The Olympics just wrapped up. Over the last few weeks, you probably saw a lot of breakdancing, racewalking, and trampoline in your feeds. Shoutout to Raygun, by the way. But for all the weird and wacky events at this year's Olympics, one thing you didn't see in Paris was auto racing.
Auto racing has never caught on at the Olympics, not that they haven't tried. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, Renault founder Louis Renault and a dozen or so other drivers raced around France in two-seat Citroens and Peugeots. Renault took home the gold and a lofty ₣4,000 cash prize. A second "Olympic Rally" took place during the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, with British racing driver Betty Haig in a Singer Le Mans and Swiss driver Paul Abt in a Riley Falcon both taking home golds.
Unfortunately though, while the International Olympic Committee (IOC) acknowledges these races took place, the IOC doesn't recognize either of them as official events. And there hasn't been another attempt to bring motorsports to the Olympics in the 88 years since.
In 2001, it seemed all hope was lost. The IOC all but banned motor racing in its updated charter. In chapter 5, a single line stated: “Sports, disciplines or events in which performance depends essentially on mechanical propulsion are not acceptable.” Thankfully, the IOC removed that rule in 2016 and the amended charter from 2023 makes no mention of it.
Initially, I wanted to examine why Formula 1-style racing isn't in the Olympics. Take the world's best drivers, put them in a single-seat race car, and let them loose on a track. But top-end motorsports would be insanely expensive at the Olympic level, hard to regulate, and not every country would be able to field a spec vehicle (even the ones with some of the world's best drivers).
So what's the next-best solution? Go-karts.
Dozens of modern professional drivers got their start in go-karts. Before he had three F1 championships, Max Verstappen won multiple karting trophies. Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso, Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton, and Logan Sargeant—all go-kart champions.
But this isn't a new idea by me, clever as it is. Go-kart racing—or as it's called, Olympic Motorsport—was introduced at the Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2018. Six teams of two racers competed in electric karts. Even though no medals were awarded, current Formula 2 driver Franco Colapinto and teammate Maria Garcia Puig took home the (theoretical) gold.
F1’s governing body, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), has been trying to bring go-kart racing to the Olympics ever since. The FIA put in a bid for karting at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, but it was bumped along with kickboxing and karate.
But there’s still hope.
The FIA will make another push for karting at the 2032 Summer Olympics in Brisbane, Australia. Yes, that means another eight years of waiting, but it also means this could be the first real chance we get to see go-karts at an Olympic level.
"The fact that the possibility of karting being included in the official program of the Olympic Games has been considered is already a satisfactory first step. It encourages us to continue our efforts to refine an offer adapted to the format of this unique competition in order to be able to present a bid again in the future."
FIA Spokesperson via InsideTheGames.
Fingers crossed.
Go-karts would make a lot of sense as a catch-all solution for Olympic racing. The basic concept is pretty simple (in theory). Every kart would have to meet an agreed-upon, Olympic-approved standard, and each country would supply a team of mechanics, engineers, etc. to oversee their respective team's vehicles. As opposed to an F1-style vehicle, karts are way, way, way cheaper and far easier to standardize.
Next would be securing the locations. The Youth Olympic Games used the go-kart track at the Autodromo de Buenos Aires Oscar y Juan Galvez for its event in 2018. With the 2024 Paris Olympics as a template, the karting track at Circuit Paul Ricard could host every race, which would make everything nice and tidy from a logistical standpoint.
But there is a second, more fun option: A road course around the streets of the host city. While much trickier logistically, crazier things have been done in the name of Olympic competition. Just imagine the world's best drivers booking it down the Rue de Rivoli in Paris this year or racing around the iconic Place de l'Etoile.
Each country would then have to decide on drivers. As with most Olympic events outside of maybe basketball, the competitors would most likely be young and talented—but relatively unknown—kart racers from around the world. That, of course, would mean huge recognition for potentially undiscovered drivers trying to get their shot on a larger stage, which is a great thing.
But again, there is a second, more fun option.
Let’s just take the world’s best pro drivers and drop them in an Olympic-style go-kart competition. Assuming every driver is eligible, we could draw from major series’ like F1, Formula E, IndyCar, NASCAR, and the World Endurance Championship. The 10 top countries (based on theoretical qualifying) would be eligible for the event, and similar to something like Race of Champions or the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, a total of 20 drivers would compete in a multi-race, knockout-type series to determine the medalists.
So let’s have some fun with this. Here’s what my dream teams would look like for each country (sorry if your driver or country isn’t represented in my fake go-kart Olympics):
- Australia: Daniel Ricciardo & Oscar Piastri
- Brazil: Sergio Pietro Fittipaldi & Sergio Sette Camara
- France: Esteban Ocon & Pierre Gasly
- Great Britain: Lando Norris & Lewis Hamilton
- Germany: Nico Hulkenberg & Pascal Wehrlein
- Japan: Takuma Sato & Yuki Tsunoda
- Mexico: Pato O'ward & Sergio Perez
- Netherlands: Max Verstappenn & Nyck De Vries
- Spain: Carlos Sainz & Fernando Alonso
- United States: Kyle Larson & Logan Sargeant
Just imagine Kyle Larson and Lewis Hamilton going tire to tire on the last lap around the Arc de Triomphe, or Verstappen and De Vries trading paint beneath the Eiffel Tower, all while hoards of French bystanders shake their baguettes with enthusiasm. Sounds like a fever dream I’ve had.
Auto racing is definitely gaining momentum with the IOC, which is great news—and not just on the Junior Olympic stage either. In 2021, the IOC and FIA teamed up for the Olympic Virtual Series, which gathered pro gamers from around the world to compete in a multi-race Gran Turismo tournament. Vallerio Gallo from Italy took home the (virtual) gold. And we could see more virtual Olympic events in the future.
But for getting real racers on a real track for a real chance at Olympic gold, karting makes the most sense—and it sounds like it would be fun as hell. Let’s hope the IOC and the FIA can agree to bring it to Brisbane in 2032, and let’s hope it attracts the biggest names in motorsports eager to make their home countries proud.
