The entry-level Karting Slalom category returns to the FIA Motorsport Games in France this October 26-30, offering female/male driver pairings aged 14-16 years the chance to compete and win medal honours for their home nation.
One of the six founding categories of the inaugural 2019 FIA Motorsport Games, Karting Slalom forms part of 17 different disciplines in which individual FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) National Sporting Authorities (ASNs) from across the globe will compete for gold, silver, and bronze medals.
Karting Slalom provides an accessible and affordable gateway to motorsport, using identical electric karts on a gymkhana-style coned layout. Showcased by the FIA at the Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires in 2018, the discipline is growing at a phenomenal rate, providing an accessible platform for entry-level karting across the world.
For the 2022 Games, Karting Slalom will once again be open to one female/male driver pairing per nation. Teams will handle identical Birel Art electric-powered karts through a parallel slalom course in relay format.
Staged at Circuit Paul Ricard, teams must complete three laps – one test and two timed runs – to establish an overall leaderboard. The fastest teams will then progress to the knockout phase of head-to-head time trials, culminating in the final to determine the 2022 gold medal winners.
The inclusion of Karting Slalom in the FIA Motorsport Games has already helped non-traditional motorsport countries, which are new to the sport, join international competition.
Teams from 29 nations contested the inaugural competition hosted in Rome, Italy, producing a field of 58 drivers ranging from known up-and-coming racers to emerging new talents. Those teams included entries from countries such as Albania, Croatia, India, and Serbia, for whom Karting Slalom represented their sole entry to the Games.
After three days of intense competition at the track in Vallelunga, Team Netherlands’ Nina Pothof and Bastiaan Van Loene beat Team Belgium’s Manon Degotte and Antoine Morlet to the first Karting Slalom gold medal.
Commenting on the importance of the inclusion of karting in the FIA Motorsport Games, FIA Drivers' Commission President, Felipe Massa said: “The inclusion of karting in the FIA Motorsport Games is very important because Formula One and most of the other professional categories start with karting. For the karting driver, it’s important to be inside the FIA Motorsport Games. To be there, to live the dream and be competitive there, it’s such an important experience for them. I’m sure the FIA Motorsport Games will be a fantastic event year on year with the inclusion of more countries, so it’s fantastic karting is part of that.”
Registration for competing nations will be open from 15 June to 25 September 2022 via the dedicated FIA registration platform. Competitors wishing to represent their county are also encouraged to contact their respective National Sporting Authorities.