CRG returned to the top step this weekend at the Genk circuit in Belgium, host of Round 1 of the FIA European Championship KZ-KZ2. Pace and outright speed were evident from the very first free practice sessions in the premier KZ category, with Viktor Gustafsson setting the benchmark and Adrian Malheiro confirming the competitiveness of the CRG-TM package.

In qualifying, Viktor narrowly missed pole position by just 0.021 seconds, ending the session in 3rd place, while Adrian secured a strong P5. The speed shown in qualifying carried over into the heats, where Viktor claimed pole position for the Super Heat thanks to two wins and a second-place finish, before also locking out pole for the Final. Adrian equally confirmed his front-running pace by securing a second-row start for the Final. Unfortunately for Viktor, the only mistake in an otherwise dominant weekend came at a very high cost. A slight hesitation off the line dropped him down the order and forced him into a recovery drive that only came together in the closing laps, when he finally caught Adrian, who had been leading the race. Under heavy pressure from the chasing pack at the front, the two CRG drivers made slight contact on the final lap, resulting in a spin for Viktor and a significant loss of championship points. For Adrian, however, Round 1 of the Euro KZ Championship ended with a superb victory and provisional 2nd place in the standings, just four points behind Stan Pex. The second and decisive round of the Euro KZ Championship is scheduled for July 5th at the Sarno circuit in Italy, where Adrian will head into the event with strong title ambitions. Viktor will also look for redemption, although the 44-point deficit to the championship leader, currently on 88 points, represents a major challenge.

The Genk weekend was not only a showcase for CRG in the KZ category, but also highlighted the competitiveness of the technical package in KZ2, where several drivers delivered standout performances. Alois Girardet started the Final from P6 and had the pace to fight for the podium, but a few minor mistakes relegated him to 11th place at the chequered flag after an otherwise solid weekend.

On the other hand, Daniel Maciá, racing with the Kalì Kart chassis, started from 13th on the grid and produced an outstanding comeback drive, carving through the field with impressive race pace, setting the fastest lap of the race and finishing in 4th position. Jean Luyet also secured a top-10 finish in 8th place, while his brother Samuel crossed the line in 17th. Andrea Dalè also delivered a positive performance for CRG, converting his qualification for the Final into a 15th-place finish. Daniel Maciá and Alois Girardet currently sit inside the top ten of the provisional championship standings and will head to Sarno aiming to fight for the KZ2 title. Full results from the Belgian weekend are available on the official FIA Karting website (www.fiakarting.com)

Comments from the main protagonists

Adrian Malheiro (KZ)

“It was a very positive weekend where we showed strong pace and consistency in every session, from qualifying through to the Final. In the Final I benefited from Viktor’s mistake at the start, but after that I managed the race perfectly and secured a well-deserved win that rewards both myself and the team for all the hard work.”

Viktor Gustafsson (KZ)

“I compromised the race with my mistake at the start, and what happened on the last lap was simply a consequence of that. Still, I want to focus on all the positives we showed this weekend, both in terms of outright speed and race pace. We worked very well from the test sessions onwards and proved that the 2026 CRG KZ chassis package is performing at the highest level. I’ll definitely try to turn the championship situation around at Sarno, even though recovering 40 points will be a huge task.”

Daniel Maciá (KZ2)

“It’s a bittersweet feeling after this weekend. On one hand I’m happy with the pace we had, but at the same time I believe I could have fought for the win in the Final if I had started a little further up the grid. The penalty in the Super Heat was debatable, but as I said, we need to focus on the positives and keep working ahead of Round 2 in Sarno to achieve the best possible championship result. Huge thanks to the whole team for their incredible work this weekend.”

Jeremy Iglesias (CRG Team Principal)

“We’re extremely pleased with this weekend because the results came as a team effort, both in KZ and KZ2. Every driver was competitive, and that confirms the high-performance level of the 2026 chassis package. I want to congratulate all the team members for the excellent job they did, as well as our partners at TM, because everything worked perfectly throughout the weekend. There’s obviously some disappointment over Viktor’s unlucky ending, but he’s a true professional and I’m sure he’ll come back even stronger at Sarno to bounce back from this unfortunate Sunday.