The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has approved the first karting seat with roll-hoop attachment to facilitate the participation of disabled drivers in karting events.
Following approval from the World Motor Sport Council today, the fiberglass high seat features an innovative lamination developed by Vita Carbon for enhanced impact resistance. It can be used in karting races aligned to the FIA Karting Guidelines for Drivers with Disabilities document. Designed with an integrated roll hoop, the seat provides additional attachment points for competitors who require safety-belt anchoring for torso stability, offering drivers with disabilities additional support to enable them to race safely.
Development of the device was led by FIA Disability & Accessibility Commission member and paraplegic driver Fabio Visentin and Vita Carbon, with the support of the FIA safety department. It is envisaged that the seat, which is optional for drivers with disabilities competing in karting, will support a new generation of disabled racers into the entry point of motorsport.
Visentin said, “The development and testing of this new roll hoop represent a significant step forward for the safety of karters with disabilities. Ensuring that every driver can compete with the highest protection standards is our top priority. Our goal was to create a product that was not only safe and rigorously tested but also high performing, ensuring it does not interfere with the chassis’ flexibility. Karters with disabilities now have access to a product that has all these features, and I want to thank Vita Carbon for the development and the FIA for their support in this project.”
FIA safety director Nuno Costa added, “Safety should complement accessibility, and we’ve been proud to work on this project with Fabio to raise safety standards for karting drivers with disabilities. The karting high seat is a simple but important innovation that facilitates drivers to safely compete, and I hope it will provide every karting driver with disabilities with greater confidence and independence.”
As a result of today’s decision, homologated karting high seats up to 32cm have been approved with immediate effect in karting events. It is expected that they will first be deployed at races in early 2026.
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