Although it was a very good result we sensed from the beginning of the 2016 season that Jérémy Iglesias was able to succeed in KZ, as determined as ever, and clearly delighted to race a Sodi/TM for Team CPB Sport. Twice 4th in the WSK Super Master Series at Sarno and Castelletto, Jérémy led the Final in the first round of the European Championship at Essay before conceding to 3rd place, partly because of the wear of his tyres. The Norman circuit and the Vega tyres didn't go together well throughout the weekend, further complicated by the difficult management of the changing weather conditions. This didn't prevent CPB Sport qualifying all their KZ2 drivers for the Final, with the exception of Gabin Leuillet who was penalised in the Prefinal.

"It's a real pleasure to race with Paul Bizalion's team CPB Sport," confided Jérémy Iglesias. "The 2016 Sodi Sigma KZ is great, the TM Racing engine rivals the best and the team does an incredible job in a very pleasant atmosphere. What more do we need? A win, maybe ... but it could happen soon!"

As a private team against the factories in KZ, the situation is not trivial. But CPB Sport has had success in this situation for two seasons. At Essay, Qualifying proved decisive because of the limited grip of the track and the overtaking difficulties. Jeremy enjoyed a finely tuned machine to post the 5th time and then go up to 3rd after the heats. Starting with great motivation, he took the lead on lap 6, overtaking Marco Ardigo, and kept the lead for eight laps. His tyres prevented him from maintaining the pace until the end, but he still took 3rd place and 2nd place in the European standings.

"I am very proud to have a driver of the calibre of Jérémy at the front in KZ," said Paul Bizalion. "He's a great champion with an exceptional character. He deserves to win a major title this year. We also had some great satisfactions in KZ2 at Essay, with Nicolas Gonzales of course, but also thanks to the qualification of our other drivers."

Nicolas Gonzales gave everything he could, often in the top five of KZ2, but he lacked a little extra needed to join in the fight for victory, probably because of the complicated marriage between the tyres and the track surface at Essay. Nicolas finished in a very creditable 7th place and keeps all his chances in the championship. Tom Leuillet started a long way back but managed to get back to 15th position in the Final, taking 13 places after regaining 18 places in the heats, a good shot!

Louis Prette had no easy task in Normandy, but he still managed to qualify thanks to his friend Gonzales' advice. Paul Fontaine has taken a step up by qualifying for a European Final for the first time, well deserved after a more convincing Prefinal 1 (p 11) and finished in 14th position. Without much luck in Qualifying and in the heats, Gabin Leuillet had managed to gain 13 places in Prefinal 1, but a penalty denied him a Final place.

The European KZ Championship will continue in a fortnight in Spain on the fast track of Zuera, while KZ2 will have to wait until early June to do battle at Adria (ITA).