| Category | Kart racing |
|---|---|
| Region | International |
| Affiliations | CIK-FIA |
| Inaugural season | 1974; 51 years ago (1974) (asFormula C) |
| Drivers' champion | |
| Teams' champion | |
| Official website | Official website |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Kart racing |
|---|
 |
Championships |
Governance |
KZ is akart racing class for drivers aged 15 and over, sanctioned by theCIK-FIA. Described as "the [Formula One] of karting",[1] KZ is the primarygearbox class inFIA championships.
The class was originally calledFormula C (FC), first introduced in 1974 at theEuropean Championship as the first gearbox class in international kart racing. FC was contested at theWorld Championship from 1983 until 2000. In 2002—after 28 seasons of racing—FC was replaced bySuper-ICC (S-ICC) and downgraded toWorld Cup status. In 2007, Super-ICC was replaced byKZ1 and renamed to KZ in 2013, when it returned to the World Championship.
KZ is contested as the primary gearbox class at theKarting World Championship and theKarting European Championship.
In 1974, Formula C (FC) was introduced as a 125 ccgearbox class for theEuropean Championship, the first of its kind. FC was first held at theWorld Championship in 1983, remaining there until 2000.
In 2002, Super-ICC (S-ICC) regulations replaced FC, being downgraded toWorld Cup status.
KZ1 replaced S-ICC in 2007. In 2013, KZ1 was renamed to KZ, returning to the World Championship.
There are eight main technical features of the KZ regulations, sharing the same specification asKZ2 except for chassis and brakes, which are open in KZ, as well as minimum weight:[2]
Engines, chassis, bodywork, brakes and tyres are subject to the homologation system put in place by the CIK-FIA. Each year, the tyres and the fuel for each category, as well as the KZ and KZ2 carburettor, are chosen after a call for tenders.
In 2024, the CIK-FIA mandated the use ofDunlop tyres in international KZ competition. Several drivers and teams criticised the move ahead of the followingKarting European Championship, addressing concerns with their competitive performance.[3]
KZ has been contested at theEuropean Championship since 1974 and theWorld Championship/World Cup since 1983.
Gianluca Beggio holds the record for mostKZ World Championships, with five. Notable KZ World Champions include four-timeFormula One World Drivers' ChampionMax Verstappen and two-timeWorld Touring Car ChampionGabriele Tarquini. Verstappen is the only driver to win aCIK-FIA gearbox championship and the Formula One World Drivers' Championship.
Gianfranco Baroni and Francesco Laudato hold the joint-record for mostKZ European Championships, each with four.
| Drivers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| * | Driver has competed inFormula One | ||
| † | Formula One World Drivers' Champion | ||
| ‡ | FIA World Champion in anauto racing discipline | ||
| Tyres | |||
| B | Bridgestone | LC | LeCont |
| C | Carlisle | M | Maxxis |
| D | Dunlop | MG | MG Tires |
| G | Goodyear | M | Mojo |
| K | Komet | V | Vega |
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