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 competition. 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
direct-drive category was clarified 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. Junior direct-drive classes have evolved substantially since 1981. was introduced to the European Championship in 1989 and remained at the World Cup until 1996, where notable winners included two
Formula One World Drivers' Champions:
Alain Prost (1973) and
Fernando Alonso (1996). The KF era was marked by decreasing entry figures as
costs for competitors spiralled due to the presence of manually-controlled front
brakes, sophisticated
cable systems, and fragility of components. It was eventually replaced by () 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 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 the senior category, utilising a lower
rev limiter to increase
reliability and a higher minimum weight to reduce
costs and bolster accessibility; additionally, events were to operate as a
single-manufacturer discipline, with one brand of engine,
chassis, and six
option tyres. uses an identical design to the engine, with the only technical difference being a
flange on the
exhaust.
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
Mini Gr.3 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". The
Road to the World Cup, organised by
ACI Sport, was held at Franciacorta as a
support race to the 2023
World Championship and won by
Jesse Phillips. Qualification for the inaugural
World Cup in 2025 was decided via
national championships in several countries, as well as the
podium of the
African Cup, for a total of 72 drivers. Each
National Sporting Authority (ASN) hosting a national championship were given three entries, with the exclusion of all
European Championship entrants. The
Arrive & Drive World Cup was inaugurated that year, featuring
Vortex engines derived from with
centrifugal clutches. 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 72 to 90 drivers. == Specification ==