The FIA European Karting Championship for gearbox categories concluded from 2nd to 5th July at the Circuito Internazionale Napoli in Sarno. Following an intense weekend, the Sodi drivers left Italy with two podium finishes, a track record and a European runners-up title. In KZ, Matteo Spirgel secured 2nd place in the Final, whilst Jean Nomblot etched his name at the very top of the circuit’s record books. In KZ2, Matheus Morgatto took 3rd place on the podium with the fastest lap in the Final, bringing to a close a title battle that kept the paddock on the edge of their seats right to the very end, decided by a mere twelve points.

Two weeks after a highly successful event at La Conca, the WSK Super Master Series continued at Sarno, one of the circuits that will host a round of the FIA European Karting Championship. The KR-IAME packages maintained a very high level of performance, while enabling the teams working with the Kart Republic factory to gather valuable information on this difficult track. The triple success of the KR chassis in OK-Junior was one of the highlights of the trip to the Neapolitan region.

Kart Republic has just taken the number of FIA European Karting Championship titles won in the OK category to six out of seven attempts since the Italian brand launched in 2018. At the final round in Kristianstad, Sweden, the KR-IAME packages were impressively successful: Joe Turney celebrated his first crown at this level with another win secured by a healthy margin; Fionn McLaughlin finished 3rd in the Final; Thibaut Ramaekers claimed Championship bronze in his first season in OK. In OK-Junior, Noah Baglin took 3rd place on the podium and was the top rookie in the overall standings, in which Iacopo Martinese came 3rd, as he did in 2023.

Zac Drummond was very strong throughout the weekend at Val d'Argenton, taking top spot in the OK standings after Round 2 of the Champions of the Future Euro Series. Among other interesting performances, Parolin Motorsport can also be proud of Miguel Costa's 12-place improvement in the Final, and Christian Costoya's 22-place climb in the Junior Final.

With 33 confirmed drivers, the official CRG Team promises to be one of the biggest and most competitive for the 2024 international karting season. The CRG Racing Team, which as announced last December, will be coordinated from a technical and organizational point of view by Natalia Balbo and Brandon Nilsson, will be able to count on a mix of experienced drivers and ambitious young ones in all categories.

Spanish racer Bruno Del Pino Ventos will remain with MP Motorsport for a fresh assault on the Eurocup-3 series. By way of preparation, the 17-year-old will also take in a campaign in the Formula Regional Middle East Championship.

Valerio Rinicella has decided to keep in the family for his promotion to the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA). The 16-year-old Roman will continue at MP Motorsport as he steps up from Spanish Formula 4.

Facing a new circuit in a major international competition is always a dreaded moment for factories, teams, and drivers. From 3rd to 6th May, the KR brand set out to discover the Steel Ring circuit in Třinec, located in the Czech Republic, to participate in the second round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series.

With a fine victory in Lonato in KZ2 in the new WSK Promotion series, Senna Van Walstijn confirmed the competitiveness of the Sodi chassis and the expertise of the Sodi Racing Team. Leader at the end of the heats and 5th in the Final, Émilien Denner completed the solid performance from the world's leading manufacturer in the WSK Open Series.

After clinching another Top 5 finish – the fifth in five races – young 14-year-old Jimmy Hélias from Normandy is now installed in the no. 1 spot in the International Karting Ranking in the top-tier OK category! This official classification of international kart drivers was introduced this year by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), the body that governs the whole motorsport pyramid from the base up to Formula 1. It operates in a similar fashion to the ATP and WTA rankings in tennis. It is yet another honour for Jimmy who, don’t forget, is part of the rookies who made their debut in OK last November!

Italian youngster Valerio Rinicella will stay with MP Motorsport for a second season in the Spanish Formula 4 Championship. As a sophomore, the 15-year-old from Rome aims to improve on his sixth place in 2022’s final standings.

Jimmy Helias has just finished his first full European campaign in OK-Junior, a category in which he’s part of the strongest world hopes at the age of only 13! He has made rapid consistent progress to the point that the young Frenchman was battling for the podium in the final event of the FIA European Karting Championship in Italy after clinching a spectacular pole position! Two weeks earlier the official Tony Kart driver celebrated his first top-five finish in Junior in the Champions of the Future Euro Series.

The fourth and final round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series organised by RGMMC at Franciacorta confirmed the excellent performance of Parolin Motorsport in OK and OK-Junior. Maksim Orlov finished 2nd on the OK podium and René Lammers finished 2nd in the OK-Junior Final, while Anatholy Khavalkin secured 2nd position in the Championship.

The changing weather conditions at the third round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series in Kristianstad enabled the Birel ART Racing team to gather a large amount of data in OK and OK-Junior. Drivers and technicians had to adapt constantly to ensure their competitiveness, which was certainly good training for the third round of the FIA European Karting Championship which will take place in Sweden in a fortnight.

The third round (out of four) in the FIA European Karting Championship took place on the Sarno circuit near Naples. The young French driver from Laval, Arthur Rogeon, emulated his feat in the Belgian round in May when he set the fastest time in his group, by putting on a stunningly competitive performance in qualifying in Italy.

The second round of the FIA European Karting Championship put a smile back on Arthur Rogeon’s face and revived his confidence within his new team, Ward Racing. When the young driver from Laval arrived at the Aunay-les-Bois circuit he was brimming with enthusiasm and impatient to get back in the thick of the action. He left there satisfied as to his perspectives for the rest of the season in the OK category. He showed consistency and performance in the French round that deserved a happier ending.

We interviewed prominent members of the French and international federations and the karting community: it seems that no disabled driver has, to date, participated in an official event counting for an FIA European Karting Championship. Maxime Léger, the driver of Tours region’s local karting club, ASK Val de Loire, three times FFSA French Handikart champion, will be the first to take up the challenge of competing against the best drivers in the world on the Aunay-les-Bois circuit near Alençon from May 28 to 30.

The circuit of Genk (BEL), the "Home of Champions", will launch the FIA Karting European Championship - OK & Junior from 13th to 16th May 2021. 190 drivers have registered for this grand opening event and the trend towards a younger OK category continues.

Races follow one another and do not always look the same! Having just been crowned double European Champion the previous week in KZ and KZ2, the Birel ART brand was hoping to continue its momentum and finish its European campaign in OK and OK-Junior with a new major result. Alas, the hazards of the race decided otherwise. Several points of satisfaction remain for the official team of Lissone, such as the excellent performance of the Brazilian Matheus Morgatto, who came 8th in the final with a high level of performance.