In 1995, McLaren Formula One team boss Ron Dennis, Mercedes Motorsport chief Norbert Haug, and Zip Kart owner Martin Hines formed the McLaren Mercedes Champions of the Future Series, aiming to bring karting to a wider British audience and establish a clear pathway for young talent toward Formula One. The inaugural season ran classes for Cadet Comer, Junior Yamaha, and Formula Intercontinental A, with Lewis Hamilton winning the Cadet class in his very first season. Hamilton's victory earned him an invitation to the Autosport Awards Show in London, where he introduced himself to Ron Dennis — a meeting that led directly to McLaren signing Hamilton in 1998.
The series attracted early support from sponsors including Highland Spring, TAG Heuer, and Mobil 1, and secured terrestrial television coverage on ITV, presented by disc jockey and motorsport fan David 'Kid' Jensen. In subsequent seasons, future stars including Paul di Resta, Gary Paffett, Oliver Jarvis, Mike Conway, Adam Carroll, Sam Bird, and Susie Stoddart all competed under the Champions of the Future banner.
In 2003, the British Racing Drivers Club took a formal endorsing and operational role in the championship, which was renamed BRDC Stars of Tomorrow. Championship Director Carolynn Hoy retained ownership and management of the series. The rebrand brought expanded calendar of up to eight weekends, new scholarship awards including the Will Hoy Scholarship — established in memory of 1991 British Touring Car Champion Will Hoy who died in December 2002 — and additional class sponsorships from notable British motorsport figures.
The BRDC years saw the championship's class structure expand and evolve. The Junior Rotax class gained popularity as Rotax engines displaced the older Yamaha and Intercontinental formats. Gearbox classes came and went, while the Cadet ranks produced future talent including Dean Stoneman, Oliver Rowland, Max Chilton, Will Stevens, Harry Tincknell, Jake Dennis, and George Russell. The BRDC Scholarship provided winning drivers access to Formula Ford and Ginetta Junior seasons, extending the series' pathway into single-seaters.
By 2008, the championship attracted grids in excess of 200 registered drivers across its classes including the new Super ICC senior category. That year also saw the start of an exchange program with the North American Snap On Stars of Karting Championship, bringing international competitors to British rounds.
In February 2009, the championship reached a landmark agreement with Formula One Management, Lewis Hamilton, and his father Anthony Hamilton to rebrand as Formula Kart Stars — the first direct link between Formula One and any karting championship in the world. The new name brought fresh investment and the Bernie Ecclestone Driver of the Day award, with nine annual winners attending the Italian Grand Prix as VIP guests.
The 2009 season visited circuits including Kimbolton, Glan Y Gors in North Wales, Rowrah, Paul Fletcher International, Genk in Belgium, and Whilton Mill. George Russell won the MSA British Cadet title that year, while Alex Albon dominated the KF3 class. The Genk round, first added in 2006, gave the series a European dimension it retained through subsequent years.
The 2010 season under the FKS banner was widely regarded as an improvement over the first, running twelve rounds across six doubleheader weekends. Russell returned to win the Mini Max class in his first attempt at that level, while Ben Barnicoat claimed the KF3 title. The 2011 season delivered one of the championship's most dramatic finishes when Daniel Ticktum snatched the MSA British Cadet title by eleven points from Jamie Caroline on the final weekend.
Callum Ilott won the KF3 title in 2011 at Whilton Mill — a weekend that coincided with the death of championship co-founder Martin Hines. The championship subsequently dedicated continued effort to his memory.
Formula Kart Stars ceased operations in May 2016, shortly after the opening round of its final season. Over its twenty-year lifespan, the series nurtured an extraordinary range of talent. Lewis Hamilton's Champions of the Future victories in 1996 and 1997 are among the earliest documented steps in his career. Paul di Resta, Gary Paffett, Oliver Jarvis, Adam Carroll, Mike Conway, Duncan Tappy, Jack Harvey, Oliver Rowland, Max Chilton, Dean Stoneman, George Russell, Alex Albon, and Callum Ilott all passed through the championship at junior level before reaching professional careers in Formula One, DTM, endurance racing, and beyond.
The series' consistent television exposure, structured scholarship program, and direct Formula One backing made it one of the most high-profile junior karting championships in British motorsport history, and a demonstrable feeder path from entry-level Cadet karting to the professional ranks.