Vroom Karting Magazine

13/02/2025

In the interview he just gave to Vroom, he definitively explained that returning to karting, especially in KZ, is not possible without proper physical preparation. However, he proudly reminded us that everything is still fresh in his mind—rest assured, Gianluca Beggio still remembers how to push a kart to the limit in his fifties.

From our long chat, it also became clear that the life of a top-level karting driver in the 1990s was generally more relaxed than it is today, at least in terms of having a schedule that allowed time for other pursuits. With 7-8 major races per year, plus testing, there was still room for free weekends to cultivate other passions. Gianluca made the most of that time, building a reputation in RC model racing, where he still excels and continues to win.

13/02/2025

13 February 2025 - An interesting project to save the history of karting by digitizing Karting and Kart & Superkart magazines for a new website.

11/02/2025

If you google for ‘Where the Boys Are’, you’ll find that it was the title of an old fashioned movie about love affairs and how to deal with boys. But the 20th century is long gone, and today, ‘where the boys are’ represents the choice many girls make to compete with the best—where the boys are in the sense of the very TOP of the category. Slowly but surely, the base of the pyramid in motorsport is reaching solid numbers for girls. At a time when we remember a great champion of the ‘90s, Lotta Hellberg, modern examples like set the standard. As she told us last year: only by racing against the best can you become the best. At first, you may be behind, but by raising the bar and the level, you grow.

No predetermined gender quotas, no special additions—just competition, preparation, determination, and the desire to challenge the best. Karting is the is the only discipline in motorsport that allows a truly level playing field, and you can bet that in a few years, many girls will make it to the mixed junior categories also in single-seaters (not just in the all-female F4 academies). Just a little patience, girls—see you where the boys are!

11/02/2025

20 Years

11 February 2025 - February 11th of 2005, 20 years ago, Lotta Hellberg passed away. She was a girl that all karting enthusiasts loved on the track and beyond, given the sad fate that took her away from us at just 34 years old.

10/02/2025

10 February 2025 - The former karting driver and multiple-time World Champion has been involved in RC model racing for years, participating in numerous competitions where he applies his extensive experience in fine-tuning, gained during his karting career. And yes—radio-controlled model racing is ...

08/02/2025

07 February 2025 - In a constantly evolving landscape, the FIA motorsport ladder is strengthening the connection between grassroots categories and the highest levels of competition. The Champions of the Future Academy Program, now entering its second full season, fits into this scenario with an inno...

05/02/2025

05 February 2025 - The engines of the 60 Minikart class, despite very restrictive regulations, have become small bombs capable of amazing performance, with top speeds of 110 km/h. How did they get to these levels? (by Pierluigi Mancini)

05/02/2025

01 February 2025 - Registering for the Vroom Challenge 2025 is easy: purchase the Vroom stickers kit in one of the six color variants and customize your racing kart. Register by sending a photo of your kart and compete in at least three races during the season. Up for grabs are a SNELL FIA -certifie...

29/01/2025

Giovanni Minardi has provided us with a clearer understanding of what Racing Academies are today and how they function in terms of scouting and, of course, economically.

Read the full column here ↘️

29 January 2025 - This week marks the beginning of a monthly-based collaboration between Vroom and one of the most experienced experts in the four-wheel motorsport feeder series. A manager of proven renown with a unique racing background, Giovanni Minardi takes us on a journey to discover the intric...

23/01/2025

In 1996, your television likely looked like this, and if you had lived in the UK, you might have come across one of the programs that forever changed the history of karting, serving as an incubator for the communication and image champion that Lewis Hamilton is today. Zip Kart and McLaren Mercedes came up with a format that calling brilliant would be an understatement: Champions of the Future. In the 1990s, the idea of bringing karting races for young drivers to television was revolutionary. Not only did it shine a spotlight on a category often overlooked, but it also laid the foundation for the visionary connection between karting and professional motorsport, particularly Formula 1. The choice to use Comer 60 karts as the technical base, despite their limitations compared to today’s Mini Gr3, reflected the technical landscape of the time, when karting was much more rudimentary than it is now. Yet, it was precisely in that simplicity that the charm lay: close races, pure talent, and spectacle that didn’t rely on technological sophistication.

Lewis Hamilton is the perfect example of the success of this initiative. His participation in Champions of the Future was not only a showcase for his talent but also created an emotional and professional bond between the young driver and the Formula 1 world, paving the way for a career that today seems legendary. That format made the dream tangible for many young drivers, transforming karting into a true launchpad for those aspiring to become champions. Today, Italy holds the nerve center of international karting, but it is undeniable that the strategic idea of linking it to the F1 feeder series —though debatable in some respects—has paid off. The British, with their knack for innovation in motorsport, once again paved a path that continues to influence this sport. A fairy tale, that of Lewis Hamilton, which never ceases to inspire, but also a reminder of how simple and visionary ideas can change the game.

21/01/2025

A wise guy once said, “Luck doesn’t exist: it’s the moment when talent meets opportunity,” even when that opportunity comes in the form of a hospital colleague down with appendectomy, giving you the chance to take their place for a day and prove to everyone that the next available spot there should be yours. Bearman has built a career that has progressed very smoothly, without years of million-dollar spending on karting. Alongside Lawson, he makes his F1 debut without ever having participated in a European or FIA Karting World Championship race. After a solid journey in mono-brand karting (they spent some money, of course, but didn’t mortgage the house like others did), where he even managed to win a World Final under extraordinary circumstances, he performed very well in F4 during the pandemic-stricken 2020 season. The people managing his career decided to take a gamble on him, and it paid off: in his first experience, he became the only driver in history to win both the Italian and German F4 championships (just before the German championship sadly folded). From there, he applied many lessons learned – he’s always described himself as someone who enjoys learning and figuring out how to improve with the help of engineers and joining the Ferrari Driver Academy made a real difference for him. In F2, he proved his worth without flashy results, while his teammate in 2024 received more of the spotlight. This may have allowed him to race with less pressure, and judging by his impressive F1 debut, it freed him from the unpleasant burden of having to win the title at all costs. His F1 debut as a full-time driver is noteworthy, even though he’s already made quite the entrance: scoring points with two different cars in the first two races. If that’s his calling card… let’s sit back and enjoy one of the strongest rookies in recent years.

20/01/2025

20 January 2025 - The former Junior World Champion and ICC titleholder, who returned to racing in 2024 in the European and World Championships at Portimão in the KZ Master category, admits to being surprised by the almost excessive “professionalism” of the category. He had expected it to be mor...

19/01/2025

19 January 2025 - The first running of the Rotax MAX Challenge International Trophy Asia in Thailand is taking place this weekend at the Bira Kart circuit in Pattaya and the competition is already sizzling. There are 130 drivers on the entry list representing 21 different nations in the five Rotax c...

16/01/2025

Team Brask, one of the most popular teams in Denmark, has achieved the feat of bringing the legendary Giorgio Pantano back to the track, as well as other celebrated drivers like Jan Magnussen. Just last year, they had a multi-time champion still active in racing, Lorenzo Travisanutto, competing in the Euro Grand Prix. Enthusiasm and love for 90s karting are at an all-time high, and attention to detail is obsessive: the races are organized by CKR. What CKR have been able to do is to create events made for the drivers to have the greatest time at the track. Another factor in the CKR story is that one of the CKR guys is the owner of the main events circuit, Vojens Motorsport Arena. With the CKR philosophy combined with the owner of the track, this gives the best opportunities to do unique events. In the paddock you can meet the former professional who never lost his passion of karting, or drivers who just genuinely is passionate about karting, or motorsport in general, and as many other, salute the 90s era of karting as real karting. There are also drivers who were not even born in the 90s, but who have fallen in love with the 100cc - and this is also what we see with many of modern kartings professionals, if they ever try a +20.000rpm screaming 100cc kart, they fall in love, its just what karting should be all about: simple, raw, pure. The 2025 100cc Euro Grand Prix will be August 8-9 at the Vojens Motorsport Arena: see you there 100cc lovers

15/01/2025

15 January 2025 - The technical collaboration between TM Kart and Kalì Kart will also continue in 2025, with the multi-titled engine company from Pesaro which will be the exclusive supplier for the Kalì Kart Racing Team in all races of the 2025 season. The partnership, which began last year at the...

14/01/2025

The last guy to land in F1 with such a résumé was none other than Oscar Piastri, someone who didn’t take long to break into the exclusive circle of drivers contending for the World Title. Winning the F3 and F2 titles on the first try is no small feat, especially considering there are drivers who have won those titles—though not consecutively—and still view F1 through a telescope. There’s a mix of circumstances behind Sauber’s signing of Bortoleto, and the Brazilian seems to be in the right place at the right time. As Fernando Alonso’s protégé, he’ll benefit from a season of learning in F1 without too much pressure in his rookie year, alongside one of the most experienced drivers on the grid, the seasoned Hulkenberg. He’s set to step into the sleek Audi car, the natural successor to Sauber on the F1 entry list as has been planned for some time. Thus, the two contenders for the 2024 F2 title both find themselves in F1. Who knows if we’ll see them dueling on the track. Gabriel is likely to have a quieter season than Hadjar, who will face the firing squads of Red Bull in the Racing Bulls team—an outfit accustomed to mid-season turnover—and is obligated to deliver results immediately. Gabriel is poised, perhaps finally, to win the hearts of Brazilians, just like another young man from São Paulo did 40 years ago… 🇧🇷

13/01/2025

Rotax Max: un motore 125cc nato per allargare il bacino di praticanti del karting che nel tempo è diventato uno standard racing in grado di soddisfare un’ute...

13/01/2025

13 January 2025 - Former racing driver Giovanna Amati, who competed in single-seaters in the 1990s and attempted to debut in F1, gave an interview to a mainstream Italian newspaper. A key excerpt about racing was: "No, it’s not a sport for women." Let’s explore why this statement is, today, high...