Karting Season Kicks Off in Europe

It's the place where practically all Formula 1 drivers of the immediate past, the present and the future learn the ropes. It's also one of the most exciting and fun forms of racing. The go-karting season is about to begin. A couple of weeks ago Michael Schumacher took advantage of his retirement from Formula 1 to test a Tony Kart, while this weekend the annual Kart Discovery fair took place at the Circuit Carole outside of Paris, kicking off the French racing season. Only a 20-minute drive from my home, I decided to go and check out the buzz at the circuit. Of course, I'd have done that even if it was an hour's drive from my home, since karting is one of my passions. You don't get anything like the same level of power and control in a single seater until you're well up in the higher levels of racing.

I took along my camera and made some photos of a few karts, engines and drivers. I caught Arnaud Kozlinski, a two-time world karting vice-champion just as he was about to catch his flight back to Italy, where his team, Intrepid, is based. Kozlinski has raced against some of the current F1 drivers, but chose to remain in karting. I also bumped into Jean Eric Vergne, a young French kart champion, who this season will move to the national Formula Renault championship as he fights his way to Formula 1.

"I will still continue doing karting, though," Vergne said. "I'll be doing the French 125cc national championship and the world championship, also in 125cc."

Check out the image gallery of my visit to this school for the F1 drivers of the future.

Photo (c) 2007 Brad Spurgeon licensed to About.com, Inc.