Approved by the FIA World Motor Sport Council in 2022, OK-N was designed as a simplified version of OK regulations to reduce costs for competitors. The class debuted in international competition the following year, being contested in several championships across Europe and the Middle East.
The Commission Internationale de Karting (CIK-FIA) was founded in 1962 as a sister commission to the CSI, later known as FISA and the FIA, to govern international kart racing competition.[1] It hosted the first CIK-FIA World Championship in 1964, which has been held annually since.[2] The CIK-FIA began its homologation of distinct classes in the discipline in 1974, when the first 125cc gearbox category was created for the European Championship: Formula C (FC).[3] The 100cc direct-drive category was clarified in 1976, when Formula Europe was introduced to control technical evolutions and costs.[4] The direct-drive classes were adapted in 1981, when the 135cc Formula K (FK), 100cc Intercontinental A (ICA), and Junior Intercontinental A (ICA-J) were introduced to the World Championship, European Championship, and World Cup, respectively.[5] Component technical approvals have been mandated by the CIK-FIA since then.[6] The 250cc superkart category received World Championship–status in 1983, having reached international competition as early as 1976.[7][4]
Senior direct-drive classes have evolved substantially since 1981. Formula Super 100, later known as Formula A (FA), was introduced in 1988 as an additional World Championship class to FK, which was replaced by Formula Super A (FSA) in 1993.[8][9] FSA was disbanded after 2002, followed by FA and ICA in 2007, when 125cc KF1 and KF2 regulations were introduced.[10] The KF era was marked by decreasing entry figures as costs for competitors spiralled due to the presence of manually-controlled front brakes, sophisticated cable systems, and fragility of components.[10] It was eventually replaced by Original Kart (OK) in 2016, which—following iterations by the CIK-FIA—offered improved performance, reduced weight, and increased competition by eliminating the centrifugal clutch, complex cabling, and starter motor, with later reductions to the rev limiter and exhaust valve; after six years, it was deemed ready to expand into national championships.[10][11]
Plans for a new minimal-cost direct-drive category were submitted by the CIK-FIA to the FIA World Motor Sport Council in 2022; they were approved in July, with the CIK-FIA confirming the "OK-N" category would host its inaugural World Cup in 2024.[12] The "N" suffix is an initialism of National, reflecting that qualification for the World Cup would be determined via national events.[13] Described as a "hybrid" between the OK and OK-Junior categories, OK-Nengines were first tested in the final round of the European Championship that year at Franciacorta.[14]
Minimum weight of 155kg (342lb) with driver, 70kg (150lb) without.
Engines, chassis, bodywork, brakes, and tyres are subject to the homologation and approval system operated by the CIK-FIA.[6] Each year, the specific tyres and fuel for use in competition are selected after a call for tenders.[36] With elimination of the clutch, electric starter, battery, and electrical wiring, TKART described the OK-N regulations as being "as simple as it gets".[11]
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