KF1 was the top level of
karting
Kart racing or karting is a motorsport discipline using open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on full-size motor ...
. It is open to drivers aged 15 and up.
This class used to be called Formula A and has changed since January 2007 when
CIK-
FIA decided to replace the 100 cc water-cooled
two-stroke
A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a power cycle with two strokes of the piston, one up and one down, in one revolution of the crankshaft in contrast to a four-stroke engine which re ...
engines with 125 cc Touch-and-Go (TaG) water-cooled two-stroke engines (KF type). The engines produce .
KF1 class karts use hand-operated front brakes. The front brakes are activated by a Lever. Chassis and engines must be approved by the CIK-FIA. Minimum weight is with driver.
Karts are equipped with an electric starter and clutch. The engine
rpm
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or r⋅min−1) is a unit of rotational speed (or rotational frequency) for rotating machines.
One revolution per minute is equivalent to hertz.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 def ...
is limited at 16,000 rpm. Top speed is around , depending on circuits.
As the
Formula One
Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...
of karting, KF1 has high costs and drivers typically spend $100,000 per year to compete. It is needed to finance much practice, training and testing, team costs, chassis and engines, tires and parts, and traveling. Most teams in this category are factory teams or financed by chassis or engine manufacturers.
Drivers typically compete in national competitions, then move into international racing in the
KF3 or
KF2 classes where they must finish in the top 34 to qualify to compete in KF1. Once in KF1, drivers either stay for a few years to improve their skills before moving on to
car racing
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...
, or they become professional kart racers and race in KF1 until they retire. Many successful racing drivers and all current F1 drivers started their careers in karts, and KF1 has been home to rivalries involving the likes of
Lewis Hamilton
Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari. Hamilton has won a joint-record seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles—tied with M ...
,
Nico Rosberg
Nico Erik Rosberg (born 27 June 1985) is a German and Finnish former racing driver and entrepreneur, who competed under the German flag in Formula One from to . Rosberg won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Mercedes, and w ...
and
Robert Kubica
Robert Józef Kubica (; born 7 December 1984) is a Polish racing driver, racing and rally driver, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for AF Corse. Kubica competed in Formula One between and , and the World Rally Championship ...
in the early 2000s, as well as
Max Verstappen
Max Emilian Verstappen (; born 30 September 1997) is a Dutch and Belgian racing driver who competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One for Red Bull Racing. Verstappen has won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he w ...
and
Nicklas Nielsen
Nicklas Ganshorn Nielsen (born 6 February 1997) is a Danish racing driver who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Ferrari AF Corse, driving a Ferrari 499P in the Hypercar class. He won the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans together with ...
in more recent times. The class also played a leading role in the so-called golden era of karting in the 80s and 90s.
There is a
European KF1 Championship
The FIA Karting European Championship, officially known as the Mondokart.com FIA Karting European Championship for sponsorship reasons, is a kart racing competition organised by the CIK-FIA. Alongside the Karting World Championship, it is one ...
, a World Cup, and a
World Championship
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...
, the sport's main event.
Since 2016 the new generation of Original Karts (OK) machines have taken over from the old KF engines.
Champions
See also
*
KF2, a KF1 feeder series
*
KF3, a KF1 and KF2 feeder series
*
KZ1, the fastest KZ karting racing category
*
KZ2
KZ2 is a kart racing class using 125 cc water-cooled two-stroke engines yielding about . The engines are equipped with a 6-speed gearbox. Z2 is the second fastest of the KZ karting racing categories, and technical regulations are similar to faster ...
, the second fastest KZ karting racing category
*
Superkart
Superkart is a form of motorsport road racing that uses karts on long circuits. The bigger difference between a superkart and most other forms of kart is that they have full aerodynamic bodykits, as well as having a longer wheel base than sprint ...
, road racing with kart sized open-wheel cars
References
External links
CIK-FIA websiteKarting 1 – Karting Information. Tips, Guides, Interviews, and Karting Features
{{Class of Auto racing
Kart racing series
KF1
KF1 was the top level of karting. It is open to drivers aged 15 and up.
This class used to be called Formula A and has changed since January 2007 when CIK- FIA decided to replace the 100 cc water-cooled two-stroke engines with 125 cc Tou ...