Endurance 1H · Finale Race⏱ 59 min

The 58-minute endurance final at First Kart 'Inn (FKI) in Machelen brought together 9 teams on 18 September 2026 for a demanding race decided as much by pace as by strategic execution. Each team made exactly 4 pit stops over the course of the race.

ASTON MARTIN (kart #7) took the overall victory with 69 laps completed, crossing the line with a margin of a full lap over second-placed FERRARI (kart #16, 68 laps). MERCEDES (kart #8) rounded out the podium with 67 laps, ahead of PORSCHE (kart #12), also on 67 laps but classified behind on the same-lap tiebreak. ALFA ROMEO (64 laps), AUDI (62 laps), LAMBORGHINI (59 laps), CHEVROLET (58 laps) and LOTUS (48 laps) completed the field.

The fastest lap of the race was set by ASTON MARTIN with a time of 39.775 s.

The race analysis reveals a striking gap between raw pace and final classification. MERCEDES posted the best pure median pace of the entire field (41.721 s), yet finished only third. Their stint structure tells the story: two very strong stints at around 41.4 s and 40.9 s median were offset by two shorter stints at 45.3 s and 44.5 s median, giving them the widest overall consistency spread (σ = 1.93 s) among the top four. Their pace was undeniably there — the strategy could not fully capitalise on it.

ASTON MARTIN, by contrast, delivered exactly what an endurance winner needs: the second-best pure pace (42.490 s median) combined with remarkable execution. All four of their stints were rated stable, with their third stint being their sharpest (40.563 s median, best lap of 39.775 s), and their overall consistency of σ = 1.58 s reflects a controlled, disciplined race from start to finish. The result: a converted victory despite not having the fastest kart on pure pace.

FERRARI was the most consistent team in the top three with σ = 1.26 s and a solid third-best median pace (42.638 s), posting four stable stints. They held second place throughout the closing stages, ending 30.395 s behind ASTON MARTIN. PORSCHE was the most consistent team overall (σ = 1.20 s) and ran the fourth-best median pace — their regularity was exemplary across all four stints, each rated stable.

Further down the field, CHEVROLET showed the sharpest degradation of the race: their fourth stint slowed by 0.20 s per lap, contributing to a lower final lap count. LAMBORGHINI had a difficult opening stint (only 6 laps at a 49.3 s median) but improved progressively through the race, finishing their final stint at a 45.1 s median. LOTUS completed only two recorded stints, finishing 21 laps off the pace in last place.

Key takeaways for teams: At First Kart 'Inn Machelen, the winner of this 58-minute final was not the fastest team in pure pace — it was the team that best combined solid raw speed with total stint stability and consistent execution across all four pit-stop sequences. MERCEDES demonstrated that raw pace without stint-to-stint consistency leaves points — and laps — on the table. PORSCHE's regularity (σ = 1.20 s) stands as a benchmark for future endurance efforts at this circuit.