Last weekend’s Belgian hat-trick of FIA Karting victories at the Slovak Ring provides an opportunity to reflect on the relationship between nationality and karting, one of the most individualistic sports there is.
Let’s start by looking at the figures to see which countries have the biggest presence in the European OK and OK-Junior Championships. The United Kingdom (population 67 million) fielded 23 drivers, more than 10% of the field, ahead of France (population 68 million) and Italy (population 59 million). So far, nothing strange – these are large, densely populated European countries with a strong motorsport culture, where karting has grown since its introduction to Europe.
Germany (84 million inhabitants) is something of an anomaly in the landscape. Its 17th place ranking in terms of participation on the Slovak Ring with only four drivers echoes a historically weak attraction for international karting and a relative disaffection for the basic categories (karting and F4) observed over the last few years within this wealthy country, which is also highly invested in top-level motor sport (manufacturers and champions). At the same time, the karting industry remains very limited in Germany, in contrast to the hegemony of Italy and the French exception of Sodikart.
Spain (population 48 million) is on a par with Poland (population 38 million) with nine drivers. Russia (146 million inhabitants), whose name has not been mentioned in international sport for more than two years, was also represented by nine nationals. The increase in Russian participation has slowed considerably since the start of the conflict with Ukraine and the introduction of economic sanctions by the Western bloc. Last year, Russian drivers were unable to travel to the Czech Republic for a European event.
Belgium (population 11 million) is one of the countries with a strong karting culture. Despite its small number of circuits, it organises a large number of races with international participation. Genk can be considered one of the temples of karting, while Mariembourg is gradually returning to the forefront. The small, multi-cultural kingdom has a long list of car and karting champions dating back to the last century. The simultaneous victories of Thibaut Ramaekers (OK), Dries van Langendonck (OK-Junior) and Gilles Herman (Academy) last weekend in Slovakia seem to indicate a renewal of Belgian potential, to which we can add the remarkable performances of Yanis Stevenheydens and Thomas Strauven in F4.
If the mathematical correlation between a country’s population and the number of motorsport talents is completely unproven, then what is it all about? After a quick analysis, a nation’s economic health doesn’t seem to be the direct cause of success in an expensive discipline like karting either, since many rich or very rich countries don’t produce karting talent. The proximity of tracks on which to exercise one’s passion is important, but this problem mainly concerns gigantic countries such as the United States or Russia. So what is it?
From the outset, Europe has been the focus of interest in the sport, which was invented in America. This is still true today, when you have to come to the old continent to learn the ropes in your karting days. It’s easy to understand why top-level karting hasn’t developed in Outer Mongolia or the Solomon Islands. This does not explain Brazil’s ability to produce great champions or why some European countries are more successful than others despite their small size. Finland, for example, with its 5.5 million inhabitants spread over vast expanses of land, is known for its many champions.
It can be argued that the country’s culture and mentality play a role in the ratio of good drivers. The history of the country’s motor sport and its relationship with the population also seem essential, as does the desire to pass on the values of this sport through multiple racing teams run by real enthusiasts. Beyond the often overused media image of karting as a gateway to F1, it seems that it is above all the passion of previous generations, shared from one generation to the next, that really makes the difference. In this sense, karting remains a relatively popular sport that is fuelled first and foremost by passion and the passing on of values. In that case, it would be a great story…
Info KARTCOM Sélection / Photo © KSP