night round on the Lonato track is exceptional in itself, this year’s weather decided to make the competition difficult for the competitors. For most of the weekend, the heat was over 30 degrees, and unexpectedly, during the final runs, the night sky was covered with clouds, from which heavy rain poured, combined with a storm passing over Lake Garda. The competition, marked by difficult weather conditions both during the day and after dark, under artificial lighting, did not go according to plan for the Minardi Management protégé.

The hot qualifying session was characterised by high temperatures both on and above the track. The differences between the competitors were almost marginal, as a result of which Julia Angelard, with a loss of just over 0.3 seconds to the leader, took only 13th place in her time trial, which translated into a 25th result in combined results of both groups. And although the first heat was optimistic, because Julia advanced to a high, eighth place, during the second qualifying run she only took 18th place. The chance for redemption was provided by the evening’s third heat, in which Julia took 9th place, thus qualifying for the final as 21st out of 36 competitors, with two rivals directly ahead of her.

Unfortunately, the capricious weather caused a downpour combined with a storm to break out over the track, resulting in the final race being held in intensely wet conditions. There were puddles in many corners, and the plumes of water kicked up by the karts made it difficult for the drivers behind to see. To make matters worse, incorrect kart settings and engine problems meant that Julia Angelard was unable to show her true pace as she tried to close the gap and finish safely. As a result, the final, which was supposed to bring hope for a good result, ended in disappointment and 24th place.

Mentoring support on the track
During the fifth round of the ROK Cup Italia at the South Garda Karting track in Lonato, Julia Angelard could once again count on great support and experience. In the tent of the 13-year-old Pole during the race weekend appeared Maya Weug, a Ferrari Academy driver competing in the F1 Academy.

Thanks to her experience, Maya was able to advise the Polish teenager on the best lines to take when racing around the Lonato track as quickly as possible. Her valuable advice also proved useful in terms of overtaking on the track, starting from a distance.

Julia Angelard: It was a tough weekend
“It was a tough weekend in Lonato. I had a very good pace during the test days, but in qualifying I couldn’t find the right place to do a clean, fast lap. What’s more, the changing weather conditions and the wrong kart settings made the rest of the day downright disastrous. I lost pace, speed and had engine problems during the final run. I feel sad because I like Lonato and the night race is a special event, so my expectations were high. Thank you for having Maya Weug with me and supporting me once again this season,” admits Julia Angelard.

The JSTR by Jastrzębski Racing competitor now has less than two weeks of break, after which she will head to the third round of the Champions of the Future Academy series, held at the Italian Pista Azzurra track in Jesolo.