With Round 2 of the FIA Karting European Championship OK-OKJ now completed at the Valencia circuit in Spain, it is time for the first assessment of the season for the CRG Racing Team. On one side, the performances shown both in the FIA events and in the Champions of the Future warm-up races confirmed the strength of the CRG-TM package, as well as the quality of the work carried out by the technical staff and drivers. At the same time, however, a combination of circumstances has so far prevented the team from securing the standout result that would truly underline the work accomplished.
The engines have just fallen silent after the two back-to-back events in Spain, meaning the 2026 European Championship has now reached its halfway point. In the opening event (Champions of the Future), CRG colours stepped onto the podium with Viktor Gustafsson and the Kalì Kart brand, while Davide Bottaro claimed pole position and set a new outright lap record for the circuit. The FIA European Championship round that has just concluded, on the other hand, was heavily influenced by a series of unlucky incidents that prevented the team and drivers from achieving the results they deserved.
In the OK category in particular, strong performances were consistently delivered by all the drivers, highlighting the high potential of the technical direction undertaken by the team — a potential that goes beyond what the current championship standings may suggest. For the next round in Germany, further updates will be introduced, while TM, together with the Machac Motors squad, is continuing to work intensively on the engine side in order to bring technical developments to every event.
CRG Racing Team Principal Jeremy Iglesias summed up the start of the season during the team’s debrief: “The technical package we currently have in the direct-drive categories is competitive and built around two main strengths. Firstly, the simplicity and versatility with which our KT2 chassis adapts to every type of circuit and track condition using either a standard setup or only minimal adjustments. At the same time, the feedback we are receiving from the drivers confirms the excellent feeling behind the wheel, and this is particularly important in junior categories such as OKJ. Both of these characteristics are also extremely important in national championships and markets, where CRG colours have already achieved significant success during the first part of the 2026 season. As far as the CRG Racing Team is concerned, the results obtained so far in OKJ and OK do not yet reflect our true potential, and it will only be a matter of time before we can fight consistently for podium finishes and secure the results that both the drivers and technical staff deserve. In Spain, we were highly competitive in the OK category with all our drivers, and this is encouraging because it confirms the strength of the team effort overall. I also want to thank TM, because they are working alongside us with great commitment and professionalism in the OK categories, playing a key role in our performances. Of course, I also want to mention our drivers, because we have a complete line-up where young talents and experienced drivers like Viktor work together, sharing data and feedback in a very productive way. We are now fully focused on the next round in Germany for the OK and OKJ categories, while also awaiting confirmation of the new venue for the World Championship, which will be the highlight event of the season. We all hope it will return to Europe given the complications surrounding Bahrain in recent weeks.”
