Back in KZ — the class he says gives him the most satisfaction — after often alternating (as he will do next weekend) between the OK class and the Shifter, 2022 KZ World Champion Viktor Gustavsson shared his thoughts on how top-level karting is missing a single-speed category for elite drivers who don't move on to cars — or at least for those who reach a professional level in karting.
Published: 11 March 2025
Columns: Close Up
"The big difference between KZ and OK is the racecraft," says Viktor. "In OK they are still very young, they lack experience, and you can see it in the way they handle racing in that class. In Lonato, I started in the middle of the pack and, well, many of them are young and they race the way youngest race.."
It’s well known that KZ is now the only real Top Class in karting, where drivers with many years of experience compete, capable of managing a race weekend or even a multi-round Championship with great skill. Like other drivers, including Lorenzo Travisanutto, the Swede also believes that karting today is missing a top-level single-speed class:
"In KZ, there’s the drivers’ experience — the level of driving and racing is higher. It's not so much about speed because both categories are fast: it’s really about the drivers," Gustavsson continues. "I would love to see all or most of the strongest KZ drivers in a single-speed OK Senior category. Right now, only two or three of us switch between the two classes, but if we all raced in OK Senior, it would be a true 'Senior' class with the top karting drivers battling it out. Instead, currently, we’re talking about kids who are, at most, 15 years old."
It’s well known that KZ is now the only real Top Class in karting, where drivers with many years of experience compete, capable of managing a race weekend or even a multi-round Championship with great skill. Like other drivers, including Lorenzo Travisanutto, the Swede also believes that karting today is missing a top-level single-speed class:
"In KZ, there’s the drivers’ experience — the level of driving and racing is higher. It's not so much about speed because both categories are fast: it’s really about the drivers," Gustavsson continues. "I would love to see all or most of the strongest KZ drivers in a single-speed OK Senior category. Right now, only two or three of us switch between the two classes, but if we all raced in OK Senior, it would be a true 'Senior' class with the top karting drivers battling it out. Instead, currently, we’re talking about kids who are, at most, 15 years old."
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