The Karting Slalom Cup will ensure that a grassroots category features on the bill at the inaugural FIA Motorsport Games in Rome. As preparations for the 1-3 November event gather pace, the entry-level discipline has revealed its first set of entries.
A group of 17 nations have confirmed their presence at the maiden edition of this emerging competition, which will see mixed female/male pairings tackle an obstacle course using a relay format. All entrants must be aged between 14 and 16 and will compete with identical electric-powered karts.
Albania, Austria, Belarus, Croatia, Denmark, France, Georgia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine form the initial influx of European entries. India and Thailand will represent the Asian continent, bringing together a strong and diverse line-up of nations.
Several up-and-coming talents are among the confirmed participants. Doriane Pin, winner of the FIA Women in Motorsport Winfield Award, forms one half of the French squad. Portugal will call upon Matilde Fidalgo, a finalist in the Girls on Track Karting Challenge, a competition created by the FIA to promote and develop young women in motor racing.
Thai racer Sitavee Limnantharak is part of the FIA Karting Academy Trophy, while Charlie Wurz – the son of former Formula 1 and FIA World Endurance Championship racer Alexander Wurz – will represent Austria.
The karting slalom discipline has proven particularly successful in Germany and continues to grow at an impressive rate, providing an accessible platform for entry-level karting. For the FIA Motorsport Games, two equal slalom tracks of approximately 70 metres will be created at Vallelunga Circuit near Rome. Following practice runs, participants will complete three laps of each course behind the wheel of an e-kart. The first tour will be a test run, while laps two and three will be timed.
The combined times for each nation will establish an overall leaderboard, with the fastest teams progressing to a knockout phase. The next four rounds will be head-to-head time trials, culminating in the gold medallists emerging during the final. Like all successful participants at the FIA Motorsport Games, they will be celebrated during the event’s Closing Ceremony and Prize Giving in Rome.
The FIA has published a set of guidelines that can be used by competitors to practice before the event. These, as well as the FIA Motorsport Games Sporting Regulations, are available at fia.com. The Karting Slalom Cup will be one of six categories featured at the event, alongside the GT Cup, Formula 4 Cup, Touring Car Cup, Drifting Cup and Digital Cup.
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