endurance Vigier · Finale Race⏱ 1h22

The Saintes Karting circuit hosted its 81-minute endurance final on 10 July 2026, with 16 teams competing on the 700-metre track. The race delivered a gripping contest of pace, consistency and pit-stop strategy, with KART8 ultimately taking a dominant victory.

KART8 crossed the line first with 76 laps completed — a clear margin of two full laps over the chasing pack. The team made four pit stops and posted the best lap of their own race at 53.547s. Their median pure race pace of 54.363s placed them third in the speed rankings, but what set them apart was their remarkable consistency: an overall standard deviation of just 1.3 seconds across five stints, with each individual stint rated as stable. No single stint showed any sign of degradation — a textbook performance in terms of race management.

KART9 took second place with 74 laps, running a median pace of 56.014s (6th best in the field). Their final two stints were notably tighter, with standard deviations of 0.37s and 0.40s, suggesting the team found their rhythm in the closing stages. KART17 completed the podium, also on 74 laps, finishing just 1.524s behind KART9. Their pace was the 7th fastest in the field at 56.499s median, but four stable or near-stable stints kept them in contention throughout.

The most striking gap between outright speed and final classification belongs to KART6. Finishing only 6th, KART6 was the fastest team in the entire field by median pace — 53.996s — and the most consistent outfit on track with a standard deviation of just 0.81s. However, the team completed only three recorded stints across their 73 laps, which appears to reflect a different pit-stop rhythm that cost them in total distance. KART2, who finished 4th, told a similar story: 2nd-best median pace at 54.036s and the best lap of the entire race — 53.193s — yet three laps behind the leader. Their regulation of 1.0s standard deviation was the sharpest among the front-runners.

KART22 (10th) is the race's clearest example of raw speed failing to convert into results. Ranked 4th in pure pace at a median of 55.936s, the team suffered their most damaging stint in Relais 4, where pace dropped by 0.57s per lap — the steepest degradation recorded in the race — ultimately costing them several positions. At the other end of the strategic spectrum, KART1 (7th) out-performed their pure pace ranking of 12th, demonstrating that consistent execution across five stints can compensate for a lack of outright speed.

KART11 was the only team to make five pit stops, finishing 11th with 70 laps — a result that underlines the cost of the additional stop. KART7 brought up the rear in 16th with 67 laps, nine laps off the lead.

Key takeaways for teams: At Saintes Karting over 81 minutes, pace alone is not enough — KART6 proved that by leading all pace metrics yet finishing 6th. The winner, KART8, combined a strong median pace (3rd in field) with flawless consistency across all five stints and zero degradation. Managing tyre and mechanical load to avoid mid- or end-of-stint slowdowns — as illustrated by KART22's 0.57s/lap drop — is as decisive as raw speed. Pit-stop sequencing also proved critical: every extra stop carries a tangible cost in laps completed.