Vroom Karting Magazine

07/01/2025

If you ask your eldest aunt to name a Formula 1 rookie for 2025, chances are she’ll also mention that young Italian kid with the baby face who will be taking over Hamilton’s car: at least in these parts, everyone is talking about Antonelli, and let’s hope this doesn’t put too much pressure on him. One name auntie certainly won’t be able to mention, however, is Isack Hadjar, the very young (once, a debut at 20 years old would have been considered precocious) Frenchman of Algerian origin, born in 2004. Coming from a family of doctors with no connection to racing, he made a name for himself in karting (competing in Rotax, X30, and then in OKJ) thanks to his ability to learn quickly, listen carefully, and immediately apply advice, suggesting he had what it took to go far – and indeed, he has. He’ll arrive in F1 with two years of F2 experience and a narrowly missed championship in 2024, a season in which he won four races. His call-up to Racing Bulls came almost at the last minute, following the back-and-forth surrounding Perez’s delayed retirement from F1. While he doesn’t have any titles in his trophy cabinet, watch out: someone has compared the ‘petit’ Frenchman – they’re the same height, under 1.70 m – to a certain Alain Prost. 🇫🇷

07/01/2025

Happy New Year guys and...what's your 2025 resolution? 😏

07 January 2025 - Karting is much more than it seems to be from the outside. Today’s environment, more conducive than ever to attracting newcomers, grapples with a perception that does not always reflect the true nature of this sport. The challenges of the coming year present an objective that is ...

04/01/2025

04 January 2025 - The reigning KZ World Champion will be the official driver for Team Maranello in the 2025 season, aiming to remain at the top of the category and repeat his World Championship victory in Portimão.(fm)

31/12/2024

And what about you, how was your 2024? Karting has been finding its balance, quite literally, for a few years now—its place in the FIA universe has been solidly established. Its role as the primary pathway to F1 is its most defining characteristic, and you know what? It has embraced this role so well that this polished image is almost eclipsing its roots as a raw and popular sport. But are we sure we’ll finally reach that precious balance between sport and business? Because, truth be told, the offering has expanded tremendously. And while it might feel annoying at times (just ask anyone who read the Washington Post article about karting in Italy) to see children treated like major sports stars, we have to admit that a sport once niche and exclusive is now accessible to many. Let’s be honest. Every sport, in some way, fosters excesses, but at the same time, every sport is a system made up of hundreds of elements (and people), and it’s simply impossible for all of them to be wrong. Let’s give karting in 2024, and its harmonious growth, the credit it deserves.

The 2024 competitive season saw the rise of outsiders from the working class, like Palomba in the premier class, and confirmed some technical truths across all categories—namely, that without good tires, quality karting is hard to achieve. It also showed us how certain unique and partly unsanctioned territories can produce drivers who are objectively more comfortable in difficult situations, as evidenced by the strong presence of Northern European (and particularly English) drivers in the top positions of virtually every high-level international competition.

The word we’ve chosen, confident and hopeful that 2025 will bring further improvement, is “harmony.” Now it’s your turn: tell us your word to define your racing 2024!

31/12/2024

Vroom Awards 2024: Joshua Cooke Takes the Crown

The 2024 Vroom Awards brought the karting community together in a thrilling display of talent and camaraderie. Fans from around the world cast their votes to honor the year’s standout drivers, recognizing achievements that have defined the season and inspired future champions. With an electrifying mix of competition and celebration, the awards highlighted the unwavering passion that drives the sport forward.

31 December 2024 - The 2024 Vroom Awards brought the karting community together in a thrilling display of talent and camaraderie. Fans from around the world cast their votes to honor the year’s standout drivers, recognizing achievements that have defined the season and inspired future champions. W...

24/12/2024

A few hours remain until the Driver of the Year is decided!
Make your voice heard by casting your vote now at the link below!

https://www.vroomkart.com/survey/44346/vroom-awards-driver-of-the-year-2024

21/12/2024

The 2024 season has reached the finish line, and it’s time to honor the champions who stole the spotlight. Vroom Karting Magazine invites you to join the excitement and vote for the Best International Driver of 2024!

https://www.vroomkart.com/survey/44346/vroom-awards-driver-of-the-year-2024

The 2024 season has reached the finish line, and it’s time to honor the champions who stole the spotlight. Vroom Karting Magazine invites you to join the excitement and vote for the Best International Driver of 2024! You’ve got 4 days – from December 21 to December 24 – to have your say. Cho...

19/12/2024

Quintarelli is one of those drivers who could inspire generations of racers. While motorsport increasingly gravitates toward FIA categories, funneling nearly every effort—both sporting and marketing—into securing a seat in F1, the Italian driver, long based in Japan, represents a career path that is both unique and could, in fact, become the norm for those genuinely committed to the profession of racing.

The fundamental difference lies precisely here: if a driver is seen as an arrow aimed at a single target—where an adult decides what the target is and how to shoot the arrow—then it’s clear that any alternative target to the “big one” is perceived as failure. This, unfortunately, is the reality in cases where the driver (the arrow) is a passive participant. However, the trajectory can be different for a young person truly aspiring to be a professional driver, and Quintarelli’s career—recently concluded with all due honors—is a prime example of this. Having seized an opportunity sparked by a brilliant karting career, Ronnie embraced a new world, and his career is far richer, more multifaceted, and compelling than that of drivers who may have seen the lights of an F1 grid fewer than ten times. Beyond the excellent interview recently published in Vroom, if you have five minutes, do yourself a favor and Google “Ronnie Quintarelli”—you’ll discover a wealth of fascinating stories. 🇯🇵🇮🇹

17/12/2024

The definition evokes a motorsport from a bygone era, perhaps reserved for those of a certain social class. Racing still comes at a cost today, there’s no denying it, but being a gentleman driver no longer necessarily implies holding a noble title as it did a century ago—thankfully. There is no shortage of categories, and in recent years, there’s also been no lack of vehicles, often designed precisely with this type of approach to motorsport in mind, particularly karting. The arrive-and-drive formula of many championships allows anyone to feel like a gentleman driver. The beauty of being a gentleman driver is that you get to choose which category to compete in: the 4-stroke, the DD2, or, if you’re a bit daring and want to challenge yourself against drivers who have won five World Championships among the professionals, you can directly enter the KZ Master World Championship.

The regulations have understandably undergone a few tweaks, which serve both as a deterrent or an incentive to improve oneself, depending on the circumstances. This is the true essence of being a gentleman driver: competing, at any age, simply for the joy of being part of it, without the obsession of winning at all costs.

15/12/2024

15 December 2024 - The Italian driver recently bid farewell to Japan's Super GT after 20 years, 17 of which were with Nissan. In this exclusive interview, he shares how Japan transformed his life and reveals insights about karting, where he not only trains but also competes at a high level in OK.(fm...

15/12/2024

13 December 2024 - Giancarlo Tinini, owner of CRG and one of the most important kart manufacturers in the world, usually grant us an interview at the end of the year to summarize the karting situation between lights and shadows, never shying away from even the most uncomfortable questions. After all...

12/12/2024

At the beginning of the year, we said this would have been a memorable season and that the level—oh, the level—would be exhilarating. Looking back, it's hard to argue that this F2 season, despite being decided in the final race weekend, kept us on the edge of our seats with excitement. In F1, 2025 will finally see a promising wave of rookies, but only one—whose destination was sealed even before he won the title—comes fresh off a thrilling F2 season: Gabriel Bortoleto. It's true that Bearman competed all year in F2, but he already has a Grand Prix in Ferrari under his belt, and at the start of the Melbourne GP, he’ll be anything but a rookie, having already gotten a solid taste of F1 racing more than once. This dual nature of F2 is striking: it seems both crucial and irrelevant to a driver’s career. Take Antonelli, for instance—his F1 signing can be seen as part of a broader project, largely unrelated to his performance in the Formula 2. Or Colapinto, a fleeting presence (already unfortunately eclipsed) at the end of the season, who moved up a category thanks to financial backing that F2 Champions like Drugovich or Pourchaire may not have had. The key factor that seems essential to reach F1 is winning the title in your first F2 season. Those who have managed it in the past, like Leclerc, Piastri, and Russell, have indeed made it to F1. That said, F2 remains a tough category to master, where the costs and stakes feel too high for it to be a genuine "stepping stone to F1" If Paul Aron had won the title, would he have made it to a stable F1 seat in a dramatic twist after Abu Dhabi? Lastly, F2 appears, due to its driving characteristics, to be an unfriendly category for female drivers. If and when a woman reaches a full-time Formula 1 seat, it might happen without ever having raced a season in F2. We’ll be talking about this again, as we face a season where many will attempt the feat of winning the title in their first year—or risk forgetting about F1 forever.

09/12/2024

09 December 2024 - In a short video shared on CRG's social media, Jeremy Iglesias announced his retirement from racing while simultaneously confirming his appointment as the team principal of the CRG racing team. (fm)

06/12/2024

06 December 2024 - Dan Holland Racing (DHR), a powerhouse in British karting since its founding in 2009, has unveiled an exciting new program tailored for young drivers eager to make their mark in the world of motorsport. This initiative, based at the iconic Whilton Mill track, is set to revolutioni...

05/12/2024

Rumors aside (some suggest he might be a candidate for the Cadillac project in 2026), Sunday will mark Bottas’ last race in F1. With him, we lose a truly unique character who, like all Finns, is beloved by the fans. His journey to F1 is one of the old-school ones: a bit of karting in his home country with many victories, a noteworthy result in FIA karting with just enough appearances (8th in the FA World Championship in Portugal in 2005)—karting was different back then, trust Vroom —and a couple of titles in the junior formulas (Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 in 2008 and GP3 in 2011).

In his case—just like Max Verstappen—there was no F2, but straight into F1, with a classic first year as a third driver wearing polos and headphones in the Williams garage. Then, with the right car at the right time, came 10 victories and two runner-up World Championship titles in the challenging role of Hamilton’s teammate.

It’s nice to recall his beginnings in his own words, when he talked about that family trip to southern Finland and the go-kart track that made him fall in love with racing. «I tried to go-kart for the first time when I was 5. I also remember my first race really well, that was 1995 and 1996. I love the speed, I never experienced anything like that before.» For now, Godspeed Valtteri.

03/12/2024

Every year, we wonder if this will be the time: if the girl in question will be the one. Because we need a trailblazer—literally—who will mark an epochal change. Let’s set aside gender quotas and political correctness—there’s no obligation for women to be in F1, even though some see it that way. At the top of the motorsport pyramid, you get there if you deserve it, or if you have a lot of money. If you have a lot of money but don’t deserve it, it doesn’t make much sense and won’t last long. So, when it happens, it has to be worth it. Abbi seems tough, just like Marta Garcia and others before her. She’s raced and won in the grittiest karting categories, and let’s not forget—she comes from that country where, remember, they race 364 days a year, and on Christmas, the one day they don’t race, they talk about racing. This year, she had already made history by winning in British F4, a male-dominated stronghold where they certainly didn’t roll out the red carpet for her—especially at Brands Hatch where she won.

Now that she’s won the Academy, she’s earned a spot where she’ll have to play her cards and shape her destiny: the GB3 Formula, a place where, once again, no one will cut her any slack. We’re rooting for Abbi because next year we’ll be a quarter of the way into the 21st century, and it would be amazing to see a successful woman in F1 before 2030—especially a girl with a background like Abbi’s.

01/12/2024

01 December 2024 - We all knew it would be impossible to make a TV series about Ayrton Senna. And our fears turned out to be well-founded... (Pierluigi Mancini)

28/11/2024

Since we're talking about covering them, and considering the panic that spread across social media—complete with memes—in the days following the tests conducted to evaluate the possible installation of tire covers, we want to remember them like this: free, open, just like when this incredible racing machine was born, a lifetime ago. Motorsport at its peak has always been done with open-exposed wheels, and it’s only natural that this small vehicle, which first guides drivers toward their goal, should keep them that way.

We are all aware of how important safety is, and we await the decisions the Federation will make on this front. If they must be covered, what can we do? So be it. We'll take our kids to see what a real go-kart used to look like at historic and vintage kart meetings, which, fortunately, are making a comeback and thriving all around the world.