RELAIS ESTIVAL · Course Race⏱ 18 min

Twenty-three teams lined up on the 964-metre Karting Paul Ricard layout on 10 July 2026 for a 17-minute endurance race that delivered a tight and revealing contest from lights to flag.

CAVALLINO RAMPANTE (kart #14) crossed the line first, completing 16 laps and finishing a lap ahead of the chasing pack in terms of the overall standings. LES PINK LADIES (#17) secured second place, 13.969 seconds adrift, while RJ PLAN C (#2) completed the podium a further 2.037 seconds back at 16.006 seconds from the leader. LUIGI (#20) and LOXKART3617 (#1) rounded out the top five, the latter classified one lap down.

Every classified team recorded exactly three pit stops, confirming a uniform strategy across the field. The fastest lap of the entire race was set by RJ PLAN C with a benchmark of 1:00.201, edging CAVALLINO RAMPANTE's best of 1:00.330 and LES PINK LADIES' 1:00.505.

The pace analysis tells a story that nuances the final order. CAVALLINO RAMPANTE posted the best median race pace of the field (1:01.189) and backed it with the finest consistency figure among the front-runners (σ = 0.53 s), confirming that their victory was built on sustained performance rather than any single flying lap. Their second stint — 10 laps at a median of 1:00.770 — was their strongest segment.

LES PINK LADIES held the 2nd-best median pace (1:01.263) but showed greater variability across the race (σ = 1.07 s). Notably, their second stint saw them gain 0.25 s per lap through the closing phase, suggesting a driver improving progressively — a positive sign for future events. RJ PLAN C (3rd-best pace, 1:01.361) were the most consistent team in their opening stint (σ = 0.13 s) and carried strong pace into the second.

The standout anomaly of the race was DAD & SON TEAM (#7), who recorded the 5th-fastest median pace overall (1:01.645) but finished only 9th. Their opening stint was significantly slower (median 1:05.284), dragging their overall ranking down despite a blistering second stint at a median of 1:00.703 — the fastest second-stint pace in the analysed field. The stark contrast between their two stints produced the highest consistency scatter of any team (σ = 2.10 s across the race), explaining the gap between potential and result.

At the other end of the strategic spectrum, BELOO RACING BULL (#23) finished 13th despite holding only the 17th-fastest median pace, making them the clearest example of a team outperforming their raw speed through disciplined execution. Conversely, LION (#24) recorded the most severe pace degradation in the data: losing 0.77 s per lap through their first stint, a drop that ultimately cost them dearly in the final standings (15th).

Key takeaways for teams: at Karting Paul Ricard, a stable and high median pace across both stints — as demonstrated by CAVALLINO RAMPANTE — remains the most reliable route to the top step. Consistency (low σ) compounds over 17 minutes. Teams with strong raw speed but uneven stints, like DAD & SON TEAM, leave significant positions on the table. Managing tyre and driving degradation lap-by-lap, rather than chasing single fast laps, is the lesson this race reinforces most clearly.