Circuit

Karting

International Karting Commission (CIK-FIA)

In order to streamline the organisation of the FIA Karting International Championships and launch
new programmes aimed at democratising and promoting Karting from grassroots level up, during the
course of 2024, the Commission spearheaded the appointment of a new Head of Karting and a new
Karting Development Coordinator.

Global Karting Plan

At the 2024 FIA General Assemblies week in Rwanda, the FIA announced the creation of a Global
Karting Plan aimed at increasing accessibility to the discipline and providing equal opportunities to
drivers all over the world. The plan focuses on a number of key initiatives:

• Providing National Sporting Authorities (ASNs) with the framework and tools to develop their activities at a local level.
• Creation of an FIA Karting Task Force responsible for supporting ASNs: The scope provides for the taskforce to visit and support between three and five ASNs per continent each year.
• Establishment of a Karting Excellence Centre: Targeted for a 2025 launch, the Centre will provide one-week educational programmes to teach drivers fundamental skills – centred on driving, technical, physical and mental development. At the end of each year, a selection phase will take place during which winners will compete on equal terms for significant prizes across six days. The top junior driver will receive financial support to continue their development in the FIA Karting system, while the best senior driver will receive financial support to progress into a national Formula 4 Championship – Certified by FIA.
• Arrive and Drive to be added to the existing karting ecosystem: Arrive and Drive competitions can be held from the Club and commercially-organised level, through to ASN and promoter- run national and regional events, and finally FIA international levels. They will feature single- make karts with spec chassis and engines. From 2025, an FIA World Cup using this format will be organised, with the aim of increasing the number of events in the form of FIA Continental Championships from 2026.

Karting Ranking Growth

Introduced by the CIK-FIA in 2023 and similar in concept to the ATP rankings in tennis, the Karting
Rankings aim to establish an annual ranking of drivers in all Karting categories using a formula that
takes into account the type of equipment used (CIK-FIA homologated or not), the number of
participants in races and the type of competition (Sprint, Endurance, Slalom, Arrive & Drive).

Launched as the International Karting Ranking (IKR) the system produced a 2023 ranking featuring 1,142
drivers. The success spurred the creation of a National Karting Ranking which has been made available
to ASNs. The NKR grew significantly in 2024, increasing by 221% compared to the previous year,
taking the total number of drivers ranked to 1,120.

Strong competition

FIA Karting Championships continued to perform strongly in 2024.

The 2024 season was marked by the first exclusive tyre supply contract between the FIA and Asian
firm Maxxis. In gearbox karts, a supply and partnership agreement was signed with Anderson CSK for
the distribution of Dunlop tyres and the return of the Japanese brand to the European and World
Championships after several years’ absence.

Beyond the championships, with a total of 225 drivers divided between its Sprint, Endurance and
Slalom variants, Karting provided more than 30% of the 646 participants at the 2024 edition of the
FIA Motorsport Games in Valencia (Spain).

Academy Trophy Doubles Up

The FIA Karting Academy Trophy goes from strength to strength:

Working Groups

Following study conducted by a group composed of FIA Race Directors, Circuit Inspectors,
Championship service provider and staff of the Karting and Safety Departments, a new grading
system for FIA Licenced Karting Circuits has been introduced, in order to clarify the varying track and
infrastructure requirements for different levels of competition and give designers of new circuits
clear KPIs to work towards when developing their projects. A dedicated Working Group has been set
up to monitor this new track classification and to consolidate the procedures involved in
homologating karting tracks.

In the area of Electric Karting, a dedicated Working Group has been set up within the International
Karting Commission to look into the regulatory, safety and practical aspects of the future
homologation of electric karts.

Safety Improvements

Ratified in December 2023, the new FIA Standard 8877-2022 for equipment such as Karting shoes
and gloves led to the homologation of the first products by four manufacturers. Also in 2024, the FIA
Standard 3506-2024 for Karting Circuit Light Panels was ratified.

The project to create a database on karting accidents was initiated by the FIA Safety Department. The
aim is to collect data on accidents and their dynamics, and to inform future safety research projects,
using a small-size IDR (Impact Data Recorder) to be fitted to karts in competition.

Finally, a major research campaign has been launched by the FIA Safety Department, in collaboration
with the International Karting Commission and a panel of manufacturers, to seek to further mitigate
the risk of karts being launched into contact with each other (essentially wheel-to-wheel contact),
which can lead to rollover accidents. This study will progress through 2025, with the aim of
introducing new devices from 2026.

FIA Motorsport Games

The third edition of the FIA Motorsport Games, the largest ever, was held from 23 to 27 October in
Valencia, Spain. Expanded from 16 categories at the 2022 Games in Marseille-Le Castellet to 26 in
2024, the Valencia edition introduced new disciplines and provided a broader platform for
competitors across various motorsport arenas. The 2024 Games was also the first to closely involve
local authorities. The Comunitat Valenciana played a pivotal role in the preparation and execution of
the event.

Global and Diverse

Seventeen new countries participated for the first time, contributing to a total of 82 nations
represented. This increase underscores the event’s growing global appeal and inclusivity. A total of
646 drivers competed, representing national teams from around the world.
The 2024 edition saw the participation of 106 female drivers, reflecting the FIA’s commitment to
promoting gender diversity in motor sport. Notably, six female Cross Car Mini drivers received
sponsorship from the FIA Women in Motorsport (WIM) Commission, emphasising support for young
female talent.

The event attracted around 44,000 spectators and was supported by 7,000 accredited personnel,
highlighting its significant scale and organisational complexity.

Youth Development Initiatives

The Games promoted young drivers by including children as young as eight years old in the Karting
Sprint Mini and Cross Car Mini categories of the FIA Motorsport Games 2024, fostering early
engagement in motor sport disciplines.

Officials’ Professional Development

Members of the FIA High Performance Programme for Officials (HPP) were given opportunities to
enhance their knowledge and experience during the event, contributing to the professional
development of officials within the motor sport community.

Organisational Excellence

A dedicated team of approximately 110 FIA staff and officials, along with 30 individuals involved in
organising side events and about 10 FIA representatives, played vital roles in ensuring the success of
the event.

Esports

International Esports Code, as an Appendix E to the FIA ISC

In 2024, the FIA Esports Commission, assisted by the FIA Legal Department, finalised the
long-standing project to draft a regulatory framework for Esports. The code was validated by
the World Motor Sport Council in Kigali, Rwanda in December 2024, as Appendix E to the
International Sporting Code (ISC).

Appendix E to the ISC represents a major step forward in the development of Esports, as it
will allow the FIA to be able to operate as a sporting governing body for Esports
competitions. It also creates a base for ASNs to follow, allowing them use Appendix E as a
baseline regulatory structure for their own national regulations.

A proposal to include an International Esports Licence under Appendix L was also approved.
With this in place, ASNs have the possibility to issue an FIA recognised international Esports
licence, which will be gradually put in use at future FIA Esports events.

Regional Development

The FIA supported multiple regional Esports activations throughout the year including:

• The first Nordic Esports Championship in April 2024 between Sweden, Norway,
  Denmark, Finland and Iceland, supported by the FIA Motorsport Funding Programme.
  25 drivers competed on-site in Stockholm, Sweden, in F4 and Rallycross competitions
  on iRacing.
  
• The fourth consecutive MENA Esports Cup took place in Jordan, bringing 24 drivers
  from 12 countries to Amman for an on-site final.
  
• The first-ever regional Esports training session took place in Singapore on 23 and 24
  November 2024. Twenty people representing nine ASNs were present for the two
  days.

Commercial Agreements Target Increased Participation

The FIA signed a number of commercial agreements in 2024, with Next Level Racing, D-BOX
and Advanced Simracing, all signing multi-year agreements. All three agreements focus on
bringing down the barrier of entry of motor sport by using Esports as an entry point and
emphasise assisting ASNs in acquiring hardware for national and regional events.

FIA Motorsport Games 2024

The 2024 edition of the FIA Motorsport Games, in Valencia, Spain, featured its largest
Esports activation/competition yet, with a total of 117 drivers entered. The competition
featured two disciplines, Esports GT on Assetto Corsa Competizione and Esports F4 on
iRacing.

Also present at the Games, in the exhibition area, was Inclusion-E, an EDI project led by
Italian ASN ACI Sport, developing bespoke simulator equipment for use by drivers with
physical disabilities. The project won the 2024 FIA President’s Equality, Diversity and
Inclusion Award.

iRacing partnership

The FIA continued its partnership with iRacing during 2024 and 82 ASNs received a total of
2,000 12-month iRacing subscriptions, up from 29 at the beginning of the year. This
represented a total of over USD 22M in VIK given to ASNs at no cost. In all, over 85,000
iRacing drivers have raced across the FIA F4 branded series on iRacing, totalling over 1.7M
race entries.

2024 saw the launch of the FIA F4 Esports Global Championship. The best FIA F4 drivers
on iRacing competed over 4 rounds and 8 races for a USD 25k prize pool. 30 drivers in total
qualified, 10 from each of the three participating regions (Americas, Europe, Asia).

Drifting

Drifting Cup at 2024 FIA Motorsport Games

FIA Motorsport Games (MSG) – Drifting Cup

Despite the FIA Intercontinental Drifting Cup not taking place for the second year in a row, FIA
Drifting competitors were able to gather at the third edition of the FIA Motorsport Games. The
competition drew a record-breaking 33 entries and more than 100k viewers watching the
competition.

In addition, the Drifting Cup provided an opportunity to start conducting research on particle
emissions with the support of an independent company.

E-learning Module for Drifting Judges

Designed for ASNs wishing to start training Drifting Judges the e-learning module is available in
English, Spanish and French. By the end of 2024 a total of 793 users were enrolled.

Supporting ASNs

The FIA Drifting Commission continued to support ASNs in developing the discipline in 2024.
Following the creation and issuance of a Sound measuring method, the Commission developed a new
set of Technical Regulations for the DC2 and DC3 classes, providing a framework for grassroots and
semi-pro level cars. Finalised in late 2024, the regulations will be available to ASNs in 2025.

The Commission also started the process of reworking FIA Guidelines for Drifting events, as well as
the finalisation of the FIA Drifting Layout guidelines. These will be made available to ASNs in 2025.

Finally, the Invitation to tender for a FIA Drifting Championship launched in December 2023 could
not be finalised and negotiations with bidders were still underway in 2024. However, the Commission
undertook to include at least one major FIA-badged international event on the 2025 calendar.

Drag Racing

New Era Begins for EDRC

In 2024, the FIA signed a promoter agreement for the FIA European Drag Racing
Championship (EDRC) with Drag Racing Europe, A.B. The new promoter aims to develop the
championship and expand its activities on and off track. The contract will run until 2026.
The FIA European Drag Racing Championship held a five-round calendar in 2024, which despite
increased logistics and parts costs, attracted 58 Competitors representing 13 countries. The
championship also proved enormously popular with fans, with an average attendance of 22,000
spectators per event and the German round being sold out before the competition, with 50,000
tickets sold.

Female Competitors Make Their Mark

Female drag racers continue to shine in Drag Racing and in the Top Fuel class, the pinnacle of
the sport, Swiss driver Jndia Erbacher clinched the title, while Sweden’s Susanne Callin took
third place overall. After winning the 2023 Top Methanol Title, Norway’s Linn Fløysvik made
a successful switch to Top Fuel, finishing fourth in the Championship.
Sweden’s Ida Zetterström did not take part in the EDRC, but was able to build on her
European Title in 2023 by continuing her career in the NHRA championship in the USA,
where she demonstrated the good standard of European competition by being named ‘Best
New Pro Talent of the year’.

Safety and Regulations

In 2024, work began on Drag Racing Safety Guidelines with the aim of providing guidance for
the safe organisation of Drag Racing events. It will be finalised and shared with the Members
in 2025.
Improvement of Regulations continued, with updated Sporting and Technical Regulations
issued for 2024.
Elsewhere, after a test year in 2023, the KEG (a traction measuring device) is now in use
across the Championship. Designed to ensure Drag Strips have the minimum required
traction level, data is then shared with teams to enhance their performance.

President of Speed

Finally, Duncan Micallef is undoubtedly the FIA’s fastest ASN President. Competing in the
Top Fuel class of EDRC, the President of the Malta Motorsport Federation set a new
European speed record, with an astonishing 517kph run in Tierp Arena, Sweden.

ENEC

Under the umbrella of the FIA Circuit Sport Committee and the leadership of its President Xiaoxu
Zhou, the FIA Electric and New Energy Championships (ENEC) Commission has been restructured. A
new meeting format, included in all agenda, saw the introduction of a case study item that proved
interesting for stakeholders and allowed Commission members to build relationships with new
relevant parties.

During the course of 2024, three New Energy Working Groups were set-up (Electric, Hydrogen and
Sustainable Fuel) with the aim of providing Commission members with detailed insights into the
future of alternative energies solutions and new mobility solutions.
Finally, the popular Bridgestone FIA ecoRally Cup featured 12 races and four candidate events. As
part of its efforts to promote sustainable mobility, it also conducted a demonstration event in China.

Historic

Historic Technical Passports:

FIA European Historic Rally Championship:

FIA Historic Hill Climb Championship

The past year proved to be one of significant development for the FIA Historic Motor Sport
Committee. Under the Presidency of Roger Wills, three new Sub-Committees, dealing with
Circuits, Rally, and Hill Climb, were established to support the development of Historic
Regulations and of FIA Championships. Additionally, the FIA received 1,149 Historic Technical
Passport (HTP) applications in 2024 and validated 931.

The most important development was an update to Appendix K of the International Sporting
Code. Among the changes included are:

• A revision of the format and layout of the code;
• Inclusion of a new period (Period K) to allow cars from 1992 to 2000 to join historic
  motor sport events;
• Addition of a new Regulation for electronics;
• Revision of the HTP application forms to integrate these updates.
  The 2024 Historic Motor Sport Awards were held at the Automobile Club de France in
  February 2025, recognising the FIA Historic International Series, FIA European Historic Rally
  Championship and FIA Historic Hill Climb Championship.

FIA European Historic Rally Championship

The 2024 FIA European Historic Rally Championship (EHRC) was made up of nine rounds in
seven countries, including two gravel rounds. The calendar also featured the return of the legendary Rally of the Asturias and the Elba Storico Rally. In all, 80 competitors registered
with cars from Category 1 (1958 – 1969), Category 2 (1970 – 1975), Category 3 (1976 – 1981)
and Category 4 (1982 – 1990).

The season was notable for a several developments, including a new overall classification,
new trophies for the 1600cc and Front Wheel Drive classes. A new commercial development
was the arrival of Flexifly Aircraft Hire as Official Partner of the EHRC marking the first time
the Championship has entered into such a partnership.

FIA Historic Hill Climb Championship

The 2024 Championship featured seven rounds in five countries and 96 competitors
registered with cars from Category 1 (1919 – 1971), Category 2 (1970 – 1976), Category 3
(1977 – 1982), Category 4 (1982 – 1990) and Category 5 (1919 – 1990).

GT

FIA GT World Cup:

A successful season of GT competition reached a high point in November 2024 with the seventh running the FIA GT World Cup at the legendary Macau Grand Prix. 

The event featured 23 cars from six GT3 manufacturers, with nearly 70 per cent of the grid made up of Platinum-ranked drivers – a record in event’s history. The entry list was made all the more remarkable by the presence of the winners of every edition of the event held since its inaugural running in 2015. Additionally, the event featured a total of 10 drivers who took part in the FIA World Endurance Championship that same season (including eight from the Hypercar class). 

This arguably made it the strongest edition in the history of the world’s most prestigious sprint race for GT3 machinery.

Following a wet-weather thriller, Mercedes-AMG driver Maro Engel took his second career FIA GT World Cup victory ahead of 2018 FIA GT World Cup winner Augusto Farfus in his M4 GT3, with Sheldon van der Linde rounding out the top three in another BMW.

It is also worth noting that, in line with fuel roadmap developed by the FIA GT Commission, for the first time, the FIA GT World Cup grid was powered by 100% sustainable fuel, owing to a partnership with ETS Racing Fuels. The fuel, made from second-generation bio-components sourced from bio-waste, was introduced one year ahead of plan and required only minor engine mapping adjustments.

Triple GT treat at 2024 Games 

The third edition of the FIA Motorsport Games featured GT machinery in three of the event’s 26 competitions. GT3 specification cars competed in GT and GT Sprint, while the new Single Make GT was reserved for Ferrari Challenge cars.

In the latter competition, the officiating team was a blend of FIA and Ferrari personnel, resulting in excellent collaboration between the two parties and ensuring FIA standards were upheld while tailoring certain processes to fit the unique format of the Italian manufacturer’s single-make racing.

All three of 2024 FIA Motorsport Games’ GT competitions featured smaller grids than expected, with one of the reasons for that being a tightly packed calendar of GT events in the second part of the year.

Touring Cars

Kumho FIA TCR World Tour:

Following a one-year hiatus, world-level Touring Car racing returned to the line-up of FIA-
Sanctioned motor sport series with the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour.

The result of an agreement between the FIA and WSC Group (global rights holder for the TCR
trademark), the TCR World Tour was renamed and elevated to the status of an FIA
competition ahead of its second season of existence.

The final calendar included seven events on five continents and marked the return of FIA
world-level Touring Car racing to Marrakech for the first time since 2019 and the return of
an FIA-sanctioned circuit racing to Uruguay for the first time since Formula E’s Punta del Este
E-Prix in 2018.

The World Tour, saw 67 drivers (representing 21 nationalities), including two women and
29 teams taking part, with eight automotive brands and 12 different TCR models
represented on the grid.

The concept proved successful, although it posed a number of challenges, including
significant variation in track grades, circuit infrastructure, race control equipment, and
training levels of circuit staff and marshals.

Hyundai’s Norbert Michelisz clinched the title at Macau’s season finale, adding to his 2023
title (when the competition was held outside of FIA jurisdiction) and his 2019 WTCR – FIA
World Touring Car Cup crown.

FIA Motorsport Games

The Touring Car Cup held as part of the third edition of the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games in
Valencia featured 13 cars, each entered by a respective National Sporting Authority, and was
smaller than in the previous two editions, with one of the reasons being the date of the
event clashing with a round of the TCR Italy series.

TCR Lite launched

Midway through 2024, the FIA announced a new set of Technical Regulations for an
accessible, entry-level Touring Car class based on existing Rally Regulations. The new
category, to be known as TC Lite, will be comprised of two subclasses, TCL4 and TCL5. It will
utilise existing Rally4 and Rally5 Regulations and therefore will provide competitors with a
single car suitable for both rallying and circuit racing.

This will be possible through an additional appendix that will enable Rally4 and Rally5 class
cars to be used in circuit racing with only minimal modifications while leaving the Rally
Homologation unchanged. TC Lite will therefore form the basis of the FIA Touring Car
pyramid, with the well-established TCR class above it.

A set of grassroots guidelines for entry-level Touring Cars has also been developed with the
aim of being made available to ASNs.

Truck Racing

Online Community:

The FIA Truck Racing Commission, in close collaboration with the Promoter of the Goodyear FIA
European Truck Racing Championship (ETRA), focused on providing stability to the championship,
while at the same time anticipating the future in terms of sustainability transitions and making the
competition appealing to next generation of drivers.

The Championship featured a stable calendar of seven rounds composed of traditional venues from
the previous years, including Misano, Slovakiaring, Zolder, Nürburgring, Most, Le Mans and the
traditional final event in Jarama. At the end of the campaign, Norbert Kiss secured his 6 th series
crown, equalising the record holder Jochen Hahn.

An additional FIA Driver’s Title was implemented this season, dedicated to Pro Am drivers (Chrome
Class). The first ever Chrome Champion was José Eduardo Rodrigues securing his crown in front of
the two following competitors: Mark Taylor and Steffen Faas.
Competitors also experienced an updated qualifying format divided into three qualifying sessions,
providing more excitement for the fans and the drivers.

Increased Popularity

The Goodyear FIA ETRC maintained its popularity across a variety of platforms with TV coverage up
to a season total of 2,765 broadcast hours, while the discipline’s online community reached an
impressive 12.1 million people across its different social channels.

FIA Three-Star Environmental Accreditation

The Goodyear FIA ETRC was awarded 3-Star rating as part of the FIA Environmental Accreditation
Programme, the highest level of environmental sustainability recognition from the governing body.

Technical and Safety Updates

Updates included:

• Implementation of an updated tyre compound, which proved to be more durable, while
  maintaining the requested level of performance on dry and wet conditions;
• More stable steering system (by adjusting the mandatory camber and caster angles);
• Definition of the cabin (design and shape), to be in line with the standard road trucks.

Elsewhere, the kick-off meeting of the official FIA Hydrogen Technical Working Group dedicated to
Truck Racing was launched in Nürburgring circuit (12 July). This meeting gathered the main
manufacturers and tier-one suppliers from the road truck industry. The objective of this working
group is to draft the first Technical Regulations related to the H₂ technology as per FIA general
requirements.

More Years with Goodyear

Goodyear was selected as single tyre supplier for the next three seasons of ETRC (2025-2027),
extending the existing long-term partnership with the series. This further collaboration aims to follow
the FIA Sustainability Roadmap for the Championship.