The FIA Karting World Championship, officially known as the Mondokart.com FIA Karting World Championship for sponsorship reasons, is a kart racing competition organised by the CIK-FIA. Hosted annually since 1964, it is widely regarded as the most prestigious karting competition in the world.
As of 2024, the World Championship is held across three direct-drive and three gearbox classes. The primary direct-drive class is OK, and the primary gearbox class is KZ. Secondary classes at the World Championship have traditionally been hosted as the Karting World Cup—which was historically a separate event at Suzuka from 1991 to 2000—or International Super Cup.
Before the CIK-FIA began officially sanctioning a World Championship in 1964, the Grand Prix Kart Club of America (GPKCA) held its own World Championship. In December 1959, the GPKCA organised a one-week international meeting in Nassau, Bahamas, offering significant prize money. The American driver Jim Yamane became the first winner. Subsequent GPKCA World Championships adopted a multi-round format and included circuits such as Shenington in the United Kingdom and Pista Rossi in Italy.
The first two CIK-FIA World Championships in 1964 and 1965 were held over one final round, there after the world's best kart drivers competed for the title over an extended weekend, from Thursday to Saturday, including free and qualifying practice sessions, qualification heats, a pre-final and a final were common. The championship is notable for having the only female FIA World Champion with Susanna Raganelli winning the 1966 World Championship.
From 2011 the championship has been disputed over five rounds, each of them in a different country.[2] From 2014 the world championships returned to a single event with one venue each year organizing the CIK-FIA OK and OK Junior World Championships in one weekend and another venue in a different weekend holding the CIK-FIA KZ World Championships together with the CIK-FIA KZ2 Super Cup and the third and final round of the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy.[3] There is a separate CIK-FIA Endurance Championship, normally held each year at Le Mans, France, and there are separate Continental Championships like the CIK-FIA European Championships (OK, OK junior, KZ, KZ2 and Superkart) and the CIK-FIA Asia Pacific Championships. In 1968 CIK-FIA launched the first World Cup for Juniors.
Categories
From 1981 to 1987 the World Championship was raced only with 135cc Formula K Engines. Before and after the short inaugural return to 100 cc( 1988 and 1989 with Formula SuperCent (FS100) a category that anticipated the so-called Formula Super A) the 100cc direct-drive karts was the prevailing standard. In 2007, a change in regulations introduced the KF1 category carts, 125cc karts equipped with electric starters, clutch and rpm limiters set at 16000rpm, to replace the Formula A karts. The 2010 edition was raced with KF2 karts where the engine rpm is limited at 15000rpm.[4]
The FIA Karting categories at the world championships are now divided into three main families: direct-drive karts, gearbox karts and Superkarts. All these karts have the technology in common of the 2-stroke engine. Since 2016 the new generation of Original Karts (OK) machines have taken over from the old KF engines. The top category OK at the World Championships is available for drivers from 14 years old in the year they participate. The OK Junior category is aimed at drivers aged between 12 and 14 years old. The gearbox categories KZ and KZ2 share the same specification except for chassis and brakes which are open in the KZ World Championship. The Superkart category is the most unusual discipline of Karting because it can only express itself fully on long racing tracks. With its complete bodywork and twin-cylinder 250cc engines, developing nearly 100hp (75kW), these Superkarts are capable of extraordinary performances.
Modern Day Kart Racing
Karting promotion
In 2013 for the first time in its history CIK-FIA called a promoter, WSK Promotion, to perfect the organisation of the major international karting competitions. The Swiss RGMMC Group is now the Official Promoter of the FIA Karting European and World Championships for the period of 2018-2020 (with the exception of Superkart and Endurance). They try increasing the audience for Karting Competitions worldwide, attracting new partners and working closely with ASNs (National Federations), these are the priorities of RGMMC Group. They also develop the communication and media coverage of the events by providing live video viewing during the events and by partnering with Motorsport.tv for broadcast around the world.
From 2022 all the events of the FIA Karting World Championship were sponsored by the website Mondokart.com and the official name of the competition become MONDOKART.COM FIA KARTING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP[5]
Direct-drive classes have been contested at the World Championship since its inaugural 1964 edition, when it was won by Italian driver Guido Sala in the 100cc class.
The junior direct-drive class has been contested at the World Championship since 2010, when it was established as the CIK-FIA U18 World Championship. In 2013, KF-Junior (KF-J) joined the senior KF class at the direct-drive World Championship event and have been held concurrently since.
↑ Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the FIA banned competitors from racing under the Russian and Belarusian flags, allowing them to compete neutrally.[6]
↑ The 2010 U18 World Championship was a three-venue series held at:
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