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The third edition of the F4 Central European Zone Championship certified by FIA is set to begin in four weeks at Austria’s Red Bull Ring. The upcoming season promises intense racing, featuring a highly competitive grid and several title contenders.
Even weeks ahead of the opening round, the entry list is already extensive, with several teams still finalizing and preparing to announce their driver lineups. F4 CEZ will boast a larger grid than in previous years, reflecting the series‘ growing reputation among teams and drivers seeking top-level junior formula competition.
Two notable teams leading the entry list are Jenzer Motorsport and Maffi Racing, both from Switzerland. Jenzer Motorsport, a well-established name with over 30 years of experience in junior single-seaters, will compete with the more recently established Maffi Racing. Despite its brief history, Maffi Racing immediately positioned itself among the front-runners in F4 CEZ, challenging Jenzer Motorsport for race victories and the championship title. Both teams clearly have their eyes set firmly on the prize.
Jenzer Motorsport has confirmed its full-season driver lineup of Nicolas Cortes, Javier Herrera, Gino Trappa, and Max Karhan. Cortes and Herrera make their F4 debuts after successful karting careers, while Trappa and Karhan bring prior F4 experience. Expectations are particularly high for Karhan, who achieved four race wins last season and finished third overall in the drivers‘ standings.
Maffi Racing also presents a formidable lineup featuring David Walther, Nikolaj Dyrved, Teo Borenstein and Andreas Lo Bue, who is supported in his career by former Formula 1 driver Jean Alesi.
However, competition extends beyond these two teams. The Austrian team Renauer Motorsport returns with Simon Schranz, who impressed with his speed last year, alongside Hady Mimassi, who gained valuable experience competing in the F4 Indian series.
The grid will also feature Kiara Henni, a promising female driver making her single-seater debut with the family-operated Henni Performance team. Henni moves from karting to the larger circuits for the first time.
Hungary’s renowned Zengo Motorsport enters the championship with Hungarian driver Benett Gáspár. Additionally, two Czech teams will be back on the grid this year: F4 CEZ Academy, fielding two cars one for František Němec, and Orlen Janík Motorsport, competing with David Gorčica.
Undoubtedly, the upcoming F4 CEZ season will deliver another thrilling year of competition for drivers, teams, and spectators alike. Ambitious young racers eager for results and progression in motorsport categories and the grid is expected to continue growing beyond the current entry list. The action begins on April 11th at Red Bull Ring and will span five additional rounds, concluding at Brno in September.
