Half the field at the Champions of the Future event in Valencia boycotted the Final due to tire conditions

This past weekend, the Champions of the Future hosted the opening round of its Shifters 2025 program, competing at the International Kartodromo Lucas Guerrero in Valencia, Spain. The May 7-10 event welcomed 23 drivers in KZ and 53 in KZ2 category. The event served as a ‘warm-up’ for the upcoming FIA Karting European Championship race, which is scheduled for May 15-18.

Dunlop is the spec tire for KZ, KZ2, and KZ2 Masters (Photo: FIAKarting.com)

The big topic surrounding the KZ divisions at FIA Karting events has been the tire situation. In 2024, Dunlop was named as the official tire for competition in KZ, KZ2 and KZ2 Masters. The homologated Dunlop DH H compound was selected, with Anderson CSK out of the United Kingdom being responsible for supplying the tires (see Press Release). The opening round of the 2024 FIA Karting European Championship for the KZ platform was actually cancelled due to ‘tire availability’ (see Press Release).

Vroom highlighted the situation with an article reviewing those tires that were homologated for FIA competition, showing the limited brands available for competition at the international level (see Article).

In that article, it states that the FIA changed its procedure of a one-year tender for an official tire to a three-year tender, beginning with the 2024 season. Maxxis was awarded the opportunity to supply the single-speed categories from 2024-2026, while no deal was struck with the typical shifterkart brands of MG, Vega or LeCont. Dunlop was named as the official tire for shifterkarts for 2024-2026, despite having left the sport of karting for the last several years.

Fast forward to this past weekend where over half of the KZ field in Valencia did not compete in the main event on Sunday to conclude the Champions of the Future event. Those who boycotted the race took to social media to state their thoughts and opinions.

The drivers who did not compete in the Final include the following:

David Trefilov (Formula K SRP Factory Team)
Emilien Denner (Formula K SRP Factory Team)
Lorenzo Travisanutto (Parolin Motorsport)
Matteo Vigano (Parolin Motorsport)
Paolo Ippolito (KR Motorsport)
Danilo Albanese (KR Motorsport)
Mathias Torreggiani (KR Motorsport)
Lorenzo Camplese (Tony Kart Racing Team)
Marijn Kremers (Tony Kart Racing Team)
Tom Leuillet (Tony Kart Racing Team)
Francesco Celenta (Tony Kart Racing Team)
Stan Pex (SP Motorsport)

Drivers racing for Sodikart, CRG, Birelart, Maranello and DR Racing Kart contested the Final, won by Matteo Spirgel (CPB Sport / Sodikart) (see Race Report).

Karting 1’s Alan Dove produced a great recap of how things transpired over the weekend (see Article).

Screenshot of Danilo Albanese Instagram story, shared by many of the drivers in Valencia (Photo: Karting1)

One of the points that Dove makes in his article is where the sport of karting is today. There seems to be a push about how karting can elevate you into Formula One from the FIA. It’s a possibility, and as we review the current 20 drivers on the F1 grid, they all began in karting. But as you look at those who have reached the pinnacle of the sport, it does not guarantee a spot in the F1 World Championship field.

Let’s look at the last 10 FIA Karting World Champion prior to last year and where they are now:

2014: Lando Norris – F1 Driver
2015: Karol Basz – GT driver / karting team owner (KB Racing Experience)
2016: Pedro Hiltbrand – KZ driver (Birelart)
2017: Danny Keirle – Driver Coach
2018: Lorenzo Travisanutto – KZ driver (Parolin)
2019: Lorenzo Travisanutto
2020: Callum Bradshaw – Rotax driver / Driver Coach
2021: Tuukka Taponen – FIA Formula 3
2022: Matheus Morgatto – KZ driver (PSL Karting / Birelart)
2023: Kirill Kutskov – F4 driver

Here is the list of the last 10 FIA Karting KZ World Champion prior:

2015: Jorrit Pex – KZ driver (SP Motorsport)
2026: Paolo de Conto – retired
2017: Paolo de Conto
2018: Patrik Hajek – Driver Coach (Rolison Performance Group)
2019: Marijn Kremers – KZ driver (Tony Kart Racing Team)
2020: Jeremy Iglesias – retired / Team Principal (CRG Racing Team)
2021: Noah Milell – Driver Coach (KB Racing Experience)
2022: Viktor Gustafsson – KZ driver (CRG Racing Team)
2023: Paolo Ippolito – KZ driver (KR Motorsport)
2024: Giuseppe Palomba – KZ driver (KR Motorsport)

Many of the best in our sport are ‘career karters’ and there is nothing wrong with that.

Lando Norris is the only world karting champion over the last 10 years to reach Formula 1 (Photo: FIAKarting.com)

The Go Kart Hall of Fame just inducted several individuals to recognize their achievements within the sport. Those on the list are and were career karters. Other forms of motorsports – oval racing, road racing, motorcross, etc. – have those individuals who compete year after year, just for the pure enjoyment, competition, and camaraderie gained with each race weekend.

Those in the KZ category today are essentially the ‘professional’ drivers in karting. They are paid to compete for either the factory or the race team. Whereas the drivers in OK and OK Junior are kids under the age of 16, paying to race at the WSK, Champions of the Future, FIA European and World Championship events.

One thing to remember about those high profile events in Europe – there is no prize purse and cash prizes. They are racing for only a trophy, and the prestige.

Back here in the USA, at the SKUSA Pro Tour and United States Pro Kart Series, the drivers in Pro Shifter and X30 Pro divisions are competing for prizes and cash. It is one of the reasons why you see so many of the international drivers coming to race in the United States.

We saw the allure of the European drivers coming to the USA back in 2007 with world champion Marco Ardigo coming to grab the big check for victory at the SKUSA SuperNationals. And it continues to be the main driving force for many of the professional drivers for the factories and teams in Europe to come to Las Vegas each year.

With the regular championships offering the big money to win or earn a championship, we’ve seen them come to compete more on the regular, such as Joe Turney, and now drivers like Caden McQueen and Gus Lawrence on the single-speed side of things. For KZ, which is now the lone shifterkart engine platform in the USA at the top level, we’ve seen Marijn Kremers come and steal wins and championships over the last few seasons with Matheus Morgatto now in the role as the driver to beat after a stunning 2024 season.

Maybe with the state of the FIA, and the sizes of the KZ fields here, the SKUSA Pro Tour should become the higher ‘profile’ championship in the world.

1998 Formula C World Championship – won by Gianluca Beggio – was the last time FIA contested an event in the United States (Photo: Birel ART)

Factory teams should be sending their KZ drivers around the world to compete in the higher profile events. Tony Kart, Parolin and Kart Republic have teams situated here in the USA and can benefit from having those drivers here in the USA helping guide the drivers here in the younger categories while performing in the SKUSA Pro Show three weekends out of the year. Formula K SRP – or IPK – has had multiple importers here in the USA – and if they would put a focus on bringing their world talent here, could establish a better footing for the product line. The other brands that did compete in the Final in Valencia already have strong ties here in the USA.

The same 23 drivers in KZ are on the entry list for this weekend’s FIA Karting European Championship event.

Looking forward to 2026, I would contend that we move the focus away from the European Championship. Let’s get the factories and teams to send the ‘professional’ drivers to the USA three times on the season and compete in the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour for a chance at racing against massive fields again, at amazing race tracks, for cash prizes and added prestige.

Maybe even the FIA Karting KZ World Championship here as well to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the sport.

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