French F4 is entering the fourth round of its 2024 season with a visit to the Nürburgring in Germany. The single-team championship might be set for one of its most intense seasons in history, with a potential four-way title battle. With a Honda junior, a Belgian returning driver, a French rookie and a Luxembourger surprise, here is all what you should know ahead of the second half of the season.

By Perceval Wolff

In the first eight races – with the reversed-grid race at Nogaro cancelled for weather issues – French F4 has already seen five race winners and nine drivers stepping on the podium. However, a quartet of drivers have nearly always secured the top four positions in qualifying or in standard-grid races.

Kato: another French F4 driver in an F1 Junior Team?

16-year-old championship leader Taito Kato has probably been the most impressive driver so far. Recipient of the Honda Racing School scholarship, the Honda-backed driver was sent to French F4, as was 2020 champion Ayumu Iwasa and 2022 race-winner Souta Arao before him.

The Japanese driver has never finished a race outside of the top five and has a record of seven podiums in eight races. With a 16-point lead on his nearest rival, Feeder Series understands his performances are being closely watched by F1 teams, especially Aston Martin who will be powered by Honda engines from 2026. However, Red Bull might not be out of the question even though the engine deal with the Japanese constructor will be ending next year.

The championship chase is on

However, with four drivers within 32 points, the title is far from sealed for Kato. 18-year-old Yani Stevenheydens from Belgium is the only returning driver in this fight. After crushing the opposition at the opening round at Nogaro, he is yet to score his second race win. On home soil at Spa-Francorchamps, and despite a double pole position, a penalty for an incident with Jules Caranta and an overtake from the Frenchman prevented him to convert these poles into wins.

It will be very interesting to see how Stevenheydens copes with new tracks. As a sophomore driver, he should have more advantage on last year’s tracks, compared to the Nürburgring and Dijon-Prenois that he will have to discover like every other rookie.

Jules Caranta is the youngest driver in this title fight, as he will be celebrating only his 16th birthday next week. As a multiple points-scorer for R-ace GP in F4 UAE earlier this year, the Frenchman has stepped up his skill. After getting a first win in Nogaro thanks to Stevenheydens’ false start penalty, he eventually got his real maiden victory on the track at Spa-Francorchamps after a beautiful manoeuvre on the Belgian driver at Les Combes on the opening lap.

Since the beginning of his single-seater career, the Frenchman’s weak point has been race starts, but it seems that he has been improving on this. His overtakes have been his strength so far, especially on Stevenheydens at Lédenon’s race three to clinch the podium and at Spa-Francorchamps for the win, some moves that have even been shared by the FFSA on social media.

After just turning 18, Chester Kieffer will be eyeing for more wins after being the biggest surprise so far. Discreet in the first round, he has taken his maiden win at Lédenon and took another one in Spa-Francorchamps. Since Lédenon, all top four positions of non-reversed grid races have been trusted by Kato, Stevenheydens, Caranta and Kieffer regardless of the order.

Can an outsider join the title fight?

Fifth in the standings, 16-year-old Rayan Caretti is 63 points away from Kato. The Thai-French has showed solid consistency, with one podium to his name but multiple top five finishes. He has not been able to really fight with the top four, but he is not far from it.

After a very complicated opening round, FEED Racing winner Augustin Bernier is having a steady progression, with a maiden podium at the last round in Belgium. Sixth in the standings and 93 points away from Kato, it will now be very hard to get the title, as he will probably consider targeting race wins and showing his potential as more important than his position in the standings.

They have already collected a maiden podium during reverse-grid races, but Jules Roussel and Alex O’Grady have showed interesting performances, with the former challenging the top drivers in qualifying. Frank Porté Ruiz clinched his maiden victory at Lédenon and is one of the most exciting in race pace, even though he has been involved in several incidents so far. If he avoids problems, he could become a serious threat.

Still waiting for their season to launch

For the first time in their single-seaters career, Montego Maassen and Mathilda Paatz will race on home soil this weekend. The two ADAC Formel Junior Team drivers were sent to French F4 and currently sit in 16th and 23rd in the standings, with only four points to Maassen’s record.

Little brother of Kevin Estre, Dylan has had a chaotic start to his season. He achieved P4 at the opening race, but has also often gotten involved in several incidents, the most recent race being the most caricatural when he was bumped twice by Porté Ruiz and O’Grady at the Bus Stop chicane and then at in La Source in less than 60 seconds. Nevertheless, he has been pretty promising and is 12th in the standings.

Pierre Gasly and FFSA’s protégé Arthur Dorison has been rather underwhelming so far with only five points under his belt, despite an intensive testing program last year and a participation in the Formula Winter Series. His qualifying is his main weak point as he often completes some interesting charges up through the field during the races.

Amongst the biggest outsiders at the start of the season, reigning FFSA Junior Karting champion Pacôme Weisenburger only contested the opening round at Nogaro, with a best race result of 11th. He has since been removed from the series’ points standings without any official explanation and is not expected to return to the series. Feeder Series can confirm his departure was not due to budget problems or results.

Header photo credit: KSP Reportages

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