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There have been many true rookies in this year’s F4 Central European Championship, moving up from karting to Formula 4 for the very first time. One of them was Switzerland’s Andreas Lo Bue, who competed with the Maffi Racing team.

Lo Bue entered Formula 4 as soon as his age allowed. He made his debut in the second race of the opening weekend at the Red Bull Ring, finishing 12th out of 21 starters. When he returned to the same track for the second round, he scored his first points. From the third round onwards, he was already fighting inside the top 10, finishing as high as fifth place in his debut season.

“It was a very good season,” Andreas reflects. “With the team, we always tried to improve and get better every weekend and I think I managed that. I was happy with the progress, especially moving from karts to a single seater. It was a big change, but I think I adapted well and got some good results.”

When a rookie first steps into a Formula 4 car, no one expects him to be at the front right away. It’s a learning process, and every session, whether practice, qualifying or a race, helps him become faster, smarter and more comfortable behind the wheel. That steady development is the hallmark of rookies, seen throughout this year’s F4 CEZ grid, including Andreas.

“I started testing the car only in March, so I didn’t have much preparation before the season,” he explains. “For me, the progress was the most important thing and I think the team was also happy with how I improved. From the beginning to the end, I kept making steps and achieved better results each time.”

Andreas’s career in fact began almost by coincidence.

“One time I had a birthday party at a karting track. I had never done karting before and I was worried about being the slowest. I loved cars and knew a lot about them, but I hadn’t raced. So I told my dad, ‘OK, let’s go try karting and practice.’

Andreas won that birthday race, even beating his dad, and thats how all started.

“After that I said, maybe we could just buy a helmet and suit so I could do rental karting properly. That would’ve been enough for me. But one day in Geneva, my dad saw a karting shop and stopped to ask some questions. Inside were Daniel Maffi and Alex Thouveni,” Andreas smiles.

That meeting proved decisive. The connection with Daniel Maffi remained, and when Maffi’s team stepped up from karting to Formula 4, Andreas joined them in F4 CEZ.

Andreas also benefits from guidance by former F1 driver Jean Alesi, who helps him develop his skills and acts as a mentor, even if he hasn’t been able to attend race weekends so far.

“We try to call during the race weekends to debrief about the sessions,” Andreas says. “He gives me advice from his experience and he’s someone who really knows what he’s talking about. He always has something useful to share, and even he says he’s still learning because the sport is always evolving.”

Looking ahead, Andreas Lo Bue is already excited for the next season and eager to continue his single-seater journey.

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