The illustrious checklist of Mondokart.com FIA Karting World Champions has in the present day (20 September) welcomed a returning identify as Viktor Gustafsson from CRG Racing Group, delivered a dominant, assured and commanding efficiency in Le Mans to take the race win, the World Champion title and elevate the trophy in entrance of a buzzing crowd who had assembled to get pleasure from a last stuffed with entertaining racing from one of the best gearbox karters on the planet.
Apart from a primary lap overtake by Orlov which he rapidly recovered from, Gustafsson by no means confronted critical opposition within the last and regarded comfy as he steadily constructed a spot to Emilien Denner that reached over 4 seconds when he crossed the road.
Gustafsson’s identify will likely be etched upon the World Championship trophy as soon as once more after he beforehand secured the title in 2022 and joined Max Verstappen, Jarno Trulli and Fabrizio Giovanardi who’ve all additionally gained essentially the most prestigious award in gearbox karting. Viktor will be part of FIA World Champions from the FIA’s 5 different world championship in Shanghai later this yr for the FIA Awards when he’ll formally be awarded the world championship trophy in entrance of a worldwide viewers.
The FIA Karting World Cup (KZ2) was gained by Markus Kajak who emerged victorious after a System Okay front-row lockout for the ultimate produced a blockbuster race together with his teammate and Friday’s polesitter Lehouck chasing him down for the World Cup victory. Kajak’s victory topped off an ultra-competitive weekend of racing within the KZ2 class with a number of drivers in competition till the very finish of the weekend.
Lastly, the FIA Karting Worldwide Tremendous Cup (KZ2 Masters) went the way in which of Anthony Abbasse who turns into the primary driver to win the Worldwide Tremendous Cup a number of instances. Abbasse’s victory got here after a dramatic retirement by Davide Fore within the last race who had challenged for the lead earlier within the race.
Mondokart.com FIA Karting World Championship (KZ)
Tremendous Heats
As Gustafsson, Orlov, Vasile and Kremers lined up on the entrance two rows of the KZ Tremendous Warmth, 15 laps laid earlier than them to find out the grids for the ultimate race which can resolve the 2026 World Champion. Gustafsson’s ten-point lead over Orlov within the standings left a possibility for a change within the order on the entrance of grids and because the lights went out the starvation for any grid benefit was clear.
Regardless of the stress Gustafsson held on to the lead all through the warmth to safe pole place for the ultimate with Orlov and Vasile additionally sustaining their second and third positions within the standings. Olin Galli’s lack of 4 locations gifted Emilien Denner fourth place on the ultimate grid while Van Walstijn rapidly made-up locations and into the highest three, igniting a robust defence of his 2025 world champion title after qualifying in eighth on Friday. He began the ultimate in sixth place.
Spirgel and Leuillet have been the most important gainers, making up eight and eleven locations respectively while Stan Pex, Giuseppe Palomba and Adrian Malheiro Suñe all retired from the tremendous warmth within the opening laps, relegating them down the ultimate beginning grids.
Ultimate
Off the blocks, Gustafsson nearly instantly confronted a problem from Orlov into nook two who efficiently took over as race chief earlier than a misstep from Orlov allowed a prepare of karts behind to take benefit and cruise previous him, pushing the Sodi driver again into seventh.
Emilien Denner emerged because the beneficiary from the pack of karts behind Gustafsson to maneuver up into second place with Vasile in third protecting Orlov at bay after he quickly recovered into fourth.
After the primary lap drama, Gustafsson went on to ship a relaxed and warranted drive when the race settled, constructing a wholesome hole to Denner who in flip confronted stress behind from Vasile. The prepare of karts sitting between second and fifth supplied the leisure of the race as a World Championship podium place was on provide.
Orlov made the primary transfer on Vasile and unleashed a burst of tempo within the closing six laps to pile the stress on Vasile who used each inch of the monitor to defend and preserve Orlov at bay. Because the battle for Orlov’s third place ensured, Danilo Albanese rapidly emerged as a prime 5 contender with a vital overtake on Bertuca. Albanese chased Orlov down who was held up behind Vasile however as the ultimate laps performed out Albanese’s surge of 5 locations finally stalled as Orlov maintained fourth.
The previous few laps have been owned by Gustafsson who grew his result in 4 seconds and regarded in a league of his personal in the present day, changing pole to victory because the grandstands leapt to their toes to recognise his newly resecured standing as a World Champion.
Behind Gustafsson, Denner maintained his second place with a margin of simply three tenths as Orlov may solely shut the hole to a tenth and unable to safe a podium, one yr after he gained the FIA Karting World Cup in KZ2. While Orlov couldn’t obtain the World Championship title in his first attempt, his tempo this weekend signifies he has all of the potential to turn into a future champion.
Elsewhere in the course of the race, Senna Van Walstijn couldn’t mount a defence of his title after having to retire following a collision with Pedro Hiltbrand, who was finally disqualified from the race. Kremers, Spirgel and Palomba additionally couldn’t attain the chequered flag. Lorenzo Camplese, in the meantime, achieved the best achieve of positions in the course of the World Championship last coming into the highest ten after beginning in twenty third.
Viktor Gustafsson, 2026 FIA Karting World Champion (KZ), CRG Racing Group, stated:
“It was a bit calmer this time, I didn’t have anybody on my rear bumper and I can lastly breathe! We have been actually good this week and Iast week in Franciacorta testing I stated that is the chassis I’ll win the World Championship in so apparently I used to be proper!”
Prime 3 within the Mondokart.com FIA Karting World Championship (KZ)
1) Viktor Gustafsson (SWE, CRG Racing Group)
2) Emilien Denner (FRA, System Okay SRP Manufacturing unit Group)
3) Daniel Vasile (ROU, Maranello Kart Srl)
FIA Karting World Cup (KZ2)
Tremendous Heats
Lehouck’s quest to transform his pole place from Friday’s qualifying into pole for this afternoon’s last proved fruitful after an assured cruise to the chequered flag in his tremendous warmth avoiding any problem or impediment in his path, cementing himself as a favorite for the World Cup victory afterward.
Schaufler confronted a nightmare begin to his tremendous warmth as he dropped behind a number one prepare and into sixth place, denting his lightning efficiency yesterday which introduced him to the highest of the standings. As a part of Schaufler’s climb again to fourth, a transfer on Civico Espona handed the Austrian a 5 second time penalty, relegating him to seventh place for the ultimate.
Oliver Städtler’s place achieve into second, on the expense of Schaufler, introduced him up into third within the standings and a second-row begin. Matej Preuss’ third place end within the first tremendous warmth accomplished a prime three of System Okay drivers signalling what may very well be a dream weekend for the French primarily based workforce.
Maximilian Schleimer and Jayden Thien, each early favourites this weekend, retired within the tremendous warmth leaving them with appreciable floor to achieve to safe silverware this weekend.
The second tremendous warmth was much less eventful as Markus Kajak and Kimi Tani transformed their entrance row begins into a primary and second place end. Kajak’s win put him up alongside his teammate Lehouck on the entrance row for the ultimate whereas Tani’s second place tremendous warmth end confirmed him because the best-placed driver in KZ2 outdoors of the System Okay workforce after the tremendous heats.
Ultimate
Kajak obtained off to a lighting begin from second place once we obtained underway, steaming previous his teammate Lehouck and rapidly constructing a substantial hole out entrance.
Städtler and Schaufler, in the meantime, confronted a nightmare opening lap to lose 11 locations and eight locations respectively earlier than each of their prospects worsened as Schaufler retired following contact and Städtler dropped even additional and finally crossed the road in seventeenth.
Within the main positions, Lehouck started to face stress behind from Girardet who had climbed three areas in the course of the begin of the race. Lehouck responded by reducing the hole to lower than half a second within the lead as a battle for the lead amongst the System Okay drivers unfolded, with the CRG of Girardet ready only one second behind them to choose up any spoils.
As the ultimate few laps approached, Lehouck stored the hole to inside a second of Kajak, planning his eventual transfer. Every System Okay driver seemingly responded to the others transfer, the hole between them widening and shortening repeatedly as anticipation whether or not any transfer clear can be clear between teammates would materialise.
In the end, a problem didn’t unfold and within the final lap Markus Kajak held his teammate Lehouck at bay by nearly two seconds to take the race win and the FIA Karting World Cup title, his first title in FIA Karting.
Girardet, occupying the opposite podium place, narrowly held off reigning European Champion Tani behind within the last lap by a margin lower than three tenths of a second. Two French drivers due to this fact took to the rostrum, capping off a memorable and profitable weekend for the System Okay workforce.
Elsewhere within the last, Elie Goldstein made up for his disappointing day of heats to cross the road in sixth place and Noah Wolfe, who began the weekend so positively earlier than solely simply qualifying for the ultimate after retirements yesterday, made up 17 locations from his thirty second place begin, the most important gainer of the KZ2 Ultimate.
Markus Kajak, 2026 FIA Karting World Cup Winner (KZ2), System Okay, stated:
“I began the race, I gained it firstly and I used to be scared to look again as a result of I used to be afraid, I might make some mistake. I attempted to maintain as calm as relaxed as potential. It’s a very large achievement; the workforce has been working so so exhausting over the past yr so I’m glad we will lastly make it occur.”
Prime 3 within the 2026 FIA Karting World Cup (KZ2)
1) Markus Kajak (EST, System Okay SRP Manufacturing unit Group)
2) Arthur Lehouck (FRA, System Okay SRP Manufacturing unit Group)
3) Alois Girardet (FRA, CRG Racing Group)
Worldwide Tremendous Cup – KZ2 Masters
Tremendous Heats
The primary of the 2 KZ2 Masters tremendous heats included a overtake for the lead as Daniel Bray’s transfer over Anthony Abbasse put him within the lead of each the race and the classification, placing him on track for pole place on this afternoon’s last.
Nevertheless, Abbasse stored shut on Bray’s tail and sensing the significance of retaking his lead within the race and standings, the French driver regained management and held off a final lap surge from Bray to verify pole place for the ultimate. Bray later obtained a five-second penalty for a begin infringement, leading to a fifth-place begin for the New Zealand driver.
The battle to verify the remaining entrance row place performed out in the course of the second tremendous warmth. Lombardo held his benefit regardless of mounting stress from Davide Fore who was making an attempt to get better floor misplaced yesterday since his pole place on Friday. Regardless of staying on Lombardo’s tail in the course of the warmth he was unable to make a profitable transfer, confirming a second-place begin for Lombardo and third for Fore within the last.
Thomas Mich was the large gainer from the tremendous heats, gaining 9 locations to cross the road in third in the course of the second tremendous warmth, lifting him up the order and rewarding him with a eleventh place begin as we obtained racing for the ultimate.
Ultimate
When the lights went out, Abbasse began nicely off the road however got here beneath quick stress from Davide Fore who couldn’t have had a greater begin and used his a long time of expertise in karting to problem for the lead and Worldwide Tremendous Cup win.
Staying inside three tenths of Abbasse, Fore step by step constructed up his attacking play, ready to make his transfer which step by step introduced Lombardo and Bray into play behind after Abbasse and Fore had initially damaged away collectively.
Earlier than Fore may make his transfer on the chief, his Italian compatriot Lombardo discovered a window to strike and handed Fore, recovering his second place, earlier than restarting his pursuit on Abbasse who had been benefitting from the Italian battle behind.
Earlier than Fore may bounce again, a mechanical failure dramatically struck, forcing his retirement from the race and ending his hopes of regaining the Worldwide Tremendous Cup following his win in 2023.
Daniel Bray inherited Fore’s third place place within the race however couldn’t get pleasure from a second of consolation within the podium positions as Thomas Mich crept as much as his rear bumper following a powerful a climb of seven locations by means of the sector within the opening half of the race.
By lap 20 of twenty-two, Bray went broad within the last nook, opening a spot for Mich to emerge by means of the principle straight and into third place which he held for just some moments till a mechanical situation ended his race on the ultimate lap, denying the French driver a prime three end and re-promoting Daniel Bray to the ultimate step of the rostrum,
Abbasse resisted any last-minute problem from reigning Worldwide Tremendous Cup winner Lombardo and crossed the road to turn into the primary driver to win the Cup a number of instances. The French nationwide anthem due to this fact rang out throughout the Le Mans Worldwide Karting circuit as Abbasse lifted his winner’s trophy to the cheers of the gang, a preferred dwelling race winner and undoubtedly a grasp of the KZ2 Masters class.
Anthony Abbasse, 2026 FIA Karting Worldwide Tremendous Cup winner, CPB Sport, stated:
“I arrived to the ultimate with one of the best setup I may have had this weekend. I wish to thank Sodikart and CPB Sport. It was the proper go kart I’ve since a very long time. I’m at dwelling with my household right here, my associates and likewise all of the individuals from the Sodikart manufacturing unit.. it’s superb, it’s lke Ferrari in Monza!”
Prime 3 within the 2026 FIA Karting Worldwide Tremendous Cup (KZ2 Masters)
1) Anthony Abbasse (FRA, CPB Sport)
2) Angelo Lombardo (ITA, Maranello Kart Srl)
3) Daniel Bray (NZL, Modena Kart Racing Group)
Subsequent up for FIA Karting is the FIA Karting World Cup in Viterbo, Italy which can function the OK-N, OK-NJ classes and finale of the 2026 FIA Karting Academy Trophy Junior season.
The entire motion is offered to observe LIVE and FREE on the FIA Karting YouTube channel.
