Karting World Championship

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.

Alongside the Karting European Championship, it is one of two major karting competitions sanctioned by the FIA. In recent years, the World Championship has been hosted as a single event, where the European Championship is contested across a season. The championship is notable for being the only FIA World Championship with a female champion: Italian driver Susanna Raganelli in 1966. Two past World Champions have progressed to win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship: Max Verstappen (2013, KZ) and Lando Norris (2014, KF).

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 or events at the World Championship have traditionally been hosted as the World Cup—which was historically a separate event at Suzuka from 1991 to 2000—or the International Super Cup.

History

The CIK-FIA Karting World Championship was first held in 1964, making it the second-oldest FIA World Championship after the Formula One World Championship.

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. 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. 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 135 cc 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 100 cc direct-drive karts was the prevailing standard. In 2007, a change in regulations introduced the KF1 category carts, 125 cc karts equipped with electric starters, clutch and rpm limiters set at 16000 rpm, to replace the Formula A karts. The 2010 edition was raced with KF2 karts where the engine rpm is limited at 15000 rpm.

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 250 cc engines, developing nearly 100 hp (75 kW), these Superkarts are capable of extraordinary performances.

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

World Champions

Senior classes (1964–present)

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.

Primary senior class (1964–present)

Secondary senior class (1988–2000)

Junior class (2010–present)

The junior 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 World Championship and have been held concurrently since.

Gearbox class (1983–2000, 2013–present)

Superkart class (1983–1995)

Palmarès , World Cup

Senior classes

FK World Cup (1991–1992)

FA World Cup (1991–2000, 2002, 2006)

FSA World Cup (1993–2000)

KF1 World Cup (2007–2010)

KF2 World Cup (2007–2012)

OK-N World Cup (2024–present)

Junior classes

Junior World Cup (1968–1991)

Five Continents Cup (1992–1996)

KF3 World Cup (2009–2012)

OKN-J World Cup (2025–present)

Gearbox classes

S-ICC World Cup (2003–2006)

KZ1 World Cup (2007–2012)

KZ2 World Cup (2022–present)

Arrive-and-drive classes

A&D-S World Cup (2025–present)

A&D-J World Cup (2025–present)

Palmarès , International Super Cup

KZ2 International Super Cup (2011–2021)

KF-J International Super Cup (2013)

International Masters' Super Cup (2022–present)

Notes

See also

• Karting European Championship
• FIA Motorsport Games
• Commission Internationale de Karting
• Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
• Kart racing
• List of kart racing championships
• List of FIA championships

External links