The legendary Karting Genk circuit will host the opening round of the 2026 FIA Karting season for the gearbox categories this weekend as 160 drivers travel to Belgium for the Mondokart.com FIA Karting European Championship.
Drivers, including Max Verstappen and Nyck De Vries, have previously conquered the Genk circuit, with Verstappen memorably clinching the European KZ title at the circuit in 2013. The 12-corner track is a staple of the FIA Karting calendar and set to deliver an opening round spectacle for the gearbox racing season.
In the KZ category, several familiar names, including returning World and European champions, start their campaigns for the 2026 European title, forming a grid full of some of the best and most experienced karting talent in the world.
KZ2, meanwhile, features several drivers taking their first laps in the gearbox category. A more open field will make for an interesting and unpredictable weekend as the 83 drivers race to bank an early advantage in the championship standings.
The 2026 Academy Trophy junior competition also begins this weekend, with 52 drivers competing over the three-round championship. The largest grid to date in the Academy Trophy, the format continues to support rising stars who have been selected by their FIA Member Club in a showcase of both driver and national talent.
All rounds of the Mondokart.com FIA Karting European Championship will be LIVE and FREE to watch on the FIA Karting YouTube channel.
KZ
Champions and legends of the FIA Karting KZ category form the 25-strong entry list for the first round of the European Championship. Current KZ World Champion Senna Van Walstijn leads the pack, hoping to add a European title to his accolades. He’s already started the year strongly with a win in Franciacorta and will be hoping to continue his winning streak into the FIA Karting season.
Defending his European title is Van Walstijn’s teammate, Matteo Spirgel. The 19-year-old French driver memorably clinched the title in Mülsen last year after overturning a points deficit to Pedro Hiltbrand during a thrilling final round of the championship. Hiltbrand will, however, be trying to deny Spirgel back-to-back European titles, and after winning the first two races of the championship last year before suffering engine issues during the third round, the Spaniard is high on the list of names to look out for.
Competing for his tenth year in FIA Karting is 2022 World Champion Viktor Gustafsson. Since clinching the title four years ago, he has hovered around the top positions, finishing in second position in the 2023 and 2025 World Championships and finished in third position in the 2024 European Championship. The former KZ2 European Champion is one of 12 drivers returning for back-to-back KZ seasons in 2026.
2024 KZ World Champion Giuseppe Palomba leads eight Italian drivers on the grid this weekend, having competed exclusively in the KZ category throughout his karting career. He is joined by 25-year-old Daniel Vasile, who switches teams for 2026 as Palomba's teammate for the season.
Making the move from KZ2 to KZ in 2026 is reigning KZ2 European Champion and 2025 FIA Karting World Cup KZ2 winner Maksim Orlov. Having moved from OK to KZ2 in 2023, he takes the next step in his racing career as he joins the grid in Belgium this week. Also making the transition to KZ is Estonian driver Markus Kajak.
Other names to look out for include Jean Nomblot, David Trefilov and Stan Pex. The first of two rounds to decide the 2026 FIA Karting KZ European Champion begins with qualifying practice on Friday.
View the KZ Entry List
KZ2
A bumper list of 83 drivers forms the entry list for the KZ2 European Championship this year.
Maximilian Schleimer leads the early favourites after securing third position in the KZ2 European Championship and fourth spot in the World Cup last year. Jayden Thien also returns to KZ2 this year after placing just behind Schleimer in fourth place in the 2025 European Championship. Thien’s teammate, Marek Skrivan, also continues in KZ2 this season.
Elie Goldstein showed great potential last year, including a fourth-place finish in the opening round of the European Championship in Valencia and returns to KZ2 looking to replicate last year’s strong start to the season. French driver Arthur Lehouck also rejoins the KZ2 grid, 14 years after debuting in FIA Karting when he raced alongside George Russell, Billy Monger and Nikita Mazepin in the KF3 category.
2025 FIA Karting Rookie of the Year James Anagnostiadis will bank his first competitive laps in a KZ2 kart this weekend. The Mercedes Junior Driver is beginning his move to gearbox karting whilst also competing in the OK category this year, where he currently sits in 15th position in the European Championship standings following round 2.
Completing his transition from OK to KZ2 is British driver Noah Wolfe, who placed third in the FIA Karting KZ2 World Cup last year during his first KZ2 season. Fellow Brit Hannah Lang also returns to the category as one of 17 wildcard entries this weekend.
Other names to watch this weekend include Daniel Maciá, who clinched a 7th-place finish in Franciacorta last year, Alvar Siimesvaara, who begins his third year in gearbox racing and Genis Civico Espona, who first debuted in KZ2 in 2022. All have experience they’ll be leaning on as we get racing around the Belgian track.
View the KZ2 Entry List
Academy Junior
A packed grid of 52 drivers makes up the largest Academy Trophy grid to date, with Paraguay, Rwanda and El Salvador represented for the first time. With Formula 1 drivers Charles Leclerc and George Russell among its alumni, the Academy Trophy has a strong record of identifying and developing karting's next generation.
Current Academy Trophy Junior champion Oiva Vettenranta has this year made the transition to the Junior category after competing in the first edition of the FIA Karting Shootout as a result of his Academy Trophy success.
France's Saad Deresnes arrives as one of the standout names heading into the opening round. Deresnes competed in the first Arrive and Drive World Cup in Malaysia last year and currently sits second in the French Junior Karting Championship.
Roc Piñera Rusiñol represents Spain this year, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Aleix Piñera Rusiñol, who also represented Spain in the trophy in 2024. Aleix has this year joined the Tecnicar team in the Spanish Formula 4 championship.
William Nielsen represents Denmark on the Academy Junior grid this year, and finally, Women in Motorsport sponsored driver Giada Vanigioli joins the Academy Trophy after competing in the FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars programme last year.
In total, 52 drivers from every global region will be taking to the track this weekend. All drivers will race with identical Exprit karts and Vortex engines for the season. Vega continues as the official tyre supplier for the competition with their Option tyre available for the junior drivers.
View the Academy Junior Entry List
Provisional Timings
Friday 22 May
09:00 – 13:25 Free Practice
14:25 – 15:46 Qualifying Practice
16:45 - 17:40 Qualifying Heats (KZ2)
Saturday 23 May
10:40 – 17:55 Qualifying Heats
Watch Saturday's Qualifying
Sunday 24 May
09:50 – 11:55 Super Heats
12:30 Drivers’ Presentation
13:20 Academy Trophy Junior Final
14:20 KZ2 Final
15:20 KZ Final
Watch Sunday's Finals