KZ (karting)

KZ

Category	Kart racing
Region	International
Inaugural season	1974;51 years ago (1974)
Drivers' champion	Paolo Ippolito (World, 2023) Lorenzo Travisanutto (European, 2024)
Teams' champion	Maranello-TM (World, 2023) Parolin-TM (European, 2024)
Official website	FIA Karting

KZ is a kart racing class for drivers aged 15 and over, sanctioned by the CIK-FIA. KZ is the primary gearbox class in FIA championships.

The class was originally called Formula C (FC), first introduced in 1974 at the European Championship as the first gearbox class in international kart racing. FC was contested at the World Championship from 1983 until 2000. In 2002—after 28 seasons of racing—FC was replaced by Super-ICC (S-ICC) and downgraded to World Cup status. In 2007, Super-ICC was replaced by KZ1 and renamed to KZ in 2013, when it returned to the World Championship.

KZ is currently contested as the primary gearbox class at the Karting World Championship and the Karting European Championship.

History

Formula C (1974–2001)

In 1974, Formula C (FC) was introduced as a 125 cc gearbox class for the European Championship, the first of its kind. FC was first held at the World Championship in 1983, remaining there until 2000.

Super-ICC (2002–2006)

In 2002, Super-ICC (S-ICC) regulations replaced FC, being downgraded to World Cup status.

KZ1/KZ (2007–present)

KZ1 replaced S-ICC in 2007. In 2013, KZ1 was renamed to KZ, returning to the World Championship.

Specification

KZ

There are eight main technical features of the KZ regulations, sharing the same specification as KZ2 except for chassis and brakes, which are open in KZ, as well as minimum weight: ^[1]

• 125 cc direct-coupled, water-cooled two-stroke, mixed-lubrication engine.

• Valve inlet in the piston skirt.

• Carburettor with a maximum diameter of 30 mm.

• Manual clutch.

• Six-speed sequential gearbox.

• Front and rear brakes with hydraulic foot control.

• Premium tyres, medium gum compound.

• Minimum weight 170 kg, driver included.

Engines, chassis, bodywork, brakes and tyres are subject to the homologation system put in place by the CIK-FIA. Each year, the tyres and the fuel for each category, as well as the KZ and KZ2 carburettor, are chosen after a call for tenders.

Champions

KZ has been contested at the European Championship since 1974 and the World Championship/World Cup since 1983.

Gianluca Beggio holds the record for most KZ World Championships, with five. Notable KZ World Champions include four-time Formula One World Drivers' Champion Max Verstappen and two-time World Touring Car Champion Gabriele Tarquini. Verstappen is the only driver to win a CIK-FIA gearbox championship and the Formula One World Drivers' Championship.

Gianfranco Baroni and Francesco Laudato hold the joint-record for most KZ European Championships, each with four.

By year

Key

*	Driver has competed in Formula One
†	Formula One World Drivers' Champion
‡	FIA World Champion in an auto racing discipline

Year	World Championship				European Championship				Year
	World Champion [a]	Chassis	Engine	Tyres	European Champion	Chassis	Engine	Tyres
1974	FC regulations created for the European Championship								1974
	Not held				Aad van Daalen	Landia	Yamaha
1975					Ben van Velzen	Mach1	Yamaha		1975
1976					Gianfranco Baroni	All Kart	BMC		1976
1977					Gianfranco Baroni (2)	All Kart	BMC		1977
1978					Gianfranco Baroni (3)	All Kart	BMC		1978
1979					Giancarlo Vanaria	Kalì Kart	Pavesi	B	1979
1980					Frank Leuze	Mach1	KZH		1980
1981					Gianfranco Baroni (4)	Birel	BMC		1981
1982					Alessandro Piccini	All Kart	Morbidelli		1982
1983	FC mandated at the World Championship and replaced by ICC at the European Championship								1983
	Gianni Mazzola	Birel	Balen	D	Not held
1984	Gabriele Tarquini ‡	Kalì Kart	Balen	D					1984
1985	Piermario Cantoni	Kalì Kart	Balen	D					1985
1986	Fabrizio Giovanardi	Tony Kart	Pavesi	B					1986
1987	Alessandro Piccini	DAP	Pavesi	VEGA					1987
1988	Peter Rydell	All Kart	Pavesi	D					1988
1989	Gianluca Giorgi	Kalì Kart	Kalì Kart	D					1989
1990	Alessandro Piccini (2)	Birel	Pavesi	B					1990
1991	Alessandro Piccini (3)	Birel	Pavesi	D					1991
1992	Danilo Rossi	Kalì Kart	Pavesi	D					1992
1993	Alessandro Piccini (4)	Kalì Kart	Pavesi	D					1993
1994	Jarno Trulli *	Tony Kart	Pavesi	D					1994
1995	Gianluca Beggio	Biesse	TM	VEGA					1995
1996	FC mandated at the European Championship								1996
	Gianluca Beggio (2)	Biesse	TM	B	Alessandro Piccini (2)	CRG	Pavesi	B
1997	Gianluca Beggio (3)	Birel	TM	B	Gianluca Beggio	Birel	TM	B	1997
1998	Gianluca Beggio (4)	Birel	TM	B	Gianluca Beggio (2)	Birel	TM	B	1998
1999	Francesco Laudato	Birel	TM	D	Ronnie Quintarelli	Tony Kart	Vortex	B	1999
2000	Gianluca Beggio (5)	Birel	TM	B	Francesco Laudato	Birel	TM	B	2000
2001	FC removed from the World Championship								2001
	Not held				Alessandro Piccini (3)	CRG	TM	B
2002 [b]	FC replaced by S-ICC								2002 [b]
	Not held				Francesco Laudato (2) Sauro Cesetti	Birel Kosmic	TM Vortex	B B
2003	S-ICC mandated at the World Cup								2003
	Robert Dirks	Birel	TM	VEGA	Alessandro Manetti	CRG	Pavesi	D
2004	Ennio Gandolfi	Birel	TM	VEGA	Francesco Laudato (3)	Birel	TM	VEGA	2004
2005	Francesco Laudato	Birel	TM	VEGA	Francesco Laudato (4)	Birel	TM	VEGA	2005
2006	Davide Forè	Tony Kart	Vortex	VEGA	Roberto Toninelli	BRM	TM	VEGA	2006
2007	S-ICC replaced by KZ1								2007
	Jonathan Thonon	CRG	Maxter	D	Alessandro Manetti (2)	Intrepid	TM	D
2008	Jonathan Thonon (2)	CRG	Maxter	D	Jonathan Thonon	CRG	Maxter	D	2008
2009	Jonathan Thonon (3)	CRG	Maxter	D	Bas Lammers	Intrepid	TM	D	2009
2010	Bas Lammers	Intrepid	TM	D	Bas Lammers (2)	Intrepid	TM	D	2010
2011	Jonathan Thonon (4)	CRG	Maxter	D	Paolo De Conto	Energy Corse	TM	D	2011
2012	Bas Lammers (2)	Praga	Parilla	B	Jorrit Pex	CRG	TM	B	2012
2013	KZ1 renamed to KZ and upgraded to World Championship status								2013
	Max Verstappen †	CRG	TM	B	Max Verstappen †	CRG	TM	B
2014	Marco Ardigò	Tony Kart	Vortex	B	Rick Dreezen	Zanardi	Parilla	B	2014
2015	Jorrit Pex	CRG	TM	B	Flavio Camponeschi	Tony Kart	Vortex	B	2015
2016	Paolo De Conto	CRG	TM	VEGA	Marco Ardigò	Tony Kart	TM	VEGA	2016
2017	Paolo De Conto (2)	CRG	TM	VEGA	Paolo De Conto (2)	CRG	TM	B	2017
2018	Patrik Hájek	Kosmic	Vortex	LC	Jorrit Pex (2)	CRG	TM	LC	2018
2019	Marijn Kremers	Birel ART	TM	B	Jorrit Pex (3)	Kart Republic	TM	B	2019
2020	Jérémy Iglesias	Formula K	TM	VEGA	Marijn Kremers	Ricciardo	TM	VEGA	2020
2021	Noah Milell	Tony Kart	Vortex	MG	Riccardo Longhi	Birel ART	TM	MG	2021
2022	Viktor Gustafsson	CRG	TM	LC	Paolo Ippolito	Kart Republic	IAME	LC	2022
2023	Paolo Ippolito	Kart Republic	IAME	LC	Danilo Albanese	Kart Republic	IAME	LC	2023
2024	Giuseppe Palomba	Sodi	TM	D	Lorenzo Travisanutto	Parolin	TM	D	2024
Year	World Champion [a]	Chassis	Engine	Tyres	European Champion	Chassis	Engine	Tyres	Year
	World Championship				European Championship
Source: [2] [3] [4] [5]

By driver

table

Notes

1. Italics indicates years contested as a World Cup, not an FIA World Championship: 2003–2012.
2. The 2002 European Championship was shared ex-aequo by Francesco Laudato and Sauro Cesetti, who both scored 86 points. Some sources have Laudato listed as the outright champion.

See also

• KZ2 – the secondary gearbox class
• KF1, the top level of karting
• OK – the primary direct-drive class
• OK-Junior – the junior direct-drive class
• Superkart – 250cc kart racing class
• CIK-FIA
• List of kart racing championships

References

1. "FIA Karting - Categories" . Retrieved 21 September 2024.
2. "FIA Karting - History". FIA Karting. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
3. "FIA Karting - Calendar". FIA Karting. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
4. "Vroom Kart International #175 - January 2016". Vroom International Karting. January 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
5. "Automobile Championships - Motorsport Top 20". Motorsport Top 20. Retrieved 18 September 2024.

External links

• FIA Karting