News about FIA Karting Races
03/08/26
British drivers Noah Baglin and Will Green lived up to their pre-event billing by securing the 2026 FIA Karting European Championship titles in the OK and OK-Junior categories respectively. William Calleja (Parolin/TM) celebrated his maiden FIA Karting European Championship victory in OK, while Zac Drummond saw his title hopes slip away despite producing a remarkable recovery drive. In OK-Junior, Emerson MacAndrew-Uren put Tony Kart back on the top step of the podium, while Gioele Girardello's championship campaign ended in frustration after contact with Antoine Sylva Venant cost him third place in the final standings.
OK - Super Heats
The opening Super Heat proved to be one of the decisive moments in the championship battle. Noah Baglin lined up on the front row, while his only remaining title rival, Zac Drummond...
06/07/26
The 24-year-old Frenchman capped off a flawless weekend by claiming his first FIA European KZ title, seven years after his breakthrough success in KZ2 in 2019. It was a bitter ending for Viktor Gustafsson, who, without the incident at Genk, would likely have secured the premier-class crown. In KZ2, Kimi Tani delivered a perfect, mistake-free weekend, holding off Matheus Morgatto all the way to the finish to earn a fully deserved championship and become the first Finnish driver ever to win a European KZ2 title.
Following Emilien Denner’s penalty for moving before the start in the first of yesterday’s Qualifying Heats, it was Viktor Gustafsson that started the KZ Super Heat on pole position...
23/06/26
It is increasingly common for the running order under the chequered flag not to match the final classification, with penalties imposed after the race, almost always for issues related to race contacts, front fairings and dangerous driving assessed retrospectively. We tried to ask drivers, former drivers and long time managers what they think about it… (ls)
Both in the preparatory Round of the Champions of the Future series and during the third Round of the OK and OKJ European Championship in Mulsen, we witnessed very hard-fought races, but also a...
20/05/26
Sodi has started the season very well, but the other top teams aren’t standing still. Technical changes at Birel Art and Tony add interesting elements to what, for now, is the only karting category where the focus - for once - isn’t on future F1 stars but on the drivers and companies that keep professional karting alive. (fm+ms)
Here we go: this weekend in Genk the first of two rounds that will decide the KZ European title is scheduled, the only FIA karting category that fields drivers well into their twenties, often...
12/04/26
The first round of the 2026 FIA Karting European Championship for the OK and OK-Junior categories kicked off the continental season at the World Circuit La Conca in Muro Leccese from April 9 to 12, immediately confirming the European Championship's sky-high level with a highly intense technical context. World OKJ Champion Baglin wins right away in OK while Girardello brings Italian colors back to the podium. (gm)
Italian-Style opening
Sunday opened with a particularly evocative ceremony, designed to add even more solemnity to the weekend's highlight moment. Before the finals got underway, the Italian...
10/04/26
The "official" debut of the anti-launch system went relatively well overall, considering that drivers are adapting to a slightly different style of racing and that zero risk of flips is impossible. We spoke about it with the man directly involved, much to his chagrin. (ls+gm)
Luigi Coluccio is no longer a full-time kart racer, as he now competes successfully in GT cars. He chose to enter as a Wild Card in the first round of the Champions of the Future at La Conca, as well...
05/02/26
The FIA-mandated system officially comes into force, with the stated aim of mitigating wheel-to-wheel contact effects and improving karting safety. After double-testing in races between Cremona and Malaysia at the end of 2025, this year it gets serious across all classes. (fm)
It's hard to have heard positive things about it. Even harder if you've seen them up close. If watching karts on track with the 2026 regulation-mandated parts didn't convince you, here we...
08/01/26
Italian OK-N Champion and World Cup OK-N winner, the 18-year-old from around Naples opens up about his beginnings and how karting now fully absorbs him—as a driver and a coach. And for 2026, he's raising the bar even higher…(fm)
Born in 2007 and a contemporary of Kimi Antonelli—against whom he even raced in the Mini days—Manuel is a full-time karter. Invited to the 22nd Acisport Federal Supercorso directly from...
11/12/25
The FIA single-event World Championship, be it OK or KZ, has been subject to criticism for some time, but past attempts to change this format have had limited effect. Meanwhile, the World Finals of the most recognized one-make series have gained great popularity and set record numbers each year, despite not being technically “World Championships,” similar to the OK-N World Cup. Let’s clarify the situation. (fm)
It’s that time of the year again: following the FIA single-event World Championships for OK and KZ categories, usually held in early autumn, the calendar for the World Finals of the most famous...
24/10/25
With the council of October 16th, FIA definitively approved the "anti-launch" modification to the rear bumpers seen on track in Cremona on the Academy Trophy vehicles. A highly debated and criticized solution on social media, it still has much to prove.
During the days of the OK World Cup in Cremona and the following days, social media buzzed with ironic, iconoclastic, outraged, horrified comments. The general sentiment, as well as the one perceived...
06/10/25
The new technical regulations for the 60 Minikart, strongly promoted by CIK FIA, have not only drastically reduced the performance of this entry-level karting category but also sparked another phenomenon: the flight of eleven-year-olds to OKN Junior. What is the point of all this? (pm)
When I reflect on some political decisions, I often think the cure is worse than the disease. In motorsport, for example, we see a significant political drift: just look at what they are doing with...
28/09/25
The strong health of the category born and raised in Italy rewards the work of Italian drivers and teams in a record edition of the World Cup, which is set to become a highlight event on the International Calendar.
OK-NJ: Girardello (Parolin / TM) Uncontested Master from Pole to Sunday Final
Italian Champion Gioele Girardello’s performance was nearly flawless, securing pole for the Final with the best...
25/09/25
The Academy Trophy was chosen by the FIA for the first official race trial of the anti-launch system for karts, following about a year of testing under various conditions. During the World Cup OK-N weekend, these special bumpers will be fitted to the FIA Academy Trophy karts, allowing their behavior to be observed for the first time in a real race. (fm)
After a year of study and on-track testing, the Cremona World Cup marks a milestone in introducing these special protections, as they will be mounted on race karts in an official event for the very...
13/05/25
The “tyre” issue that emerged in Valencia during the race preceding the KZ European Championship deserves more attention than it's currently receiving in the karting world, as it exposes some of the major contradictions in our sport. (ls)
It was an intense race weekend for the KZ drivers involved in the test race ahead of this week’s European Championship round in Valencia. With races in full swing, the top-tier drivers signed...
27/11/24
Tests are underway in preparation for the 2026 season to evaluate the placement of wheel pods on karts. The FIA's objective is to improve safety, but the chosen path is highly debatable—not just for aesthetic reasons.
Let’s set aside the ugliness for now and try to understand the reasoning behind this. The FIA has always aimed to enhance safety in a sport that, it must be said, can never entirely eliminate...
06/05/24
His first Formula 1 victory, achieved in Miami in his sixth year in F1 and 110th GP, comes exactly ten years after the Essay World Championship, where at not yet 15 years old, he was the KF (then OK) World Champion in a weekend that saw him surprisingly shine. (fm)
With the baby face of someone who looks even younger than his actual 14 years – Lando was born in November 1999 - Norris stood atop the KF World Championship podium as the winner at the end of...
10/03/24
Months after Liam Lawson, another very convincing debut in F1 by a driver who has indeed raced in karting, but not FIA karting (fm)
The question is legitimate, considering the way the FIA has integrated karting, given the consequences it has had and is having on karting: what is the link between FIA karting and Formula 1? If we...
01/03/24
The FIA mandates the use of a mechanical throttle activation device mounted on the back of the seat to make it easier to restart the kart on the track after an incident in OK, OKJ karts, and in OK-N. Turney's accident has likely prompted the need to address both a sporting and safety issue.
The mandatory use of a push-start aid system aims to allow the driver to restart more quickly following contact, reconsidering the unfortunate outcome of Turney's restart maneuver after contact...
20/02/24
The FIA Official statement announcing the cancellation of the first round of the European KZ Championship was very concise and referred to general "logistical" and tires availability issues. Let's delve into the context and understand how such a dramatic decision was reached. (fm)
Before delving into the intricate issue of tire supply for the European and World KZ Championships, it is worth recalling some general aspects related to homologation and the involvement of all...
31/12/23
Sulayem's statements regarding the insane costs of the sport are causing discussion but do not shine for consistency. (fm)
There is a word that, in any discussion about karting, sparks debate: "costs." Whether it's an F1 driver, a retired pilot, or a manager saying it: how much does a kart cost today, blah...