The biggest event in global karting arrives at the iconic World Circuit La Conca this weekend, where 194 young drivers will fight for the FIA World Champion title, motor sport’s greatest honour. The two FIA World Champions crowned this weekend will join a long and illustrious list of karting world champions since 1964 that includes François Goldstein, Mike Wilson, Nyck de Vries and reigning FIA Formula 1 World Champion Lando Norris. 

In the Original Kart (OK) category, Noah Baglin is the frontrunner  looking to secure back-to-back World Championship titles. However, with a highly talented grid and the added unpredictability of the weather this weekend, he’ll face relentless pressure from an entry list that includes Dean Hoogendoorn, Zac Drummond, Joe Turney, Niklas Schaufler and 2026 KZ World Champion Viktor Gustafsson. 

In the Junior category, Will Green leads the field of favourites as the young Brit hopes to convert his 2026 European Championship success into World Championship glory, but with the likes of Miron Lorente, Nuvolini and Girardello also all hunting down their first world title an unmissable weekend of thrilling racing awaits. 

The 2026 Mondokart.com FIA Karting World Championship (OK, Junior) also coincides with the 70th anniversary of karting’s invention in 1956. To mark the milestone and celebrate seven decades of karting history and evolution, a display of historic karts will join the timetable this weekend. The first kart ever built, created by Art Ingels and Lou Borelli, will also be at La Conca as a centrepiece of the display and a reminder of where it all began. 

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA, said: 

"The FIA Karting World Championships are some of the most prestigious titles in karting. As we celebrate the 70th anniversary of karting this weekend at La Conca, we recognise a legacy that has helped shape generations of racing talent and produced many of the legends who have gone on to achieve success at the highest levels of our sport.   
  
“The FIA Karting World Championship will see drivers compete at the pinnacle of karting competition, providing the very best racing talent an opportunity to add their names to an extraordinary list of champions. I wish the very best of luck to all drivers competing in the OK and Junior categories and thank the Automobile Club d'Italia for its continued commitment and support in hosting this landmark event.”  

Akbar Ebrahim, FIA Karting Commission President, said: 

 “It’s a great pleasure to be returning to La Conca for the 2026 OK and Junior FIA Karting World Championships. We’re looking forward to world-class racing this weekend from a grid packed full of exciting and promising racing talent hoping to etch their name upon the prestigious FIA Karting World Championship trophies and earn their spot on the illustrious list of champions from the 70 years of karting history” 

All of the action can be followed LIVE and FREE on the FIA Karting YouTube channel all weekend. 

OK 

A year after he secured the 2025 Junior World Champion title and three months after he claimed victory in the 2026 Mondokart.com FIA Karting European Championship at the final round in Kristianstad, Kart Republic driver Noah Baglin travels to the Southern Italian track hoping to add the FIA Karting OK World Champion trophy to his growing cabinet. 

Baglin is no stranger to success in La Conca having won every heat except one, as well as his super heat and final race, during the first round of the European Championship at the track earlier this year. The British driver, who is also part of the Ferrari Driver Academy, has shown remarkable form and dominance this season. With his move up to FIA-certified Formula 4 next year announced last month, this World Championship is likely to be his final major karting race, and his chance to secure a legacy as one of the most successful drivers so far this century. 

Fellow Brit Zac Drummond perhaps presents the largest threat to Baglin as the runner-up in this year’s European Championship. Crucially Drummond has fine form in wet conditions as displayed during his win in Mülsen earlier this year. The November climate will likely present unique challenges as well as opportunities which Fusion driver Drummond is favourite to take advantage of. 

Parolin’s pairing of Dean Hoogendoorn and William Calleja are also in strong form and likely to be in the leading places this weekend. Hoogendoorn only secured one podium finish in the European season but his consistency near the top of the timing screens earned him third place in the championship, joint on points with Drummond in second. Hoogendoorn’s struggles during qualifying this year set him back at each round, but if he can master his lap on Friday morning the Dutch driver will be a certain contender to lift the trophy on Sunday. 

Conversely his teammate William Calleja has enjoyed qualifying success this season having secured pole position in Mülsen. Calleja also unleashed a burst of unrivalled pace during the final round in Kristianstad to secure Super Heat pole which he converted to race win making him a strong challenger for the title this weekend. 

Joe Turney enters his seventh FIA Karting World Championship in 2026 and will be hoping to break his second-place curse after finishing on the second step of the podium in 2020, 2024 and 2025. He races alongside Baglin with the Kart Republic team again this year. 

Niklas Schaufler continues his successful 2026 season with DPK where he was on track for a top five finish in the championship until a poor showing in Kristianstad saw race winner Calleja leapfrog him in the standings. Schaufler also competed in the FIA Karting KZ World Cup in September and delivered a masterful performance to challenge for the title until a poor start in the final relegated him down the order and he ultimately retired before the chequered flag. 

Finally, aiming to match Danilo Rossi’s record securing two World Championship titles in a single year, is CRG driver Viktor Gustafsson. The Swedish racer dominated the KZ World Championship in September and carries strong momentum headed into the flagship event of the year for the direct drive classes. 

Others to watch this weekend include Luke Kornder, who was a runner-up in La Conca earlier this year, 2025 FIA Karting Shootout Junior winner Valerio Viapiana and 2025 FIA Karting OK-N World Cup winner Manuel Scognamiglio. 

Junior 

Newly-crowned 2026 FIA Karting European Champion Will Green leads the Junior entry list for the World Championship this weekend. The Kart Republic and Williams F1 Team Driver Academy Driver ended the European season over 70 points clear of his nearest rival after his race wins in both La Conca and Mülsen.  

Green’s teammate will be Niccolò Perico, who travels south from Viterbo fresh from his victory there in 2026 FIA Karting OK-N Junior World Cup last month. Perico’s dominance to win every heat and cross the line with almost six seconds to spare in the final secures his status as a formidable driver on strong form. 

Close on Green’s tail throughout this season has been Daniel Miron Lorente who took the race win in Valencia and has displayed signs of racing brilliance as an emerging star of the discipline. Miron has also recently joined the Ferrari Driver Academy reflecting his exciting potential as young driver and has moved to race with MP Motorsport for the World Championship this week. 

Many Nuvolini, who finished third in this year’s European Championship, also comes hotly tipped as a Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team Junior Driver. Apart from a difficult final race in Sweden, Nuvolini banked points throughout the season reflecting his consistent and reliable nature which could serve him well given the unpredictability this weekend. 

Teammates Julian Frasnelli and Emerson MacAndrew-Uren are providing a strong lineup for the Tony Kart Racing Team following their solid seasons to date in 2026. MacAndrew-Uren ended the European season with a race win in Sweden whilst Frasnelli has had a mixed set of results but performed well in both La Conca and Sweden. 

Priam Bruno and Gioele Girardello race with Parolin for the World Championship this year hoping to build upon their recent performances. Bruno clinched the first pole position of the 2026 FIA Karting season, which the Belgian will be looking to replicate at the same track this weekend.  

Girardello, meanwhile, has emerged as a highly impressive driver having competed in the Junior category after winning the OK-N Junior World Cup last year. Girardello memorably secured second place during the first race of the 2026 season and mounted a challenge for the win in Valencia as one of the most exciting young drivers in the paddock. 

Others to watch include fellow Parolin driver Oskari Walle, 2026 OK-N Junior World Cup runner-up Luigi D’Ascoli and Kristianstad podium finisher Zack Zhu. 

Provisional Timings 

Friday 6 November 

10:30 – 12:30 Qualifying Practice 

13:40 – 16:15 Qualifying Heats 

Saturday 7 November 

09:00 – 16:30 Qualifying Heats 

Sunday 8 November 

10:40 – 11:45 Junior Super Heats 

11:55 – 13:00 OK Super Heats 

14:00 Drivers’ Presentation 

14:30 Junior Final 

15:30 OK Final