OK-N incorporated as the new engine concept. Five classes planned for 2026. Road to DTM programme remains part of the German Kart Championship.

The 2025 season is still in full swing, yet the German Kart Championship (DKM) clearly already has one eye on the future. A structural realignment is planned for next year. This will pave the way, from both a sporting and an organisational perspective, for what will remain a modern championship with international involvement. The OK-N Junior and OK-N engine concepts, which are supported by the FIA, will be incorporated in 2026. Furthermore, a race outside of Germany is once again planned.

OK-N is the new class in the DKM – Focus on link to FIA

When the 2026 season gets underway, there will be a revised class structure in the DKM. The international OK-N category is set for its debut within the German Kart Championship. The new class is directly in line with FIA regulations and will offer drivers the outstanding opportunity to prove themselves at the highest level and to progress along the road to international karting. From the German championship, drivers can step straight up to the FIA Karting World Cup, allowing the DKM to continue to establish itself as an ideal springboard for talented youngsters in Germany and its neighbouring countries. The engine concept is also good value for money with few maintenance costs.

The OK-N Junior engine concept will also be used in the German Junior Kart Championship (DJKM) from 2026. This gives competitors and teams a consistent structure oriented toward the international concept of the FIA. The top German competitors in both categories receive tickets to the FIA Karting World Cup, where they will fly the flag for their country. To allow people to familiarise themselves with the new engine concept in good time, the ADAC is now offering test opportunities. Anyone interested will be given a contact partner by the ADAC, through whom it is possible to hire the OK-N Junior or OK-N engine at special rates for test purposes.

Five classes – one clear concept

In 2026, the DKM will consist of five classes. As well as the German Mini Kart Championship (DMKM) and the German Junior Kart Championship (DJKM), the OK-N category will also form part of the DKM with its own title, offering talented youngsters aged 14 and above an attractive environment, in which to compete. The established DMSB Shift Kart Cup (DSKC) remains, as does the top class, the German Kart Championship, which will still feature shift karts from the KZ2 category. With this clear class division, the DKM provides a future-oriented concept, which perfectly prepares talented youngsters for the next step in their international careers. The IAME Series Germany support series, with the X30 Junior and X30 Senior classes, will no longer form part of the race calendar.

Part of the ADAC youth pyramid – from DKM to DTM

The DKM remains an integral part of the Road to DTM development programme. As a talent factory on the karting scene, it is incorporated in the ADAC’s official youth pyramid and provides long-term development prospects for young drivers: from karting and ADAC GT4 Germany to the ADAC GT Masters and the DTM. The ADAC gives the winner of the Road to DTM trophy the entry fee for one season in ADAC GT4 Germany. The winner will then gain their first experience in GT racing in the ADAC’s junior series, which starts on the support programme for the DTM.