152 drivers line up in five classes at the opening round of the season. OK-N categories produce exciting racing at first showdown. Daniel Stell, Roman Meister, Constantin Papst, Henri Möhring and Manuel Kastl all win.

The German Kart Championship kicked off the 2026 season in impressive fashion. The drivers, teams and spectators at Arena E Mülsen enjoyed an intense race weekend in glorious conditions, with summery temperatures at times. 152 competitors lined up across the five classes. Victories in the first finals of the year went to Daniel Stell (KZ2), Roman Meister (Mini), Henri Möhring (OK-N Junior), Constantin Papst (OK-N) and Manuel Kastl (KZ2 Cup). The 1,315-metre track delivered precisely what it had promised ahead of the event: tight slipstream battles, many overtaking manoeuvres, and races that went down to the final lap in multiple classes. The new class structure, featuring the OK-N Junior and OK-N categories, passed its first test with flying colours in Mülsen.

KZ2: Strong fightback propels Daniel Stell to victory

The weekend in the KZ2 class began with a strong statement from Markus Kajak (Formula K SRP Factory Team). The 2024 champion finished top in qualifying, while eventual final winner Daniel Stell (Kartshop Ampfing) initially found himself down in sixth place. However, the balance of power shifted in the heats. Marek Skrivan (TB Racing Team) won the opening race, before Jayden Thien (CS Competition) came out on top in race two to take the lead after the heats. As early as heat one, Stell demonstrated the pace that took him to victory in the final, as he set the fastest lap of the race. Sunday’s Super Heat saw a new face at the front of the field: Emilien Denner (Formula K SRP Factory Team). The Frenchman secured pole position for the final, and led the field at the start of the race. Behind him, Dion van Werven (CS Competition), Thien, Stell and Kajak were jostling for position. When the leader was forced to retire with a technical issue, the order was shaken up again. Stell took advantage of the situation, battling his way to the front before opening a decisive gap in the second half of the race. Behind him, Kajak climbed into second place and proceeded to successfully defend that position against Thien, who joined him on the podium in third place after setting the fastest lap of the race. Van Werven and Dawid Liwinski (MP Kartracing) completed the top five. “It could not have been a better start to the season. We had a few issues yesterday and worked overnight on the chassis. That paid dividends today. Cheb will be interesting now, as it is new territory for all of us,” said Stell after his win at the opening event of the season.

Mini: Roman Meister keeps his nerve in the final

Even in qualifying, it was apparent just how closely matched the youngsters in the Mini class were. Albert Poulsen (Poulsen Motorsport) from Denmark took pole position. The lead then changed hands on multiple occasions over the course of the heats and Super Heat. In the end it was Roman Meister (TB Racing Team) who started the final from pole position, despite not having won any of the heats. The leading group was bunched closely together for much of the final. Maddox Mason (Lanari Racing Team) took the lead at the start, before Leo Klok (CRG Holland) moved to the front of the field. Poulsen, Michael Kolar (RACE ACADEMY z.s.) and Meister were lurking in the slipstream. Over the following laps, positions changed on a regular basis. Meister was able to work his way back to the front and took the lead when it really mattered. It was a totally different story for Klok: having started strongly, he dropped out of the podium positions in the closing stages and had to settle for fourth place. Meanwhile, Meister clinched a hard-fought victory. “The start of the final was not perfect and I lost a lot of positions at first. After that, I tried to find my rhythm, regained the lead and won the race,” said the delighted youngster from the TB Racing Team. His pursuers Poulsen and Kolar crossed the finish line just behind him in the remaining podium positions. The fastest lap of the race was set by Lion Osaj (Arena E Team), who finished sixth.

OK-N Junior: Henri Möhring comes out on top in junior final

With 32 drivers on the grid, the OK-N Junior class was one of the categories with a particularly strong field at the weekend. The 32five Pole Position Award went to Carlos Nees (Nees Racing), and the youngster defended his starting position with victory in the opening heat. There was a turnaround in the second heat, when Petr Mikes (sumako team z.s.) moved into a lead that he maintained through to the final. However, the Czech driver endured a disappointing final. He dropped well back down the field at the start, after which he was unable to mix it with the front-runners. Out in front, a battle was developing between Mattao Mason (Lanari Racing Team) and Henri Möhring (Dörr Motorsport). The Dörr Motorsport driver took the lead over the course of the race, and pulled clear in the second half. Behind him, the race for the podium went right down to the final lap. Mason came home second, while Gustav Christensen (CRG Holland) climbed into third in the closing stages. Rossi was fourth and set the fastest lap of the race. Sebastian Brand (Arena E Team) completed the top five. “It was great fun scrapping with the guys. We have had a few great and fair battles over the last two days. I am now looking forward to the next instalment in Cheb,” said Möhring after his victory at the opening round of the year.

OK-N: Dominant display from Constantin Papst

There was a clear benchmark in the OK-N class at the season opener in Mülsen: Constantin Papst (TB Racing Team). The German set the fastest time in qualifying, and proved unstoppable as the weekend progressed. In the end, he was the only driver to take every victory on offer in Mülsen. “We had very good pace from the word go, and were able to maintain that throughout the whole weekend. My mechanics and team played a big role in that – they provided me with a kart capable of winning,” said a grateful Papst after his win. Behind the Kart Republic driver, the positions were soon decided in the final. Jakub Kamenik (Lanari Racing Team) established himself as Papst’s greatest threat and crossed the finish line in the winner’s slipstream. Ben Goetz (Ebert Motorsport) followed in third place, and also clocked the fastest lap of the race. Martina Rumlenova (MVM RACING) came home fourth, while Lias Erbersdobler (Dörr Motorsport) rounded out the top five.

KZ2 Cup: Manuel Kastl is victorious in biggest field

With no fewer than 48 starters, the KZ2 Cup boasted the biggest field of the weekend. As such, the route to the final was particularly hard fought. The racers battled for a good starting position in four groups and six heats, with only the top 36 drivers qualifying for the final. Rookie Oliver Staedtler (Formula K SRP Factory Team) was best-placed after Saturday. Having set the fastest time in qualifying, he confirmed his strong pace in the heats, winning all three races. Manuel Kastl (CS Competition) led the chasing pack with two wins, and turned things around with victory in the Super Heat on Sunday. He then led the field into the final as the pole-sitter. Staedtler started the race from second, with Marc Gerstenkorn (Mach1 Motorsport), the winner of the second Super Heat, third on the grid.

That order immediately changed at the start of the final: Staedtler dropped well back and had to launch a fightback from the rear of the field. Back at the front, Kastl seized the opportunity, while Gerstenkorn, Eric Wess, Pavel Vimmer (TB Racing Team) and Iliyan Yankov (Formula K SRP Factory Team) remained within striking distance. Kastl held onto the lead and went on to take a relatively comfortable victory. “I had a good start, which allowed me to lay the foundation for the win. We want to back that up, and travel to the next races brimming with confidence,” said Kastl after his victory in the biggest field of the weekend. He was followed over the line by Gerstenkorn as runner-up, while Wess held on to third place. Staedtler fought his way back to ninth place, setting the fastest lap of the race in the process.

After the successful start to the season in Mülsen, the DKM can now look forward to another highlight. Cheb in the Czech Republic hosts round two from 29th to 31st May. The top German kart series travels to the 1,202-metre track for the first time, so it promises to be a thriller. For many drivers and teams, the circuit on the German border is new territory, making it a level playing ground for everyone.