Seychelles Karting Association implements FIA national karting ranking |10 June 2025
National drivers will now have the opportunity to be recognised globally for their performance on the local circuit (Photo: Contributed)
A new era for local drivers
The Seychelles Karting Association proudly announced the implementation of the FIA national karting ranking this weekend during round five of the Seniors Championship, marking a major milestone for the sport in Seychelles.
The ranking system gives national drivers the opportunity to be recognised globally for their performance on the local circuit.
This initiative is part of the Global Karting Plan (GKP) launched by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the world governing body for motorsport. First introduced in 2023, the FIA national karting ranking is now a powerful platform used by national sporting authorities (ASN) across the globe to identify and reward local talent who may not yet have the budget to race internationally.
Opening global doors for local drivers
Thanks to Seychelles Karting Association’s (SKA) adoption of the national karting ranking (NKR) system, drivers competing in our national championship will have their results submitted to the FIA, earning a place in the official FIA global ranking tables.
The system enables FIA to spotlight drivers who are performing exceptionally at national level – especially those who haven’t had the opportunity to race abroad.
The FIA is also incentivising ASNs to take part by awarding up to three FIA President’s Medals per country, recognising the best-performing drivers under the ranking system.
A game-changing global initiative
The NKR is just one of the components of the FIA’s broader Global Karting Plan, which includes, the Karting World Cup launching in November 2025, GKP Continental Championships coming in 2026, New Karting Excellence Centres (KEC) for training and development, and the first-ever FIA scholarship prize fund to support emerging drivers
Akbar Ebrahim, president of the FIA karting commission, said the national karting ranking is a really important detection tool for identifying raw talent, and with the support of the FIA President’s Medals, we are already seeing huge interest worldwide.
What it means for Seychelles
During her announcement at round five, SKA chairperson Liza Rene-Cosgrow said the introduction of this system is a game-changer for our drivers, noting that many of our competitors have the talent but lack the financial means to race internationally.
“This ranking system now gives them real recognition and a pathway to FIA-supported opportunities,” she added.
SKA hopes that local drivers will embrace this opportunity not only as a badge of honour but as motivation to raise their standards, sharpen their skills, and take ownership of their personal growth and ranking.
What’s next?
The details of the FIA NKR implementation were revealed to senior drivers during round five on Sunday June 8.
The information will be rolled out to all other categories during the month of June, ensuring that every competitor understands how to get involved.
SKA will be updating the FIA’s live portal with all 2025 results to date, enabling the FIA national karting ranking system to officially begin ranking Seychelles drivers.
Looking ahead: World Cup and excellence centres
As part of the Global Karting Plan, SKA now awaits further details on the FIA Karting World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in November 2025. Information regarding how drivers can qualify through the national ranking system is expected in the coming months.
In addition, the FIA has announced plans for the development of Karting Excellence Centres (KEC) — a vital training initiative that will include KEC Educational Schools (1-week programmes to teach young drivers fundamental skills to succeed in motorsport), hosting KECs will be hosted on each continent by 2027, giving all drivers equal access, and opportunities to integrate official education formats and empower local facilities and personnel.
While this component of the GKP is still in development at FIA level, SKA is committed to keeping all members informed as soon as more information becomes available.
“It’s a great opportunity,” said Mrs Rene-Cosgrow adding that they are seeing motorsport becoming more inclusive, accessible, and structured, and that Seychelles has a real chance to be part of this future.”
Check the rankings
Want to see how Seychelles drivers stack up globally? The FIA will soon update the official ranking page here: https://www.fiakarting.com/page/international-karting-ranking-classification
The race for international recognition starts now – and it starts right here in Seychelles. Let the rankings begin.
Contributed