A total of 39 different nations will battle it out across two electrified disciplines during this year’s FIA Motorsport Games in Valencia, with both Electric Street categories attracting record entries.
Auto Slalom and Karting Slalom will bring a spark to the Games, with both categories being staged at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo between October 24-27, and each category has received an entry boost for this year’s event, with more nations than ever turning out to fight for the medals.
Both slalom events feature timed runs around demanding slow- to medium-speed courses, with competitors first battling the clock, and then each other in shootouts to determine who takes home the honours. Success demands both precision and expert car control as well as outright speed.
Auto Slalom
This year’s Auto Slalom will be powered by Hyundai, with the Korean marque’s new KONA Electric N Line becoming the car of choice for all competitors, supported by Hyundai Motor Spain. With 215bhp and instant torque available, the new adventurous KONA Electric N Line SUV represents a suitably challenging platform for competitors.
Auto Slalom takes place on a bespoke course at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo facility, where teams from 34 different nations (up from 25 in 2022) will race against the stopwatch, with the fastest then progressing into head-to-head competition to decide the medals. Each team is required to field both a female and a male driver.
Last year’s winning nation Team Germany is back to defend its 2022 crown, and with half of the same driver pairing as Gold Medallist, Claire Schönborn returns to try and repeat what she achieved two years prior. This year, she will be partnered by 2023 German Slalom Champion Markus Firsching – forming a formidable team.
The crew that pushed them so hard in the final also returns with Team Slovakia sticking with David Nemcek and Michaela Dorčiková, who will be aiming to go one better this time around.
Team Georgia, which took Bronze in 2022, boasts the all-new line-up of Sophio Meladze/Archil Bidzinashvili while Team Croatia will be hoping the combination of Karla Švec/Fran Kranjac can help it make the step into the medal places after finishing just shy in 2022. One other notable entry comes from Team United Kingdom which pairs Northern Irish Autotest frontrunner Mark King with professional stunt driver Tessa Whittock who, among her many sporting accolades, has worked alongside Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise. They will be hoping taking home a medal won’t be Mission Impossible.
Karting Slalom
Karting Slalom operates for drivers between the ages of 14-16, and this year features an almost entirely new field of competitors.
With the contest being run using identical Sodi RSX2 electric karts, teams must complete three laps – one test and two timed – of a course before the quickest also go into head-to-head shootouts to determine the awards. The same format of mixed gender teams also applies here.
Of the 20 nations and 40 drivers in action in Valencia, only two individuals appeared at the same contest back in 2022. Aleksandre Kajaia returns for Team Georgia, this time alongside Nina Aptsiauri, while Yasmina Egamberdieva returns for Team Uzbekistan alongside Senman Li.
Team Germany celebrated a double victory last time, taking gold in both car and kart contests. This year it brings 2023 German Kart Slalom Champion Louis Stange and Maja Braun, who was fifth in the domestic championship behind her team-mate.
Silver medallist Team Belgium brings Victoria Lebrun and Marceau Ghigny while Bronze went to Team Poland at the last Games. The team’s choice of highly decorated European karter Lukasz Jezierski and Patrycja Bawor looks a promising one, as does Team Lithuania’s duo of Meda Mickeliūnaitė and multiple karting champion Linas Volungevičius.
Action for both Electric Street categories takes place throughout the week at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo. Karting Slalom begins on Thursday (October 24) for qualifiers before the Round of 16 and Quarter Finals take place on Saturday, with the Semi Finals and Grand Final on Sunday morning. Auto Slalom begins with Testing on Thursday afternoon (October 24), then Qualifying on Friday (October 25), before the Round of 16 and Quarter Finals on Saturday and building to its conclusion on Sunday afternoon.
ELECTRIC STREET: DISCIPLINE INFORMATION
Timetable
Entry List Auto Slalom
Entry List Karting Slalom
AUTO SLALOM
Category Info:
Relay-style competition featuring teams of two drivers on a set course using Hyundai KONA Electric N Line vehicles. Medals awarded via a Grand Final and third place playoff (Small Final)
Format:
Multi-stage knockout competition consisting of qualifiers, Round of 16, Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals, Small Final (Bronze medal race) and Grand Final.
KARTING SLALOM
Category Info:
Relay-style competition featuring teams of two drivers aged 14-16 on a set course using electric Sodi RSX2 electric karts. Medals awarded via a Grand Final and third place playoff (Small Final)
Format:
Multi-stage knockout competition consisting of qualifiers, Round of 16, Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals, Small Final (Bronze medal race) and Grand Final
Source : Fia
