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Kirill Smal is a New Birel ART Racing Factory Driver

The driver born in 2005 joins the Italian constructor and is ready for his debut in KZ2 with Ricciardo Kart

Birel ART Racing further enriches their driver line-up with the arrival of Kirill Smal. Two years after his latest karting competitions and following his experience in single-seaters, the young driver goes back to the roots within the Italian team. After having played a leading role in the single-speed categories, Smal prepares to make his debut in the premier class of karting, wearing the Ricciardo Kart colours. The new Birel ART Racing factory driver will make his debut in KZ2 at Lonato’s South Garda Karting circuit on the weekend of 1-3 April, on the occasion of the Margutti Trophy. Smal will take advantage of this first event of the season to start gaining confidence with the Ricciardo Kart - TM Racing technical package before focusing on the two rounds of the FIA Karting European Championship, which he will race in May and in June. The new Ricciardo Kart standard-bearer will also participate in the two rounds of the WSK Euro Series in July and lastly in the FIA Karting World Cup, scheduled for the weekend of 2-4 September.

Michael Patrizi, the Birel ART and Ricciardo Kart importer in Australia, as well as the first promoter of the Ricciardo Kart project within Birel ART, says: “Smal is one of the most exciting prospects to come from karting in the last few years. His appointment and results in open wheel racing in 2021 are testament to this. We look forward to Kirill representing Ricciardo Kart in the remaining major international races of the 2022 karting season”.

Kirill Smal says: “I’m delighted to join the Ricciardo Kart Racing as a factory driver for this season. I will be racing on Ricciardo Kart, produced by Birel ART, in KZ2 class. Huge thanks to Ronni Sala, Jordon Lennox, Mikhail Mitrokhin and Michael Patrizi for this opportunity. I’m looking forward to my karting comeback and will work hard both on and off the track”.