FIA Karting: World Championships return to England
After a world event in 2017 and a European event in 2018, the PF International circuit is getting ready to host the Mondokart.com FIA Karting World Championship - OK & Junior and the first OK-N World Cup from 12th to 15th September.
It will be the 60th anniversary of the Karting World Championship (1st edition in 1964, run at the Pista d’Oro in Roma, Italy) and that there will be demonstrations on track of a range of 30+ historic karts that did take part in World Champs events between 1964 and 1984.
262 drivers from 59 nations are on the entry lists marking a new participation record and Maxxis tyres will be used in all three categories. As is the case in all FIA Karting competitions, the fuel used at PF International is a 100% renewable product made from second-generation biological components and synthetic fuel produced by German manufacturer P1 Racing Fuels.
The special features of PF International's track, with its classic 1,382m layout and bridge, make it a true staple of British-style karting competition, with undeniable selectivity based on knowledge of the terrain and the subtleties of race management in Lincolnshire, as well as versatility between different weather conditions.
On the road to the top in OK
The Mondokart.com FIA Karting World Championship - OK brings together the best current drivers at PF International, some of whom have already won at the highest level. The Spaniard Pedro Hiltbrand Aguilar, the Brazilian Matheus Morgatto and the Belgian Dries Van Langendonck (Junior) are the former World Champions present at Grantham alongside the reigning European Champion, the Briton Joe Turney, followed by the Brazilian Gabriel Gomez and the Belgian Thibaut Ramaekers. The other drivers in the most recent European top 10 will also be competingt, with Louis Iglesias (FRA), Fionn McLaughlin (IRL), Lewis Wherrell (GBR), Noah Monteiro (PRT), Jimmy Hélias (FRA) and Dmitry Matveev. Other names are sure to be revealed among the 112 participants in this benchmark event.
Talent galore in the Junior class
More than 120 young drivers aged 12 to 14 will be competing for the OK-Junior world title. With the exception of reigning European Champion Dries Van Langendonck, who has just moved up to the next category, the top specialists are all competing at PF International. They include Spaniard Christian Costoya, second last year, Augustus Toniolo (BRA), Filippo Sala (ITA), Joel Pohjola (FIN), Arjen Kraeling (DEU), Rocco Coronel (NLD), Dean Hoogendorn (NLD) and Iacopo Martinese (ITA). Among the newcomers, Noah Baglin (GBR), Kenzo Craigie (GBR) and Sebastien Minns (GBR) will be competitors to watch. Gilles Herman (BEL), winner of the FIA Karting Academy Trophy, will be joined by other Trophy drivers: Brown Turner (USA), Fausto Arnaudo (ARG), Kian Burnard (GBR), Victor Alexandru Rad (ROU), Theodor Toobal (EST), Vanessa Silkunaite (LTU) and Jure Levar (SVN).
OK-N World Cup
Included in the initial plans for the OK-N category, the first edition of the World Cup follows on from the international event contested last year during the World Championships in Franciacorta, the Road to the World Cup. The allocation of seats has been meticulously prepared by the CIK-FIA to favour countries that have already organised OK-N events on their territory. As a result, there is a wide variety of nations represented, 16 for 29 entrants, including countries that are not usually present, such as Madagascar, Cyprus, South Korea, Uruguay and Uzbekistan, alongside China, South Africa and Mexico. Five engine manufacturers and eleven chassis manufacturers will be taking part.