He is one of the best drivers of the Rok Cup in recent years. Last weekend he won the Rok Superfinal in Super Rok category. We talk to Domenico Cicognini, the Italian winner of the 17th edition of the Rok Cup International Final.
About the event in Lonato, his start and career as well as Polish colleagues from the track, with Domenico Cigognini talks to Paweł Surynowicz
Last weekend you won Rok Cup Superfinal. How do you feel as the winner of this event?
Of course I’m really happy for the
result. I think it’s since 2014 that I was doing a great job in the
Rok International Finals, P2 in 2014 and P3 in 2016/2018, but this
year with Intrepid chassis and the help of the owner Mirco Sguerzoni
we did a little step to get the win.
This year you was very fast. Which race was most difficult for you?
I started racing in Super Rok during the Rok Italian Championship last year, where I managed the win but for the uncorrected position of the front fairing I finished in P5. Then I did a very positive P3 in Rok International Final last year, considering that I didn’t trained as I really wanted. This year I started the season with Tony Kart chassis, always with Flowers Racing Team, but after few races where I didn’t have the pace to compete for the victory we decided to change chassis and Mirco really helped me and my team in the last few months. In the Italian Rok final I did the pole and win all the heats, but unluckily I missed the final for a mine mistake.
Instead in the Rok Superfinal on Tuesday and Wednesday I was non so fast, we were looking for a good set-up to be fast in the third sector and competitive in the others sectors. In this races have a good qualifying is really important and I was really happy for my P5 because I knew we had a great pace. In the first heat we tried for a different set-up but I didn’t like so much (most difficult moment this weekend). So for the Friday’s two heats we revolutionized the setting and I was really positive , in fact I won both of the heats. For Saturday I knew it should had been a difficult final, I hoped to escape in the first laps to get a little gap to maintain till the end but immediately I saw it wasn’t possible. So I understood that I really had to fight if I wanted to win, and was what I did, when J. Day passed and got a little gap I immediately overtook him to break his pace, then we had fight for 5 laps, until lap 13, when I passed him at the S (turn 7/8). With that overtake I knew I took a little gap and I pushed hard to arrive safely to the chequered flag.
Of course I’m grateful to Intrepid Driver Program, Flowers Racing, STM Engines and my family who beared me during all the year.
Which Rok Cup international Final, I mean event, in your opinion, was most exciting?
I really wanted to win the 2017 senior Rok International Final, in which I battled with Szymon Szyszko (Poland), but an accident in the last corner cancelled me. I was sad, but even more motivated to finally get the win, which arrived this year.
When did you start your karting career? And why karting not football for example?
I started my career in karting in 2010 with the entry level category, to follow my father’s passion for the cars. I was immediately fast and already in 2012 I won the Rok Mini Italian final and Margutti’s trophy. Actually I really like football, but I’m not good at playing it, in fact since almost 3 years I’m a football referee, and it is going well. Running I think it’s really important to have good result in karting (to be fast during all the race) as well as gym training.
Who is your karting idol?
Karting driver idol – Max Verstappen, my helmet it’s now really similar to him.
Oh… I thought that maybe it is one of the Italian world champions…
Marco Ardigó is my best Italian favorite driver. I’m sad he ended racing…
What do you do in normal day?
School, I like studying and I’m doing scientific liceum, then training in the gym or running, then studying again. It’s difficult to find time to work too, I managed to work this summer as lifeguard in swimming pool because I didn’t have school.
Do you know Polish drivers accept Szymek Szyszko?
I raced with some strong Polish drivers like Michał Kasiborski in 2014, Szyszko in 2017 and Kacper Szczurek last year.
Domenico Cicognini.
Born: 2001
Team: Flowers Racing Team.
Chassis: Intrepid
Major achievements:
Rok Cup Superfinal, Super Rok 1st place 2019
Rok Cup International Final, Senior Rok, 3rd place 2016
Rok Cup International Final, Super Rok, 3rd place 2018
Rok Cup International Final, Junior Rok, 2nd place 2014
Trofeo Andrea Margutti 2013, 1st place, 60 mini
Trofeo delle Industrie 2012, 2nd place 60 mini
Trofeo delle Industrie 2013, 3rd place 60 mini
Photo: Karting Colombia Fans, Domenico Cicognini (private archive), Rok Cup Global, South Garda Karting
© ℗ All Rights Reserved
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
RSS