At the fourth round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series (CotF) in Cremona, Italy, Mathilda Paatz from Cologne had a good but not flawless weekend: The DPK-Racing driver didn't really get going at the beginning of the event, but was able to prove her skills in the final heats and the concluding Superheat. The 14-year-old thus gained important experience for the FIA European Kart Championship race in a fortnight' time.
In qualifying, Paatz finished 48th overall out of 73 participants. "Once again, the qualifying could have been better - and above all, it should have been," the 14-year-old said self-critically. "The beginning of the weekend didn't go perfectly, so I had to take full risk in the heats to be able to fight my way up in the overall classification." However, Paatz was not in top form on Thursday when the first two heats were held. An additional spoiler penalty threw the Cologne-based rider back another few positions.
It was only on Friday that the ADAC Nordrhein Foundation protégé got going: 13th place in the morning warm-up gave the 14-year-old confidence. The frustration of the previous day was released in a "toxic" driving style, which enabled strong overtaking manoeuvres. In the third heat, Paatz fought her way up to 14th place, and in the fourth heat she even managed to finish twelfth. An unintentional retirement in the fifth and final heat set the DPK driver back again, but her entry into the following Superheats was assured.
Strong catch-up in the Superheat
There, too, the German Sport Driver's Association's sponsored pilot impressed with a strong performance. The rider from Cologne made no mistakes and gained a total of eleven positions in the course of the race, so that in the end she finished in 17th place. "I could have gone even further," Paatz smiled. "But the race was too short and not every overtaking manoeuvre was right. But I'm still happy about the result and it shows me once again that I can keep up with the strong field - even if I didn't make it to the final.
Nevertheless, the Champions of the Future Euro Series races were a good opportunity to prepare for the upcoming FIA European Kart Champions event in Cremona (27-30 July). "Although I have been familiar with the track for some time, I was once again able to gain important experience," said Paatz. "That gives me hope for the European Championship!"
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