Day 10: Third podium and a place in the semifinal

Day four of the individual Kart World Championship (KWC) at Vandel Kart was the last day of qualifying, and it brought both highs and lows. A pole position and a third place — my third podium of the championship — were followed by a rainy, messy second race where I finished eighth. But the results were enough: I sit 37th overall and am through to tomorrow's semifinal.

The goal for the day was to finish the qualifying heats strongly and secure a place among the 48 drivers who go through. It started in the best possible way with pole position in race seven, but then turned into an intense day of incidents, rain and a qualifying session in race eight that did not go to plan at all.

Race 7: third after last-lap chaos

I put together a really good qualifying lap and took pole position.

The start went well, but after a couple of laps the driver behind dived down the inside in an overtaking attempt where the gap was not really there. It cost me the lead, and I dropped to fifth before managing to take one position back.

The race ran on the new track layout, and I chose the shortcut strategy to catch back up to the field. The driver who had passed me made the same choice, so instead of fighting him directly I tucked in behind and used the slipstream.

Midway through the race it started to rain and the conditions got much harder. I caught and passed him, just as another driver came out of his shortcut right in front of us and took over second place.

On the last lap the same driver once again tried to overtake in a corner where it simply was not on. He was never really alongside; instead he drove into me and sent me out into the grass. I got back on track and had enough of a margin to lose only one position.

I crossed the line fourth, but the driver who caused the incident was given a penalty and dropped to ninth. That classified me third — my third podium of the championship.

Race 8: uphill from qualifying onwards

The second race ran entirely in the rain, and the problems started already in qualifying.

The driver starting ahead of me went off during his qualifying lap but carried on with his attempt anyway, blocking my only quick lap. Instead of the starting position I had hoped for, I started ninth.

Starting in the middle of the pack in the rain was exactly as chaotic as expected. After several incidents through the opening corners I was around tenth, and from there I focused on my own race.

I chased one driver for several laps before taking my shortcut, but came out in the middle of a hard fight between three other drivers. The strategy did not work at all as intended — instead I got stuck in their battle.

I crossed the line ninth, but after another penalty for a driver ahead I moved up to eighth in the results.

Feeling after the day

A third place and an eighth place is a perfectly decent return from the last day of qualifying. I would have liked to get more out of the second race, but I did not quite have the pace, and the qualifying trouble did not make it any easier.

The most important thing is that the results were enough. I am one of the 48 drivers going through to the semifinals.

Tomorrow I race semifinal A at 09:30. The day starts with a head-to-head qualifying duel against the fourth-ranked driver in the semifinal. Right now I am 37th overall, and the goal is to put in a really strong race and climb as far towards the top 30 as I can. The times are in the schedule on the championship page.

What I take with me

• A third podium shows the pace is there when everything comes together.
• Pole position is a nice confirmation of the qualifying speed.
• Rain and traffic made race eight difficult, but gave me experience I may need tomorrow.
• Now all focus is on the semifinal.