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The 2025 season was a landmark year for FIA Karting, defined by on-track battles, the emergence of a new generation of motor sport stars and the introduction of new competitions and formats that ushered the discipline into a bold new era. The FIA Karting Awards in Paris this evening, 10 January 2026, provided a fittingly grand backdrop to celebrate an iconic year for karting as the champions, winners and standout competitors gathered at Place Vendôme in the heart of the French capital.
Reflecting on a year of remarkable growth for FIA Karting, guests were addressed by Akbar Ebrahim, FIA Karting Commission President and Alberto Villarreal, FIA General Manager, who both celebrated the 25% increase in driver entries recorded from 2024 to 2025. 1217 drivers from 86 nationalities entered FIA Karting events last year, a testament to the ongoing success of the FIA’s Global Karting Plan and the commitment set out by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem to expand karting and grow the base of the motor sport pyramid.
Kicking off the awards ceremony, the team championship trophies were awarded to Prema Racing, Sodikart, CPB Sport and Maranello Kart who all celebrated a triumphant year on track having powered an action-packed karting season across the FIA Karting World Championships and Cups.
The first driver award of the evening went to a rising star who certainly made his mark in FIA Karting last year. Expectations were high as James Anagnostiadis moved to the OK category and he certainly didn’t disappoint, claiming pole in the Mondokart.com World Championship final and an eventual fourth position he can be incredibly proud of. His impressive season has rightly earned him FIA Karting Rookie of the Year – OK and solidified his position as a driver to watch over the 2026 season.
The hotly-contested FIA European Championships provided a dramatic start to the 2025 season. Five European Champions, each of different nationality, all received their trophies this evening along with congratulations from their fellow drivers, teams and members of the International Karting Commission who assembled to honour the stars of the sport.
The FIA Karting Academy Trophy, which expanded last year to include a senior category, continued to provide a global platform for the champions of tomorrow to shine. In the junior category, Oiva Vettenranta clinched victory during a memorable final lap showdown in Cremona, whilst Yuzuki Sato conquered the challenging conditions of Rødby, finishing 31 points ahead of his nearest rival to be declared the first FIA Karting Academy Trophy senior winner.
Sato would go on to eventually win the first FIA Karting Senior Shootout in Valencia in December, securing a transformational prize of 250,000 euros towards an FIA-certified Formula 4 championship, rounding off an incredible year of success for the young Japanese racer.
In the OK-N and OK-NJ categories, two Italian drivers claimed World Cup glory on home soil in Cremona. Manuel Scognamiglio (OK-N) and Gioele Girardello (OK-NJ) both delivered commanding and seemingly unstoppable performances, securing victories that brought the partisan Italian crowd to its feet in September.
Franciacorta once again hosted a spectacular weekend towards the end of the season in the gearbox KZ categories. With packed grandstands, a 250-strong entry list and seamless organisation the weekend will live long in the memory, and was this evening fittingly awarded Best Event of the 2025 FIA Karting Championship season, an award collected by Raffaella Giacomini, Franciacorta Circuit Manager.
During that weekend, Maksim Orlov memorably reclaimed his lead during the finals of the KZ2 race to win the FIA Karting World Cup, whilst the clash between Italians Angelo Lombardo and Davide Fore played out with an intense head-to-head track battle, eventually won by Lombardo, securing him the International Masters Super Cup KZ2 trophy.
Attention during tonight’s ceremony then turned to the standout new event of the 2025 FIA Karting season – the inaugural FIA Karting Arrive and Drive World Cup, held in Malaysia. A landmark event on the 2025 calendar, it brought together 107 competitors from 50 nations in a new affordable, accessible format championed by the FIA to widen participation and reduce the barriers of entry into motor sport.
The LYL International Circuit hosted an unforgettable weekend of racing with the junior final won by Troy Ferguson, who began his penultimate lap in sixth position before delivering a blistering final couple of laps to win the first FIA Karting Junior Arrive and Drive World Cup. Meanwhile in the senior category it was Zach Tucker who delivered an assured performance to keep his kart ahead despite the torrential Malaysian weather, securing the FIA Karting Senior Arrive and Drive World Cup.
Finally, the 2025 FIA Karting World Champions received the most prestigious honours of the evening. They arrived in Paris fresh from the FIA Awards in Tashkent, the biggest night in global motor sport, where they joined 2025’s World Champions from across the FIA’s seven World Championships.
Noah Baglin, who bounced back from the heartbreak of his final-lap drama in 2024 to dominate the OK-Junior category with a winning margin of over four seconds, Thibaut Ramaekers, who surged from fifth on the grid to seize the OK title and Senna van Walstijn, who kept his composure to claim his first FIA Karting World Championship crown in KZ, each took to the stage in Paris to be honoured by the international karting community.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President, said:“2025 was an incredible year for global karting development as we advanced our FIA Global Karting Plan and delivered new investment. Congratulations to everyone who made the year a success and to all Champions and award winners.
As we look ahead, the FIA is committed to building on our progress, empowering the next generation with FIA Karting events in regions around the world, new continental Arrive and Drive Championships and an expanded FIA Karting calendar. Together, we will make 2026 a golden year of karting.”
Akbar Ebrahim, FIA Karting Commission President, said:“The FIA Karting Awards this evening were a fitting celebration of the exceptional performances, determination and sacrifice that made 2025 an iconic year for karting. My congratulations to all the champions and winners who have all displayed great talent and promise. As we look to the upcoming 2026 season I am confident this year will be a transformational year for FIA Karting.”
The 2026 FIA Karting season will feature an expanded calendar, including new FIA Karting Arrive and Drive Continental Championships and the FIA Karting World Championship (OK, OK-J) hosted in Bahrain. The season will begin in Italy over 10 -12 April 2026 for the first round of the FIA Karting European Championship at the iconic La Conca Circuit.
ENDS
For media enquiries, please contact FIA Sport Communications Manager, Omar Sharif: osharif@fia.com
