Nearly 200 drivers from 31 nations are entered for this event. In 2020, the Portimão circuit in southern Portugal hosted its last FIA Karting competition for the OK and OK-Junior World Championship. Located within the superb complex dedicated to motorsport, the karting track offers a 1,531-metre-long layout, full of elevation changes, fast and spectacular. The site is not often used for karting competitions. This will be a first for the KZ categories in FIA Karting and there are not many benchmarks for the teams and drivers. At this time of year, the weather in Portugal can range from mild and sunny to cool and wet, with significant implications for the event.

Tyres will be supplied by Dunlop in all three categories.

KZ: a very open World Championship

Reigning European Champion Lorenzo Travisanutto (ITA) is the favourite, but runner-up Senna Van Walstijn (NLD) is also a strong contender. The 2020 World Champion Jérémy Iglesias (FRA) won recently in Portimão, while multiple champion Pedro Hiltbrand Aguilar (ESP) was in a strong position in a group of very experienced drivers. Paolo Ippolito (ITA), 2023 World Champion, and Viktor Gustafsson (SWE), his predecessor, are still drivers to be taken into consideration, along with established names such as Jorge Pescador (ESP), Danilo Albanese (ITA), David Trefilov (DEU) and Marijn Kremers (NLD), who won the title in 2019.

KZ2: difficult to predict

The KZ2 World Cup will see more than 100 participants with a wide range of experience. The trio of winners at the recent European Championship provides some indication, with Mattéo Spirgel (FRA), Daniel Vasile (ROU) and Maksim Orlov. Markus Kajak (EST) and Artem Severiukhin were also on show in Portimão recently, as were Corentin Rousseau (FRA), Cristian Bertuca (ITA), Nikolas Roos (ZAF) and Paavo Tonteri (FIN). The biggest challenge of the competition will be to get through the numerous Qualifying Heats without a hitch in order to take a good position on the starting grid for the Final.

KZ2 Masters: the seeded drivers face the uncertainty of racing

Anthony Abbasse (FRA) and Davide Foré (ITA) had a long duel in the European Championship. It is more than likely that he will once again be among the drivers vying for victory in the International Super Cup for KZ2 Masters. But other specialists are revealing themselves at every opportunity. Defending champion Riccardo Nalon (ITA), Kristijan Habulin (HRV), Alessio La Martina (ITA), Roberto Profico (ITA), Andre Nicastro (BRA), Daniel Bray (NZL), Andre Serafim Perreira (PRT) and Thomas Mich (FRA) will all have their cards to play.

You can follow the Portimão event on the official FIA Karting Championship app for mobile devices and on the website.