ACCESSORIES (AND DETAILS) OF THE KART REPUBLIC KR2 BY PREMA RACING, WINNER OF THE 2025 FIA KARTING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OKJ

Jacopo Colombo

20 October 2025 • 12 min. read

The FIA Karting World Championship, which since 2016 has been held as a single-round event “Editorial | What's the point of such an FIA Karting World Championship?”), is unquestionably the highlight of the season. For the OK and OKJ classes, the 2025 edition took place over the weekend of 12–14 September in Sweden, at the Åsum Ring in Kristianstad — a circuit that alternates fast sections with tight corners and even features a stretch where karts momentarily lift off the ground (as shown in this reel on TKART’s Instagram account). The OKJ World Champion title went to British driver Noah Baglin, racing for Prema Racing (managed by Kart Republic’s competition division, KR Motorsport). At the wheel of his Kart Republic KR2, powered by an IAME Reedster V engine and fitted with Maxxis MA01 Option slick tyres, Baglin clinched the World Championship crown. For Prema Racing, this is the second consecutive world title, following the 2024 success with Kenzo Craigie at the PF International Kart Circuit (see “Must Have | Accessories (and details) of the Kart Republic KR1 by Prema Racing winner of FIA Karting World Championship OKJ 2024"). Unlike last season, however, Baglin’s triumph came at the end of a final held on a dry track — though some damp patches remained after the morning rain — under cloudy skies and an ambient temperature of around 18°C. While the 2024 title had been decided by a last-lap, last-corner battle, the 2025 World Championship was dominated by Baglin’s consistent race pace, which allowed him to take the chequered flag with more than a four-second margin over the rest of the field. So, what setup choices and technical solutions allowed the young British driver to secure such a commanding victory? We spoke with Tom Joyner, Head of the Junior Teams at KR Motorsport and Prema Racing. Here’s what he revealed to us.

Chassis

During the race weekend in Sweden, KR Motorsport — and consequently Prema Racing — followed their usual working method, fielding Kart Republic’s two main chassis models: the KR1 and the KR2. As Tom Joyner explained, most of the drivers under the tents of Dino Chiesa’s teams (Chiesa is the founder and owner of Kart Republic and its associated outfits) had two chassis available: a KR2 as the main option, with a KR1 ready to use if track conditions changed. Why the two options? Because of the unpredictable weather and the specific characteristics of the KR1, which makes it particularly effective when grip levels are low and extra traction is needed. Baglin, however, chose to stay with the KR2 for the entire weekend. As Joyner told us: “The KR2 has been Noah’s preferred chassis throughout all our testing over the past year with Maxxis tyres. It’s also the same model he used to take pole position at PF International during the 2024 FIA Karting World Championship.” One of the key aspects of the weekend was, of course, finding the right setup. With changing weather conditions, identifying the best configuration for the final became the team’s main challenge. Tom Joyner confirmed this, saying: “The final was tricky to read from a setup perspective. The track was green, with little grip, after the rain during the prefinals on Sunday morning. We knew the grip would be low, but the Maxxis tyres tend to overheat quite easily. Noah has always been very quick on new tyres, so we decided not to change anything from the qualifying setup.”

Editor’s note
For an in-depth look at the chassis used by KR Motorsport and Prema Racing, we recommend:

Although both models were analysed in their 2022 M.Y. versions, the current variants are essentially identical to those featured in the articles.

Indicative price

Approximately 1,425 euros (VAT excluded)

To buy: drakekart.com
Photo credit Kart Republic