The last time a Karting competition of such magnitude was in Le Mans, it took place on the old Alain Prost Circuit.

Much has changed for Karting’s return, beginning in 2013 with the creation of a new track known as "Le Mans Karting International." 

Nearly 200 drivers will descend on Le Mans, no doubt drawn by the prospect of competing at Le Mans.

They will represent a remarkable 42 countries – the highest numbers coming from Italy (42) and France (36) – and will do battle in front of a big crowd that will include FIA President Jean Todt.

Karting is considered to be the first stepping stone for young drivers aspiring to reach the highest levels of motor sport, or simply hoping for a career as a racing driver.

While the vast majority of current (and past) F1 drivers came from Karting, it has grown racing talents that populate a wide variety of racing disciplines, such as the FIA World Endurance Championship, which is the basis of the 24 Hours of Le Mans classic each June.

This weekend’s World Championship event will feature a number of categories.

KZ is the advanced category for gearbox karts – it was previously called Super ICC and KZ1. Since its inception in 2010, KZ has attracted some of the most promising young drivers before they take the next step to single-seater racing. 

The KZ2 category is technically similar to KZ, except for the tyres used and some technical details of the chassis. It remains a very high performance category, though it is more affordable and attracts many talented amateurs in this competition.

The CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy is unique, with the aim of targeting and identifying promising drivers between the ages of 13 and 15.

This year, the Trophy will feature 50 drivers representing 36 countries. To ensure a level playing field, all drivers use the same equipment; each driver draws their machine before each event.

Event Program

Thursday, September 10

Official free practice

Friday, September 11

Official free practice

Qualifying session

Saturday, September 12

Warm-up sleeves qualifying (15km / 11 laps in KZ and KZ2, 10km / 8 laps in Academy)

Historic Kart demonstration 

Sunday, September 13 :

Warm-up sleeves repechage (15km / 11 laps in KZ, 10km / 8 laps Academy)

Pre-finals 1 and 2 in KZ2 (20km / 15 laps)

Pre-final Academy (15 km / 11 laps)

KZ pre-final (20km / 15 laps)

Historic Kart demonstration

KZ2 Finale (30 km / 22 laps)

Academy Finale (25 km / 19 laps)