The F4 CEZ series is showing promising growth. While last year’s inaugural season featured a modest lineup, this year’s opening event at Balaton Park boasted fourteen Formula 4 cars, with the number expected to rise. Kirill Kutskov clinched a win in Hungary, while last year’s champion, Ethan Ischer, secured two victories.
Swiss champion Ethan Ischer demonstrated his form at Balaton, benefiting from his experience at the same venue last October. Now, Ischer has kicked off his season on a high note—albeit without scoring points due to FIA rules that prevent him, as the reigning F4 CEZ champion, from accumulating points in this championship. While Ischer will focus on the Italian F4 this year, his participation at Balaton Park (and the Red Bull Ring) served as essential training.
Ischer took pole position in the first two races, winning both, though he faced tough competition from his Jenzer Motorsport teammate, Oscar Wurz. Wurz, the son of former F1 driver and Le Mans winner Alex Wurz, is competing in the full F4 CEZ season and proved to be a formidable contender, although he didn’t find a way past Ischer in the first two races. It was only in the third sprint that he managed to surpass the Swiss champion, albeit for second place as Kirill Kutskov of Maffi Racing took pole and the win with a stellar performance.
Over the weekend, Kutskov’s pace increased; he finished fourth in the first race, third in the second, and converted his third start into a victory. He was the only driver to disrupt the dominance of Jenzer Motorsport’s team, which fielded cars for Ischer, Wurz, Shima Zhang, Andrija Kostic and Czech driver Max Karhan.
Zhang secured third place in the opening sprint but crashed in the second. Kostic’s weekend did not go as planned, and he had to pit due to a puncture in the first sprint. Meanwhile, Max Karhan achieved his best result in the F4 CEZ to date with a fourth place in the second race, accumulating 25 points and ranking fifth overall in the drivers standing.
Czech driver Miroslav Mikeš from JMT Engineering had an even better weekend, finishing twice in fifth place and once in sixth, which brought him to third place in the standings, behind Wurz and Kutskov (noting that Ischer cannot score points).
In Hungary, two F4 CEZ academy drivers also made their mark. Marek Mičík and Michelle Jandová, racing for SAPE Motorsport, showed continuous improvement throughout the weekend. Mičík achieved his best position of seventh, while Michelle Jandová won the woman´s cup in the first sprint, beating Michalina Sabaj from AS Motorsport and Kornelia Olkucková from Maffi Racing. In the second race, Michalina Sabaj was awarded the prize for the best young female driver.
RACE RESULTS:
F4 CEZ Qualifying
F4 CEZ Race 1
F4 CEZ Race 2
STANDINGS:
Drivers and Teams standings
COMMENTS