The 2026 Mondokart.com FIA Karting European Championship arrives at the Circuito Internazionale Napoli in Italy this weekend as the KZ and KZ2 gearbox categories reach the decisive final round to decide the next two FIA Karting European Champions. With just four points separating the top two in KZ and three points covering the top three in KZ2, the fate of two European Championships will be settled in the heat of Italy.
The Academy Junior competition also returns for the second of its three rounds, with Switzerland's Zoltan Coigny heading south to Italy as championship leader following an assured performance at the opening round in Genk, Belgium.
The Circuito Internazionale Napoli, in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, is a mainstay on the FIA Karting calendar and a test that rewards technical precision and outright racecraft, qualities in plentiful supply across a gearbox grid full of champions and title contenders.
Akbar Ebrahim, FIA Karting Commission President, said: “Round one in Genk gave us a compelling taste of what this season has in store. The intensity of the battles in KZ reflected the immense depth of talent in the category this year, Goldstein’s home victory in the KZ2 category was a joy to see, and the Academy Trophy Junior class once again demonstrated the extraordinary depth of emerging talent making its way through our ranks. I am confident that Sarno will again provide another suitably spectacular race and demand the very best from every driver and team.”
With so much on the line, qualifying practice on Friday sets the stage for what promises to be an unmissable weekend of European karting. All rounds of the Mondokart.com FIA Karting European Championship are LIVE and FREE to watch on the FIA Karting YouTube channel.
KZ
With six points separating the top three in the 2026 KZ European Championship as the grid arrives in Sarno, the scene is set for a European title showdown during the final round of the championship in the heat of Sarno this weekend.
Whilst Adrian Malheiro Suñe took the race win in Genk, Stan Pex leads the standings on 88 points following his measured and consistent weekend in Genk that included a heat win and a solid second-place finish in the final after qualifying in sixth position. The Dutchman has demonstrated he can both lead races and manage championship pressure and arrives in Sarno well placed to contend for European glory if he can manage the pressure from his closest rivals across the weekend.
Adrian Malheiro Suñe narrowly trails Pex by four points following a dramatic final lap at Karting Genk that will live long in the memory, as the Spaniard was at the centre of a last-lap collision with CRG teammate Viktor Gustafsson that ended Gustafsson's race and handed Malheiro Suñe the victory. Round one reflected the fiercely competitive grid we’re treated to in KZ this year with Malheiro Suñe among the leaders of the pack and a championship favourite. Following his race win in Belgium, he looked ahead to the second round, commenting, "I like Sarno, and I think I am fast there."
Danilo Albanese is two points further back on 82 points after taking pole position at Genk and ultimately collecting third place in the final following a post-race front fairing penalty handed to Emilien Denner. Albanese arrives on home soil motivated to convert his qualifying pace into what could be a title-winning result for the Italian.
Viktor Gustafsson endured a painful exit from the Genk final after the late collision with his teammate ended his race. The 2022 KZ World Champion had led the championship for much of the Belgian weekend and arrives in Italy needing a strong recovery performance to re-enter the title picture. Defending European Champion Matteo Spirgel faces a similar challenge after a Genk weekend disrupted by a disqualification and a time penalty left him 15th in the final and well adrift of the championship leaders.
Reigning KZ World Champion Senna Van Walstijn also needs to turn the page after two qualifying heat retirements and a super heat retirement at Genk left him without a meaningful championship return from the opening round. With Sarno offering a clean slate, one of the most talented drivers on the grid will be hungry to remind the field of his quality.
Pedro Hiltbrand, Maksim Orlov, the reigning KZ2 European Champion impressing in his debut KZ season, Jean Nomblot and Daniel Vasile are among the other names who could further shape the classification across what promises to be an unmissable European Championship decider.
KZ2
The opening round of the 2026 KZ2 European Championship at Karting Genk set the tone for what looks like an exceptional KZ2 season: fast, unpredictable and determined to go down to the wire. The final round in Sarno could scarcely be better set up.
Elie Goldstein carries the championship lead on 80 points following a victory in Genk that was as emotional as it was hard-earned. The Belgian fought from fifth on the grid through a fierce 23-lap final to cross the line to the roar of the home crowd in a result steeped in family history as Goldstein is the grandson of legendary karting champion François Goldstein who won five CIK-FIA world titles. "It was one of the toughest races of my life," said Goldstein afterwards who now leads the championship to Sarno.
Just three points separate Goldstein from Arthur Lehouck in second on 77 points, and a further point back, Matheus Morgatto sits third on 76 points. A podium swing in the Italian final could reverse the championship standings entirely and with only four points covering the top three, all of them can credibly claim the title this weekend.
Maximilian Schleimer demonstrated throughout the Genk weekend that his pace is fully capable of challenging for the win. Having held position during the super heat, only to lose places in the final following a late challenge, the German ended the Belgian round fourth in the standings on 67 points. That gap demands a near-perfect weekend in Sarno but one which his speed in Genk gives him every reason to pursue.
Teo Blin arrives in Italy as perhaps the most motivated driver on the grid after a Genk weekend that promised so much and delivered heartbreak. The Frenchman was the standout performer through the qualifying heats, led the classification at multiple points and was the driver to watch, only for an early retirement in the final to end his charge. He arrives in Sarno 11th in the standings on 25 points but with so much potential to climb the standings and make up ground.
Finnish driver Kimi Tani crossed the line third in the Genk final, with the pace and the hunger to shake up the title fight and currently sits in fifth in the championship table. Elsewhere, Daniel Maciá and Noah Wolfe both showed flashes of front-running pace in Belgium, Antoine Broggio sits 13th in the standings and James Anagnostiadis, the Mercedes Junior Driver making his KZ2 debut alongside his OK campaign this season, will be looking to build on his first FIA Karting gearbox final experience as the field heads to Sarno.
With the top three separated by just four points, the second and final round of the 2026 KZ2 European title fight is set for a memorable conclusion.
Academy Junior
The Academy Junior field delivered an exciting opening round at Karting Genk and as the grid reconvenes in Sarno for the second of three rounds, the standings leave several drivers with every reason to believe the title remains within reach.
Zoltan Coigny leads the 2026 FIA Karting Academy Trophy Junior standings on 75 points following a strong performance in Belgium. The Swiss driver took pole position, controlled the heats and delivered a composed final win by 2.7 seconds. "The start of the week was hard as we were not really fast but then we found the right setup," said Coigny after the race. "Having the final win is just a bonus on top of all of that." Two rounds remain but Coigny arrives in Sarno as the clear benchmark.
John Han from Hong Kong is eight points back in second on 67 points after a Genk weekend that showcased his pace and racing instinct. Qualifying in tenth position, Han climbed through the heats to sit one point behind Coigny in the intermediate classification before successfully defending his second position throughout the final. The gap is anything but insurmountable and Han will be among the drivers pushing hardest from the moment the karts hit the Italian track.
Georgios Psaroudakis is third on 53 points after a composed Belgian weekend, while Kevin Pentell delivered one of the standout moments of the Genk final, claiming third place by just 0.057 seconds in a last-lap duel with Takeru Shimbashi to arrive in Sarno well positioned in the championship. Shimbashi himself impressed throughout the Saturday heats and will be pushing for a stronger final result in Italy.
France's Saad Deresnes arrived at Genk as one of the pre-event favourites and will be looking to convert his potential into points as the championship develops. Roc Piñera Rusiñol, following in the footsteps of his brother Aleix who represented Spain in the Trophy in 2024, made up significant ground from a difficult qualifying position in Belgium and reflected the qualities the junior field possess across the grid.
With all 52 drivers racing with identical Exprit karts and Vortex engines and Vega's Option tyre available for the junior field, the competition remains open. Sarno offers a fresh canvas for the young drivers as they build towards what promises to be a closely fought conclusion to the three-round 2026 Academy Junior Trophy.
Provisional Timings
Friday 3 July
Qualifying Practice (KZ2) - 14:00 - 14:45
Qualifying Practice (KZ) - 14:45 - 15:00
Qualifying Practice (Academy Junior) - 15:00 - 15:30
Saturday 4 July
Qualifying Heats - 10:20 - 18:00
Sunday 5 July
09:50 - 11:00 - Super Heats (KZ and KZ2)
Drivers' Presentation - 12:15
Academy Junior Final - 13:00
KZ2 Final - 14:00
KZ Final - 15:00