The second round of the FIA European Karting Championship put drivers’ adaptability and mental strength to the test at the Lucas Guerrero Karting Circuit in Valencia, Spain. Among those who took on the challenge was Brazilian driver Dudu Salamonde (Minardi Management powered by DAG \/ EXA Tecnologia \/ Vero Coco \/ DKR \/ RL Eng. Design \/ Casa Bar\u00f4 \/ SOMA Blindados \/ Team: Parolin Racing \/ Coach: Gianluca Beggio), who endured a weekend defined by persistent rainfall and extremely demanding conditions in the OK category, within a competitive field of 83 drivers.
\nFrom the very first free practice sessions, the Spanish round showed signs of being a gruelling weekend. The Valencia region was hit by severe weather instability throughout the event’s activity days, including hailstorms, which significantly limited track time for several teams ahead of the official programme.
\n“It was a very tough week because of the weather. There was hail during free practice and we ended up missing some sessions before the official schedule began. We already know that the qualifying heats will likely be held in wet conditions, so it’s going to be a real fight,” said the S\u00e3o Paulo native, even before the official activities got underway.
\nIn qualifying, Dudu Salamonde was placed in Group E of his category, setting out the path he would follow across the five qualifying heats of the event. Despite the challenging circumstances, the Brazilian put in consistent performances throughout the opening heats and showed the ability to respond under adversity.
\nIn the first two heats, Salamonde demonstrated strong pace and carved his way through the field, gaining a combined total of eight positions across both races. His aggressive driving style and capacity to adapt to the ever-changing conditions of the Spanish circuit drew attention throughout the paddock.
\nThe second day of qualifying heats brought even more drama for the Parolin Racing factory driver. Dudu returned to the track for three further races, with Heat 4 standing out as the highlight of his weekend. The Brazilian pulled off ten overtakes during the race \u2014 a performance that underlined his raw potential even in the most difficult of conditions.
\nIn the final heat of the programme, with the track having dried out, Dudu was unable to complete the opening lap after the start. The incident directly impacted the points tally he needed to progress in the event and cut short a recovery drive that had been steadily building throughout the weekend in Spain.
\nSalamonde concluded his participation just three points shy of a Super Heat berth, bringing his campaign at the second round of the European Karting Championship to an earlier-than-expected end. Even so, his competitive performances amid such adverse conditions provided encouraging signs for the next stages of his international season.
\n“We came so close to making the Super Heat, but it certainly wasn’t for lack of effort or commitment \u2014 from me or from the entire team. Everyone worked incredibly hard during these days in Valencia, especially with track conditions that were changing every single lap. Now it’s about staying focused, because we still have a lot ahead of us,” said the driver from S\u00e3o Paulo.
\nWith little time to dwell on what has passed, Dudu Salamonde is already looking ahead to his next continental assignment. The Brazilian will travel to M\u00fclsen, Germany, where he will compete in the third round of the FIA European Karting Championship from June 11 to 14.
\nThe races will take place at the Motorsport Arena \u2014 a circuit located just over 80 kilometres from Leipzig \u2014 in yet another important milestone in the Parolin Racing driver’s international journey.<\/p>\n
Press Office: Kako Marques \/ KMCom Press
\nFollow Dudu Salamonde on Instagram: @eduardosalamonde<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The second round of the FIA European Karting Championship put drivers’ adaptability and mental strength to the test at the Lucas Guerrero Karting Circuit in Valencia, Spain. Among those who took on the challenge was Brazilian driver Dudu Salamonde (Minardi Management powered by DAG \/ EXA Tecnologia \/ Vero Coco \/ DKR \/ RL Eng. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":37261,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n