French F4 is set to conclude one of its most thrilling years at Paul Ricard this weekend. Three young talents will  fight for the title: Belgian star Yani Stevenheydens, Honda protégé Taito Kato, and local Jules Caranta coming in as one of the latest Red Bull’s recruits. Feeder Series collected the thoughts of all three title contenders  from the paddock of Dijon-Prenois ahead of the final round.

By Perceval Wolff-Taffus

Yani Stevenheydens, Taito Kato and Jules Caranta have undoubtedly been the stars of the 2024 French F4 season, regardless of how their seasons end this weekend. With Stevenheydens in his second season, Kato and Caranta have been two of the most impressive rookies in the international F4 scene this year.

All three drivers are tied in the number of wins, with Stevenheydens sweeping the Nürburgring weekend and taking other wins in Nogaro and Magny-Cours. Kato also had a weekend sweep in Dijon-Prenois on top of wins in Lédenon and Spa-Francorchamps. Caranta has taken wins in Nogaro, Spa-Francorchamps, Nürburgring and Magny-Cours. Furthermore, Caranta is the only driver to have four feature race wins and has finished all of the seventeen races in the top six, but he has only nine podiums in comparison to Stevenheydens’ and Kato’s eleven.

Yani Stevenheydens: The title or nothing

Leader of the championship with a six-point gap on Kato, 18-year-old driver Yani Stevenheydens resisted attacks from the Japanese driver at Dijon-Prenois in a damage limitation weekend.

“We tried something with the setup in qualifying here in Dijon but it didn’t work, so no pole position and afterwards, it was complicated to overtake on this track. Still a very solid weekend, with some very valuable points and I keep the championship lead,” Stevenheydens told Feeder Series. 

Stevenheydens still remains confident about the season finale at Paul Ricard – a track he has previously conquered in 2023. 

“I know this track quite well because we also did the season finale there last year. Speed was there, I won the reversed-grid race two. With the experience I gained this year and last year, I really think we can make it.”

“Speed was there all season long, it has been wonderful. Not perfect, because times to times there some little mistakes from my side, some mechanical problems, there is always room for improvement, but overall I’m very happy with my season, a really steady progression compared to last year.”

However, even though the Belgian is the championship leader, he knows the pressure will be on his shoulders, as his future in single-seaters likely lies with a potential F4 title this weekend. 

“It will decide nearly everything. With the RACB National Team and the Belgian federation, at the start of the year, we set targets, and our objective was to win the title. If we win, we go to FRECA. Otherwise, we will see.”

“After Paul Ricard, we are going to work on my next step in motorsport, but for the moment I’m focusing on F4. But all the people at the RACB or around me are already working on my future.”

Yani Stevenheydens also announced to Feeder Series that he would not participate in the FIA Motorsport Games this year.

Kato: Following in the footsteps of Iwasa

After Dijon, 16-year-old Honda Racing School Scholarship winner Taito Kato has momentum on his side. He dominated the weekend with a double-grand-slam in the two main races on an old-school track that required perfect tyre management.

“This track is so special. When I drove it in the simulator at the FFSA, it was fantastic with high-speed corners, I felt at ease so quickly” said Taito Kato to Feeder Series. 

Thanks to this masterful performance, Kato has closed the gap to Stevenheydens to only six points. 

“I was consistent, but Yani and Jules are two drivers that are so fast. It’s a really high-level field, and I’m so happy to fight with these two drivers.”

Unlike his two rivals, Kato had to discover a new culture and language by coming to Europe this year. But the Japanese driver has enjoyed his time in France.

“When I live in Le Mans, first time, I was a bit nervous, but it’s a really good experience for anything. I’m so happy to live there, to meet engineers, mechanics, I’m very open to everyone and I love being here.”

Unlike Souta Arao or Yuto Nomura – who encountered more struggles to communicate with engineers when they arrived in France in 2022 sent by Honda – Kato’s season looks closer to the one of Ayumu Iwasa in 2020, who was the first driver sent by Honda and won the title, then directly jumped to FIA F3 with Red Bull’s support.

“I was expecting, I was aiming to fight at the top in my first year in Europe. Now, my future is not fully decided. I think FRECA is better for the future, but first I have to stay focus on Paul Ricard.”

FR Europe could well be receiving several drivers from Japan next year, with Toyota protégés Jin Nakamura and Rikuto Kobayasahi rumoured to join the series.

Caranta: Red Bull’s surprise on home soil

Following some winning weekends at Nürburgring and Magny-Cours with beautiful overtaking for the lead, 16-year-old Frenchman Jules Caranta clinched one more podium at Dijon but lost a bit of ground to his rivals.

“I think my first year in F4 is correct, I’m fighting with drivers that are more experienced in a series where all cars are equal,”  Caranta said. 

The Saint-Tropez-born driver will head to Le Castellet with his future in his hands as he sits third in the standings, only seventeen points away from Stevenheydens. 

“Le Castellet is a track I know already, unlike Dijon. I will be at home, I’m still confident, I’m only seventeen points away so nothing is lost. I did two days of testing on this track, it’s only two days but it’s always better to know the track before the weekend.”

Caranta made the headlines after the summer break by being hired by the Red Bull Junior Team after setting competitive times on an old GP3 car at Valencia that impressed Helmut Marko. Does this signing mean Caranta will have less pressure about a potential title this weekend?

“Not necessarily. Of course on a CV, it will be very interesting if I get the title in my rookie year, and that’s why I will do everything to try to win it. I wouldn’t say my future is already decided, but I think I have a promising future.”

Jules Caranta also revealed he wouldn’t compete in the FIA Motorsport Games and that he should not be doing the FRECA finale. 

“We have not planned to do any other series after French F4. Of course, there will be some tests for sure. […] For next year, the championship is still in talks, so we will see. Maybe at the end of the year, I will be able to give more information.”

Even though this fight for the title will crystallise all the attention, the fight for fourth in the standings will also be heated between Chester Kieffer, Rayan Caretti, Frank Porté Ruiz and Augustin Bernier, all four drivers only separated by twenty-four points.

Seventy points are up to grab this weekend at Paul Ricard, with the three final races of the season. Races two and three can be followed on YouTube (ffsa.tv), while free practice, qualifying and race one can be followed by live timing on its-live.net.

Header photo credit: Elwynn Staerker