Only a strong finish was missing for Theo Steindal to round off a weekend in which he was once again among the leading contenders in MINI Gr.3. Racing for MP Academy Gamoto with the support of WYDA (World Young Drivers Academy), the young Norwegian showed impressive pace at the final round of the Italian ACI Karting Championship, held at the Leopard Circuit in Viterbo.
Steindal began the weekend in excellent form, setting the second-fastest time in Friday’s free practice sessions. It was an early sign of his competitiveness, which he confirmed in qualifying by taking overall pole position with a lap of 1:00.254.
Theo led all eight laps of the first heat and crossed the finish line in first place. A subsequent three-second penalty for contact with another competitor, however, dropped him to fifth. He responded immediately in the second heat, winning from start to finish. He then finished second in the third heat, just 68 thousandths of a second behind the winner, completing an outstanding set of qualifying heats.
Starting second in the prefinal, Theo remained among the frontrunners for much of the race and finished third. In the Final, the Norwegian started fourth and climbed to second in the opening stages. As the race progressed, however, he gradually lost positions and crossed the line in sixth.
The result inevitably brings some disappointment, especially in light of his performance throughout the weekend. A strong showing in free practice, pole position, a heat win, a second-place finish, a prefinal podium and a consistent presence at the front all underline the quality of his performance.
Steindal ends the Italian ACI Karting Championship in fifth place overall, confirming his status as one of the leading drivers in MINI Gr.3. His season is far from over: after the opening round of the WSK Final Cup, the young Norwegian sits second in the standings.