The two-time KZ World Champion, who returned to racing with Birel Art (Team KCS) in Lonato in the Trofeo d’Autunno, spoke to us about his plans for 2026. No, he’s not considering KZ Master—even though he hasn’t yet reached the magic age of 35—his focus is solely on KZ1 (ms)
Published: 12 November 2025
Columns: Interview
We haven’t seen him in FIA races because he works full-time, and it’s not always easy to balance racing commitments with a job. But in more “accessible” events, like those held over a single weekend, that’s the karting dimension Paolo De Conto enjoys and which has motivated his comeback.
“The passion drives me,” confesses the 2016 and 2017 KZ World Champion and two-time Supernats winner in Las Vegas. “I love this sport, I still really enjoy being on the kart. However, I couldn’t handle a calendar like today’s, with races almost every week. That’s something I just can’t imagine, and if that were the case, I would never have considered returning. For me, racing should happen within the span of a weekend.”
The category remains, of course, his beloved KZ, with the chassis from his early karting years. “I want to thank Antonio Martino from Team KCS, with whom I’ve maintained a great personal and friendly relationship since the old days, and who is helping me, as is Ronni Sala from Birel Art. I’m carefully considering which races to do in 2026; I’d definitely be interested in some FIA-level events, we’ll see.”
With a champion of his caliber, it’s inevitable to exchange views on what could truly make KZ1 stand out from KZ2, especially since at the latest World Championship in Franciacorta, both classes recorded nearly identical performances.
“A free tire context (tyre-war, ed.) would certainly allow us to raise the bar and make a difference: if manufacturers brought special tires to European and World Championship races, drivers could add that extra touch which is much harder today, when all karts slide in the same way. It’s true that KZ1 offers slightly more freedom than KZ2, for example regarding chassis, but given the high level of drivers, it would be great to see the full potential of our category and the karts we use, especially starting with tires—without tenders and with special tires. I’m not a technician, but maybe even on carburetors there could be room for development. I’m in favor of free development in the Top Class; it would be great to see races of the highest level and performances, rightly superior to the category designed for newcomers with a gearbox, KZ2.”
Regarding KZ Master, in which De Conto could actually compete in a couple of years (Paolo De Conto is currently 33 years old), his opinion is clear-cut: “For me, this category starts from a wrong premise, allowing ex-professional drivers to race alongside essentially amateurs. Those who have raced in KZ1 clearly have something more. Whether you’re 30, 35, or 40, it doesn’t matter much today; what counts is properly categorizing drivers based on their previous experience, more than just age.”
He closes with advice for younger drivers who, staying in karting, aspire to the top level: “Karting is expensive not only financially, but also in terms of time invested and taken away from other things. Especially if you’re young, you’ll have to sacrifice a lot between track training, gym sessions, travel, etc. The level is extremely high today, and many drivers are at a high level because everyone trains so hard, so to stand out you need to commit fully, and it’s not easy, but it’s possible.”
For the record, De Conto competed at Lonato in the Trofeo d'Autunno at the highest level, as expected from a driver of his pedigree, running only in the leading positions throughout the weekend, setting the fastest lap in the race and crossing the finish line first, only to finish second in the final classification due to a “classic” 5-second penalty for the “front fairing in incorrect position.”
“The passion drives me,” confesses the 2016 and 2017 KZ World Champion and two-time Supernats winner in Las Vegas. “I love this sport, I still really enjoy being on the kart. However, I couldn’t handle a calendar like today’s, with races almost every week. That’s something I just can’t imagine, and if that were the case, I would never have considered returning. For me, racing should happen within the span of a weekend.”
The category remains, of course, his beloved KZ, with the chassis from his early karting years. “I want to thank Antonio Martino from Team KCS, with whom I’ve maintained a great personal and friendly relationship since the old days, and who is helping me, as is Ronni Sala from Birel Art. I’m carefully considering which races to do in 2026; I’d definitely be interested in some FIA-level events, we’ll see.”
With a champion of his caliber, it’s inevitable to exchange views on what could truly make KZ1 stand out from KZ2, especially since at the latest World Championship in Franciacorta, both classes recorded nearly identical performances.
“A free tire context (tyre-war, ed.) would certainly allow us to raise the bar and make a difference: if manufacturers brought special tires to European and World Championship races, drivers could add that extra touch which is much harder today, when all karts slide in the same way. It’s true that KZ1 offers slightly more freedom than KZ2, for example regarding chassis, but given the high level of drivers, it would be great to see the full potential of our category and the karts we use, especially starting with tires—without tenders and with special tires. I’m not a technician, but maybe even on carburetors there could be room for development. I’m in favor of free development in the Top Class; it would be great to see races of the highest level and performances, rightly superior to the category designed for newcomers with a gearbox, KZ2.”
Regarding KZ Master, in which De Conto could actually compete in a couple of years (Paolo De Conto is currently 33 years old), his opinion is clear-cut: “For me, this category starts from a wrong premise, allowing ex-professional drivers to race alongside essentially amateurs. Those who have raced in KZ1 clearly have something more. Whether you’re 30, 35, or 40, it doesn’t matter much today; what counts is properly categorizing drivers based on their previous experience, more than just age.”
He closes with advice for younger drivers who, staying in karting, aspire to the top level: “Karting is expensive not only financially, but also in terms of time invested and taken away from other things. Especially if you’re young, you’ll have to sacrifice a lot between track training, gym sessions, travel, etc. The level is extremely high today, and many drivers are at a high level because everyone trains so hard, so to stand out you need to commit fully, and it’s not easy, but it’s possible.”
For the record, De Conto competed at Lonato in the Trofeo d'Autunno at the highest level, as expected from a driver of his pedigree, running only in the leading positions throughout the weekend, setting the fastest lap in the race and crossing the finish line first, only to finish second in the final classification due to a “classic” 5-second penalty for the “front fairing in incorrect position.”
Photocredit: mattiaspada.jpg | Photos&More
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