World Championship premiere for Mathilda Paatz: At the FIA Kart World Championship race in Sarno, Italy, the Cologne racer convinced with a solid performance. Although she did not make it into the final races, the TB Racing Team driver was able to set some highlights and gain valuable experience. Paatz was in the middle of the field and has a satisfactory result after the weekend.
Mathilda Paatz already put in a strong performance at the Circuito Internazionale Napoli in the south of Italy at the end of July, when she moved up into the top ten from 31st on the grid in the WSK Euro Series Pre-Final. No wonder the ADAC Nordrhein development driver travelled to Italy for the FIA Kart World Championship full of confidence. In the test and practice sessions, Paatz continued her strong performance despite adverse weather conditions. With good placings, even in the top six of the group, the 14-year-old made her ambitions clear.
In qualifying on Friday, the 14-year-old failed to get a perfect lap on a drying track, which resulted in 22nd place on the grid for the important heats. In the first heat, Paatz improved to 20th place, while in the second preliminary heat, 16th position was the result. In both races, the Rhinelander received a five-second spoiler penalty, so that in the end only positions 22 and 20 were recorded.
The driver from the TB Racing Team had to end the third preliminary run prematurely after a violent collision. Fortunately, the result was only a few bruises. Nevertheless, Paatz was visibly upset: "The person who caused the accident was disqualified for the heat, but my race and chances for the finals on Sunday were significantly reduced by the accident."
Paatz sets highlights on Saturday
All hopes therefore rested on the remaining heats on Saturday. A total of 109 participants competed in the World Karting Championships in Sarno, so no fewer than seven heats decided who would make it into the final races. Paatz finished 19th in the fourth heat, followed by a strong 15th position in the fifth heat.
In the sixth race, the Rhinelander was once again taken to task by an over-motivated competitor. A jammed rear bumper and a stay in the repair zone were the result, so that no more than 25th place was possible. As a result, the finals on Sunday were out of reach. Nevertheless, the promotional pilot of the German Sport Driver's Association found a conciliatory ending.
In the seventh and final heat, Paatz crossed the finish line in 16th place after a very good race with many overtaking manoeuvres, so that 89th position was achieved overall. Because only the 72 best pilots progressed, the weekend came to an early end. "Of course I am angry and disappointed, because the possibility for the final races was there. Unfortunately, the qualifying did not go perfectly and the two accidents, which were not my fault, destroyed the last hope of reaching the final," says Paatz.
The Cologne native made her debut in the World Championships and wanted to use the start above all as an important experience for her future career. She succeeded. "All in all, I am very satisfied with my weekend and the performance I showed. The international experience is very important and helps me for the next competitions!"
For this reason, Paatz is using the remaining opportunities to gain further racing experience at international level. From 28 September to 2 October, the Cologne rider will compete for the KR factory team at the WSK Open Cup in Lonato, Italy, where the WSK Final Cup (16 to 20 November) will take place at the same venue.
Between the two WSK races, the Cologne native will take part in the FIA Motorsport Games in France (29 to 31 October) as part of 'Motorsport Team Germany'. At the end of the season, the final of 'FIA Girls on Track - Rising Stars' (21 to 24 November) is on the agenda, where it will be decided whether Paatz will receive the coveted sponsorship in the Ferrari Driver Academy for the 2023 season.
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