KIGALI — Rwanda has officially entered the international FIA karting scene for the first time, with teenage driver Salomon Kabera Gasare set to represent the country in the 2026 FIA Karting Academy Trophy.
The confirmation was announced Thursday by Motorsport Rwanda, the country’s motorsport federation, which described the development as a major milestone for Rwandan motorsport.
“Young Rwandan driver Salomon Gasare will represent Rwanda in the 2026 FIA Karting Academy Trophy, one of the world’s top karting development programs for emerging motorsport talent,” the federation said in a statement posted on social media.
The FIA Karting Academy Trophy is regarded as one of the world’s leading entry-level international championships for young drivers and has historically served as a pathway for future professional racers.
Kabera will compete against more than 50 young drivers selected from national motorsport federations across the world in the Academy Junior category, which brings together drivers roughly between the ages of 11 and 14.
His kart will carry Rwanda’s national colors and the number 551 during the championship season.
The competition follows a one-design format under FIA regulations, meaning all drivers compete using identical equipment — including Exprit chassis, Vortex engines and Vega tyres — placing emphasis almost entirely on driver skill, racecraft and consistency.
Kabera’s international campaign will begin from May 21 to 24 at Karting Genk in Belgium, one of Europe’s best-known karting circuits.
The championship will then move to Sarno in Italy from July 2 to 5 before concluding in Viterbo, Italy, from October 8 to 11.
For Rwanda, the debut marks an important step in efforts to establish a presence in international motorsport development programs and expose young local drivers to high-level global competition from an early age.
The debut also comes only months after Rwanda hosted a major Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) gathering in Kigali, reflecting the country’s growing ambitions to position itself as an emerging motorsport hub in Africa.
