Grand Prix Paulstra · Finale Race⏱ 2h05

The 125-minute endurance final at Sologne Karting (Piste Nord, 980 m, Salbris) brought together 13 teams on 11 July 2026 for a demanding race that tested pace, regularity and pit-stop strategy in equal measure.

ALPINE (kart #3) took the chequered flag after 145 laps, claiming victory by 10.258 seconds over RED BULL (kart #12, 145 laps) and 12.590 seconds over LOTUS (kart #9, 145 laps). The top three all completed the same number of laps and each made seven pit stops, making the on-track battle the deciding factor. ALPINE also set the best lap of the race, a 45.488-second effort that stood unchallenged throughout the 125 minutes.

BUGATTI (kart #28) and HONDA (kart #13) completed the top five, both on 144 laps and separated by 6.711 seconds. FERRARI (kart #1), TOYOTA (kart #6) and ASTON MARTIN (kart #14) all finished on 142 laps in sixth, seventh and eighth respectively, with TOYOTA and ASTON MARTIN split by only 0.371 seconds at the flag. PORSCHE (kart #4) and CHEVROLET (kart #16) rounded out the top ten on 139 laps, separated by just 0.296 seconds. CITROËN (kart #8, 138 laps), MERCEDES (kart #2, 135 laps) and AUDI (kart #5, 132 laps, 8 stops) completed the field.

The race analysis reveals a thought-provoking gap between pure pace and final classification. RED BULL (kart #12) posted the best median pace in the field at 46.408 s and also the best consistency figure (standard deviation of 0.55 s), yet had to settle for second place. With only 83 analysed laps out of 145, the team's time on track was not sufficient to convert its speed advantage into victory. LOTUS, second in pure pace (median 46.809 s, 8 stints, 146 laps counted), also finished third, underlining that race distance and strategic execution shaped the final order.

ALPINE, classified fourth in pure pace (median 47.041 s), demonstrated remarkable consistency across eight stints — all rated stable — and managed its 145 laps with seven well-timed pit stops. The winning combination was clearly built on strategic solidity rather than outright speed: no stint went off the rails, and the team rotated through fast and slightly slower stints without surrendering significant time.

The most notable degradation of the race appeared in BUGATTI's (kart #28 / analysis kart #10) sixth stint, where pace dropped by 0.26 seconds per lap — the steepest fade recorded in the data. TOYOTA offered the opposite picture in its third stint, improving by 0.16 s/lap, while RED BULL (kart #12) gained 0.23 s/lap in its opening stint before settling into a consistently rapid rhythm.

CHEVROLET deserves a mention for finishing tenth in the classification despite ranking only 15th in pure pace (median 49.512 s) — the widest positive gap between race result and raw speed in the field, pointing to solid strategic management keeping the team competitive despite its pace deficit.

Key takeaways for teams: At Sologne Karting, pure pace alone does not guarantee victory in a 125-minute endurance race. ALPINE's win shows that stable, consistent stints and well-timed stops outweigh marginal lap-time advantages. RED BULL's median pace was unmatched, but limited on-track coverage undermined an otherwise dominant performance. Managing degradation — particularly in longer stints — and maintaining a steady rhythm across all eight relays proved to be the race-winning formula on the Piste Nord.