PFI set to host World Championships
Friday, September 13, 2024
This weekend, the highly regarded FIA World Karting Championship arrives in the UK for only the second time in over 50 years. Talented drivers from all over the world will compete for the sport’s highest honors at the PF International circuit in Lincolnshire.
There are a staggering 262 drivers from 59 different countries listed to participate, competing for three prestigious World Championship titles: OK, OK-Junior, and the newly introduced OK-N category. This marks the first time in 2024 that drivers will have the chance to compete in the OKN World Cup at the World Championships.
The top-tier OK class is designed for drivers who are at least 14 years old, all competing on CIK-FIA approved chassis powered by 125cc engines that can reach a maximum of 16,000rpm. This class stands as the highest level of competition for direct-drive karts, showcasing some of the most talented young drivers before they transition to single-seater cars, often with aspirations of reaching Formula 1. A notable example of this is Lando Norris, who has previously taken home the title.
This year's top contenders include three past World Champions: Spanish racer Pedro Hiltbrand Aguilar, Brazilian star Matheus Morgatto, and Belgian up-and-comer Dries Van Langendonck (Junior). Additionally, there's Joe Turney, the newly crowned European Champion, who is among the 25 British drivers aiming for victory in their own country.
Don't miss these other local talents: young Lewis Wherrell, Zac Drummond hailing from Scotland, ex-BKC and European Rotax champion Ethan Jeff-Hall, and Rotax GP Plate victor Matthew Higgins. Another name to look out for this weekend is Daniel Guinchard, a well-known figure in karting. Daniel is a past British Kart Champion who made a short foray into single-seater racing by competing in the ROKiT British F4 Championship.
Targeted at kids aged 12 to 14, the OK-Junior category features a host of younger drivers competing in slightly modified OK karts. Spanish teen Christian Costoya, who secured a second-place finish behind Van Langendonck last year, is expected to be one of the frontrunners in the competition.
There's a lot of excitement from British fans as well. Despite being just 12 years old, Noah Baglin is starting to gain recognition, alongside Kenzo Craigie, who is a Junior Driver for Mercedes.
Among the 112 participants in this competitive category, there are several promising young talents that local fans can cheer for. These include Henry Domain, Scott Marsh, Harrison Mackie, Jacob Ashcroft, Jesse Phillips, Jorge Edgar, Kian Bernard, Skye Parker, Alfie Slater, and Cole Denholm, who is a former British Honda Cadet Champion.
Edgar is competing in the Junior OK category at the FIA Motorsport Games under the Motorsport UK banner, while Bernard has been named a Motorsport UK FIA Academy Driver for 2024. Parker exemplifies the increasing involvement of women in karting, and Slater is the younger sibling of Freddie Slater, who is set to be crowned the Italian F4 Champion for 2020.
OK-N karts are an innovative idea that comes from the top-level OK class, aimed at enhancing the karting foundation through National Championships. The number of spots available for the World Championship has been limited to 29 participants, prioritizing countries that have previously hosted OK-N events, including those that typically don't have much representation in this sport, like Madagascar, Cyprus, South Korea, Uruguay, and Uzbekistan. To generate local interest, two leading competitors from the British Kart Championship, Harrison Whitikam and Thomas-Minh Spearing, have also received invitations to participate.
Following the Free Practice sessions on Thursday and Friday morning, the Qualifying Heats begin on Friday afternoon and continue through Saturday. This sets the stage for an exciting series of three finals for the FIA World Karting Championship on Sunday afternoon.
The Trent Valley Kart Club is hosting the event, and, like all FIA karting events, participants at PF International will be using a completely renewable fuel. This fuel is sourced from second-generation biological materials and synthetic products created by P1 Racing Fuels. So, you can expect an exciting weekend of kart racing that is environmentally friendly!
