The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, is pleased to announce that safety in karting took a significant step at the recent first round of the 2025 FIA Karting Academy Trophy in Portugal, as all competing karts carried an Impact Data Recorder (IDR) for the first time. The device, developed by the FIA with the support of the FIA Foundation, was launched globally in 2024, and is a low-cost data recorder that registers key metrics such as impact G forces.

The IDR is aimed at categories from national to regional level where more expensive, bespoke data recorders may not be available. Thanks to its small size (6cm long) and low weight (12 grams), it is the first FIA-developed accident data recording device to be fitted to a kart – the entry level for circuit racing and the place where every topflight Formula 1 driver began their career.

The FIA’s global network of National Sporting Authorities (ASNs) are able to purchase and fit the IDR in grassroots and national competitions, and paired with bespoke software, the devices can provide unprecedented insights into the nature and frequency of crashes, allowing ASNs to adapt and improve their safety infrastructure over time.

The data collected from the introduction of the IDR to FIA Karting events will provide the FIA and by extension organisers of karting events at every level with data that can inform the next generation of integrated safety systems – from circuit layouts to barrier positioning and improvements to safety equipment, the potential for positive change is huge.

In 2025, the IDR will be fitted at every round of the FIA Karting Academy Trophy events, and through wider uptake from 2026 onwards at international and national levels, the benefits will only increase.

FIA Safety Director, Nuno Costa, said: “It was a really successful first implementation of the Impact Data Recorder for karting, which is a discipline that has huge participation but that, up until now, has not been somewhere that we have had a lot of real-world data to draw upon. Now, as the IDR is rolled out more widely, the data that is being collected, initially by the FIA and hopefully in the near future also by ASNs, has significant potential to improve safety standards across the board.”

Akbar Ebrahim, President of the FIA Karting Commission (CIK), said: “When the FIA launched the IDR, we were immediately very excited about the potential it had to provide a totally new data source in the karting world. I’m pleased that the first implementation was a success, and really encourage our ASNs and organisers to look at how they can implement it in their national championships. The more we understand about the crashes that happen on-track, the better prepared we can be in the future to mitigate risk and protect our competitors.”