Background (1962–2022) The
Commission Internationale de Karting () was founded in 1962 as a sister
commission to the
CSI, later known as
FISA and the
FIA, to govern international
kart racing competitions. It hosted the first
CIK-FIA World Championship in 1964, which has been held annually since. The began its
homologation of distinct classes in the discipline in 1974, when the first 125 cc
gearbox category was created for the
European Championship:
Formula C (FC). The 100 cc category was homologated in 1976, when
Formula Europe was introduced to control technical evolutions and costs. Component technical approvals have been mandated by the CIK-FIA since then. The 250 cc
superkart category received World Championship–status in 1983, having reached international competition as early as 1976. Senior 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. FSA was disbanded after 2002 and was followed by FA and ICA in 2007, when 125 cc
KF1 and
KF2 regulations were introduced. It was eventually replaced by
Original Kart (OK) in 2016, which—following iterations by the —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.
Creation in 2022.|alt=The headquarters of the FIA at Place de la Concorde in Paris Plans for a new minimal-cost
direct-drive category were submitted by the to the
FIA World Motor Sport Council in 2022; they were approved in July, with the confirming the "" category would host its inaugural
World Cup in 2024. The "N" suffix is an initialism of
National, reflecting that qualification for the World Cup would be determined via
national events. Described as a "hybrid" between the
OK and
OK-Junior categories,
engines were first tested in the final round of the
European Championship that year at
Franciacorta. was unveiled alongside its junior category, , utilising a lower
rev limiter to increase
reliability and a higher minimum weight to reduce
costs and bolster accessibility; additionally, events were planned to operate as a
single-manufacturer discipline, with one brand of engine,
chassis, and six
option tyres.
ACI Sport carried out further tests at
Sarno and
Cremona, in preparation for both categories' debuts in the
Italian Championship, where they would serve as a gateway from the under-12
Mini Gr.3 class to OK. Its debut was postponed from February to June, removed from the
WSK Super Master Series, and had only one entry in the
WSK Open Series, which
Kartcom opined was "more a casting error than a failure of the new concept". It featured that year as the primary senior class in the
Andrea Margutti Trophy and
Trofeo delle Industrie. The
Road to the World Cup, organised by
ACI Sport, was held at Franciacorta as a
support race to the 2023
World Championship and was won by
Antonio Apicella. In addition to the this event—where the top-three were awarded places at the
World Cup—qualification was decided via
national championships in 12 countries, as well as the
podium of the
African Cup, for a total of 36 drivers. in 2024.|alt=The bridge in the first sector of PF International Kart Circuit with four people walking beneath The inaugural World Cup was held at
PF International and won by
South Korean driver
Kyuho Lee in wet conditions. Entries to the World Cup were initially tightened for 2025, with each
National Sporting Authority (ASN) hosting a national championship given three entries and the exclusion of all
European Championship entrants. The
Arrive & Drive World Cup was inaugurated that year at
LYL International in Malaysia, featuring
Vortex engines derived from with
centrifugal clutches, and was won by
Zach Tucker of
New Zealand against 58 competitors from 30 nations. In the Italian Championship, average entry numbers in and increased from 70 in 2023, to 90 in 2024, to 120 in 2025; a record 190 entered the 2025
Cremona round in preparation for the World Cup. With the increased demand from ASNs, the World Cup increased from the planned 72 drivers to 90 and was dominated by
Italy's
Manuel Scognamiglio.
Global expansion (2026–present) In 2026, is set to be contested at three
national championships within the COTFA framework in Macau, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. As part of the
FIA's phased "
Global Karting Plan", the
arrive-and-drive concept is set to expand to European and Asia-Pacific Championships. == Specification ==