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The F4 CEZ Academy program, which began at the end of the winter, came to its conclusion last weekend at the Slovakia Ring. The final shootout between Lukáš Houlík and Stefan Treneski was ultimately won by Treneski, who also made his F4 CEZ series debut at that event.

Houlík and Treneski tested the car on Thursday before the weekend. Although they ran in different conditions, the overall evaluation favored Treneski, who then went on to complete the fifth round of the F4 CEZ championship at Slovakia Ring, and also another round of the Twingo Cup the same weekend. However it was clear,  which of the two disciplines mattered most to him.

“Making my debut in Formula 4 at Slovakia Ring was honestly a dream come true. At first, I was nervous because everything felt so new, the speed, the downforce, the precision required. But as the weekend went on, I started feeling more and more comfortable with every lap. By the time I reached the first race, I was already confident and fighting with drivers who had much more experience. I was just enjoying every lap, pushing myself and realizing that I belong here,” said Treneski, who joined the Janík Motorsport team for his debut.

His results showed steady progress. Out of 19 drivers, he qualified 17th for his first-ever F4 race and finished in the same position. In Race 2, he again placed 17th and in Race 3 he improved to 13th, battling in the group fighting for the final points position.

“It was a massive learning experience. Formula 4 is a huge step compared to anything I’ve raced before. I had to adapt quickly to the car, the braking zones, tire management and also just the intensity of racing against such strong competition. Every session taught me something new and I left Slovakia Ring as a completely different driver from the one who showed up on Thursday.”

As Treneski stepped out of the F4 car, he immediately switched to the very different Twingo Cup machine, where he claimed a third-place and a second-place finish.

“It definitely wasn’t easy switching between the two. The Formula 4 car requires such precision and aggression, while the Twingo Cup car has less power and is all about close racing. Mentally, it was a big challenge, but adaptability is one of my strengths as a driver, so I managed to be competitive in both fields.”

Treneski was always figting at the front across all the disciplines in the winter part of F4 CEZ Academy, including autoslalom, sim racing, media training, physical and mental training. His focus was clear: to achieve the ultimate goal.

“The Academy was always about building the skills and knowledge to get to Formula 4, and everything I did in the program was with that goal in mind. To actually reach it this year and make my debut shows me that the hard work is paying off. The Academy has been incredible. The biggest value for me was the knowledge I gained, not only about driving techniques but also about fitness, mental preparation and working with engineers. It’s a complete program that prepares you to be a professional driver and gives you the chance to live the dream. The structure of the program really prepared me for Formula 4.”

Next up is the Brno race weekend, September 6–7, where Treneski will once again compete in both the Twingo Cup and Formula 4 as the these championships conclude right there. After that comes the winter break, during which he will continue chasing his dream of becoming a professional racing driver.

“Winning the Academy gave me a dream opportunity to build a pathway toward Formula 1, and I’m absolutely going to make the most of it. I’ve had a taste of Formula 4 now, and I’m hungry for more. You’ll see me on the F4 CEZ grid next season, and I will push myself beyond my limits to fight for wins,”  adds Treneski.

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