This week, the FIA Motorsport Games returns for its third edition at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, with 22 drivers representing their nations in the Formula 4 Cup. Feeder Series tells you all you need to know about the event’s 2024 edition.

By Seb Tirado

Andrea Kimi Antonelli won gold in dominant fashion at the Circuit Paul Ricard at the 2022 Motorsport Games, with Manuel Espírito Santo of Portugal taking silver and Bruno del Pino of Spain taking bronze. 

There are no changes to the format or regulations for this year’s edition. The F4 Cup will switch to the Tatuus F4-T421 chassis, used by various F4 championships worldwide. This car will replace the KC MG-01 chassis previously used exclusively by the Motorsport Games. 

Format and schedule

The weekend format remains the same as it was in 2022. The two 45-minute practice sessions will take place on Friday, with the first session in the morning and the second session in the late afternoon.

A 25-minute qualifying session Saturday morning will set the grid for the 20-minute qualifying race later that day. The results of the qualifying race will set the grid for the 30-minute main race early Sunday afternoon.

• Free practice 1 (25 October, 10:00–10:45)
• Free practice 2 (25 October, 17:05–17:50)
• Qualifying (26 October, 08:30–08:55)
• Qualifying race (26 October, 12:50–13:10)
• Race (27 October, 12:10–12:40)

Having been in Central European Summer Time since March, Valencia will return to Central European Time on 27 October, with the clocks going back by one hour at 3:00.

Where to watch 

Every session will be streamed on the FIA YouTube channel. Live timing will be available on the Motorsport Games website. 

Countries and drivers

Several drivers who were initially set to compete in the F4 Cup are no longer doing so. This includes the likes of NXT Gen Cup racer Greaham Hofmans, who was set to represent the Netherlands, and Mozambican karter Lagson Leão. Spanish F4 frontrunner Maciej Gładysz was announced to be representing Poland six months ago, but his spot was later taken by Wiktor Dobrzański. Neither driver is taking part.

Portugal: Francisco Macedo (#11)

In 2022, Portugal’s Manuel Espírito Santo qualified fifth for the qualifying race and finished second in both races behind Italy’s Antonelli.

In 2024, Francisco Macedo will represent Portugal in its pursuit of another medal this year. The 16-year-old currently competes in Spanish F4 with DXR by Drivex and sits 20th in the standings with nine points and a best finish of seventh at Valencia.

Macedo debuted in F4 in this year’s Formula Winter Series with Drivex, finishing 35th with a best finish of 13th at Aragón. Alongside his main Spanish F4 campaign, he also competed in the Imola round of Italian F4 with Cram Motorsport, with a best finish of 18th in race one.

Spain: Juan Cota (#19)

Spain’s Bruno del Pino took bronze at Paul Ricard in 2022 from a fifth-place start on the grid after the qualifying race.

Juan Cota, 17, will represent Spain in 2024. Cota currently competes in Spanish F4 with Drivex and sits fourth in the standings on 145 points having taken three wins and three further podiums. All three of those wins came at Valencia last month.

Cota participated in two rounds of last year’s Formula Winter Series with Drivex before embarking on a full-time Spanish F4 campaign with them later that year. In the 2024 Formula Winter Series, Cota took his maiden win with Drivex in race three at Jerez on his way to sixth in the championship.

With solid prior experience in the F4 T-421 chassis and a strong track record around the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Cota can be considered a favourite to finish on the podium and earn a medal.

Brazil: Matheus Comparatto (#7)

In 2022, Brazil was close to taking a medal in F4 with Pedro Clerot, who started and finished the qualifying race in fourth. The eventual Brazilian F4 champion finished the main race sixth on the road before being dropped to ninth for exceeding track limits too many times. 

This year, Brazil will field Matheus Comparatto. The 16-year-old currently leads the Brazilian F4 standings on 194 points, having taken three wins and a further five podiums.

Comparatto debuted in F4 machinery in last year’s Brazilian F4 season and was immediately a front-runner. He went on to finish as the runner-up with four wins, two further podiums and 216 points, 17 behind champion Vinícius Tessaro.

Similar to Cota, Comparatto has strong prior experience with the F4-T421 chassis and could get Brazil the medal that got away in 2022.

Austria: Oscar Wurz (#15)

Charlie Wurz represented Austria in 2022 and had a strong start to the event by qualifying second for the qualifying race, but he got a puncture and had to retire, placing him 24th and last on the grid for the main race. He crossed the line sixth but finished 11th after earning a penalty for an unsafe rejoin.  

His younger brother Oscar Wurz is set to succeed him in representing Austria this year. The 17-year-old won this year’s F4 CEZ Championship with Jenzer Motorsport, taking a total of 14 podiums including two victories on his way to the title.

Wurz made his car racing debut in the final two rounds of Danish F4 in 2023, notably finishing second in race two in Jyllands-Ringen. He then competed in the inaugural Saudi Arabian F4 Championship over the winter, finishing with four podiums. He also made appearances in the Valencia round of Spanish F4 and Mugello round of Italian F4.

As one of only two F4 champions in the field, Wurz can also be  considered a strong contender for a medal.

Serbia: Andrija Kostić (#10)

In 2022, Serbia’s Filip Jenic looked to have a chance at competing for a medal after qualifying sixth for the qualifying race. But a collision with Australia’s Costa Toparis gave him race-ending damage, and he eventually finished four laps down in 23rd. Jenic went on to finish 12th in the main race. 

Andrija Kostić will represent Serbia in 2024. The 15-year-old made his F4 debut with Van Amersfoort Racing this year with full campaigns in Italian F4 and Euro 4. He sits 32nd in Italian F4 with a best finish of 14th at Imola and came 15th in Euro 4 with a best finish of sixth at Monza.

Kostić also competed in the first two rounds of this year’s F4 CEZ season with Jenzer Motorsport, scoring 24 points with a best finish of sixth in race one at Balaton Park.

Australia: Griffin Peebles (#23)

In 2022, Toparis initially qualified 10th for the qualifying race but finished 12th on the road after his front wing – which he damaged after colliding with Jenic – fell off his car. A penalty for the incident with Jenic dropped him to 19th, and he finished the main race 13th.

This year’s Formula Winter Series champion Griffin Peebles will represent Australia. Peebles won the 2024 title with MP Motorsport after taking four wins and three further podiums. Most notably, the 16-year-old took two pole positions and stood on every step of the podium at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo round. 

Before taking that crown, Peebles completed a full Spanish F4 campaign with Tecnicar, which he finished 25th with a best finish of 10th at Jerez. Also in 2023, he made occasional appearances in British and Italian F4 as well as in the first two rounds of the inaugural Euro 4 season. 

Peebles’ fortunes have changed since winning his title. The Australian currently stands ninth in Spanish F4 with 87 points. Whilst 49 of those points have come from three podium finishes – including a second-place finish from pole at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo – he is nevertheless behind four of his five teammates, with Keanu Al Azhari, Mattia Colnaghi and Maciej Gładysz still mathematically eligible for the title with one round left.

Still, Peebles’ strong track record at Valencia means that his current run of form may not represent his chances of earning a medal this weekend.

Hong Kong: Kaishun Liu (#14) 

In 2022, Jasper Thong represented Hong Kong in the F4 Cup. He started 22nd in the qualifying race and finished 18th before going on to finish 21st in the main race.

In 2024, Kaishun Liu will represent Hong Kong. Liu has been competing in Chinese F4 since 2022 and took the championship fight to Tiago Rodrigues last year, finishing second in the standings with 331 points, seven wins and a further seven podiums. The 23-year-old also competed in F4 South East Asia last year, finishing 17th in the standings.

Earlier this year, Liu competed in F4 UAE and finished 31st in the standings. He then competed in Chinese F4 once again, finishing the season second with 301 points and 15 podiums, including four wins.

Liu has also competed as a guest driver in various sports car championships such as Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia and Porsche Carrera Cup Asia. 

Chile: Giovanni Ramirez Pino (#16)

Chile’s 2022 in the F4 Cup got off to a disappointing start when María José Pérez de Arce qualified last, more than a second behind Panama’s Valentino Mini. In the qualifying race, she finished last of the running cars and a lap down after starting from the pit lane. In the main race, she finished last of those on the lead lap. 

Giovanni Ramirez Pino will represent Chile in 2024. He is the 2019 Chilean F3 and 2022 Chilean F4 champion and most recently competed in last year’s Fórmula Nacional Argentina season, which he finished 10th with a best result of second at Nueve de Julio.

Pino’s two titles were in former FRenault 1.6L and FAbarth machinery respectively, and Fórmula Nacional Argentina used the Tito 02 chassis with former FRenault 2.0 power. The Motorsport Games will be his first experience in modern-day open-wheel machinery.

Slovakia: Matúš Ryba (#4)

For its debut in the F4 Cup, Slovakia will field 15-year-old Matúš Ryba.

Currently in his debut year of F4, Ryba competes in Spanish F4 with Drivex. He is 28th in the standings with a best finish of 13th at Jerez. 

Ryba competed in British F4‘s Silverstone GP and Zandvoort rounds with Phinsys by Argenti, achieving a best finish of ninth. He also participated in Italian F4’s Imola round and F4 CEZ’s Spielberg round with Jenzer Motorsport, with his best finishes being 25th and 10th respectively.

United Kingdom: Reza Seewooruthun (#6)

Seewooruthun, 18, will represent the United Kingdom in its debut in the F4 Cup, coming off the back of a strong debut year in F4 with Hitech GP.

Ar finishing third in Ginetta Juniors in 2023, Seewooruthun started 2024 in F4 UAE. He finished that campaign 16th with 24 points, 18 of which came from a second-place finish in round four at Yas Marina.

In British F4, Seewooruthun took eight podiums including two wins at Thruxton and Silverstone on his way to third in the standings with teams’ champions Hitech GP. 

With this upward trend in performance throughout 2024, it would not be a surprise to see Seewooruthun competing at the front of the F4 Cup field too.

Peru: Andrés Cárdenas (#17)

Peru will field 16-year-old Andrés Cárdenas, who currently competes in Spanish F4 for Griffin Core by Campos.

Cárdenas currently stands 15th with 23 points in his second season in the championship, having made his F4 debut in the series last year. Despite missing the first round of the season because he had not yet turned 15, he finished eighth with 109 points, with two podium finishes at Jerez including a win in race two.

Cárdenas also competed in the Formula Winter Series earlier this year, finishing second and 21 points behind champion Griffin Peebles after taking two wins and a further four podiums.

Both Peebles and Cárdenas have had disappointing main seasons, but the onetime championship rivals get to reprise their fight in a new setting.

Czechia: Max Karhan (#21) 

Czechia last competed in the F4 Cup in 2019 with Václav Šafář, who started and finished the qualifying race in 14th and went on to finish 11th in the main race.

In 2024, Max Karhan will represent Czechia after having finished third in F4 CEZ this year with Jenzer Motorsport. Karhan took 10 podiums, four wins and 242 points.

The 16-year-old made his F4 debut midway through the championship with Jenzer last year, finishing seventh with 56 points.

Israel: Ariel Elkin (#18)

When Israel last participated in the F4 Cup in 2019, Ido Cohen was set for a medal after winning the qualifying race from second. However, Cohen dropped from pole to 13th in the main race, having earned a five-second penalty after initially finishing in eighth.

In 2024, 17-year-old Ariel Elkin will represent Israel. Elkin finished fourth in this year’s USF Juniors championship with 278 points, having taken six podiums including three wins. He also recently participated in Spanish F4’s Jerez round with Saintéloc Racing, achieving a best finish of 12th in race one.

Elkin made his F4 debut last year in a full-time Italian F4 campaign with Jenzer Motorsport. He finished 17th in the standings with 16.5 points and a best finish of seventh at Vallelunga. He then participated in the final round of the F4 United States season at the Circuit of the Americas, where he finished second in race two.

Angola: Lorenzo Campos (#20)

Competing in the Motorsport Games for the first time, Angola will field Lorenzo Campos, who turned 15 last month. 

Campos became a Mini Max Rotax karting champion in Angola in 2019 and has since competed in multiple European WSK championships. He notably finished third in the 2023 WSK Champions Cup at Lonato and fifth in the WSK Open Series, both in the X30 Junior category.

Campos made his F4 debut with GRS Team earlier this month in the Jerez round of Spanish F4, with a best finish of 25th in race one.  

Sri Lanka: Yevan David (#25)

Yevan David, 17, will represent Sri Lanka this year.

David currently competes in Spanish F4 with Saintéloc Racing and is 19th in the standings with 12 points from two seventh-place finishes in Jarama and Aragón. He also recently competed with Motopark in the final round of this year’s Euroformula Open season in Monza, where he won races one and three and finished third in race two.

David made his F4 debut earlier this year in F4 UAE, also with Saintéloc. He finished 26th in the standings with a best finish of 11th in the first round at Yas Marina.

Argentina: Gino Trappa (#1)

Comparatto’s Brazilian F4 teammate Gino Trappa will represent Argentina in the F4 Cup in 2024.

The 16-year-old made his F4 debut this year in Brazilian F4 with Bassani Racing. He is sixth in the championship with 102 points, having taken three podiums so far including a win at Interlagos.

Trappa also competed in Spanish F4’s Valencia round, with a best finish of 21st in race one.

Greece: Philippe-Armand Karras (#24)

Philippe-Armand Karras will represent Greece in the nation’s debut in the F4 Cup.

Karras made his F4 debut in F4 CEZ’s Most round back in August. Racing with Gender Racing Team, he scored 34 points from one fifth-place and two fourth-place finishes.

Japan: Tosei Moriyama (#13)

Japan fielded Kazuto Kotaka when the nation last competed in the F4 Cup in 2019. The 2022 Super Formula Lights champion and current Super Formula driver qualified seventh but crashed out on the first lap of the qualifying race. For the main race, he started last on the 19-car grid and finished 16th.

In 2024, Tosei Moriyama will represent Japan. The 21-year-old currently competes in Japanese F4 with privateer team HELM Motorsports and sits fifth in the standings with 74 points and three podiums, including a win at Fuji.

Moriyama made his F4 debut in last year’s season as part of the Honda Formula Dream Project. However, his performances compared to his teammates’ – two podiums compared to Yuto Nomura’s four and one win and Yusuke Mitsui’s three and four wins – led him to be dropped by the HFDP for 2024. 

Luxembourg: Chester Kieffer (#2)

Chester Kieffer, 18, will represent Luxembourg in its first entry into the F4 Cup.

Kieffer made his F4 debut this year in F4 UAE’s first Dubai round with X GP, achieving a best finish of 15th in race one. He then embarked on a full French F4 campaign and finished fourth in the standings with 116 points, having taken two wins and one second-place finish.

Kieffer also participated in British F4’s Zandvoort round with Xcel Motorsport, which operates X GP, and achieved a best finish of 19th in race two. 

Malta: Nicky Gauci (#8)

For its first entry into the F4 Cup, Malta will field Nicky Gauci.

The 23-year-old, who has won multiple national karting championships in his home country, will make his competitive F4 debut at the Motorsport Games. He tested F4 machinery at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo last month.

Norway: Olav Vaa (#12) 

Norway’s first entry into the F4 Cup will see 18-year-old Olav Vaa make his F4 debut. 

Earlier this year, Vaa won Norway’s Formula Basic series. He previously finished fifth in Formula Nordic in 2023 with 183 points and six podiums.

Vaa’s closest comparative open-wheel experience is in former Formula Renault machinery, meaning he, like Chile’s Pino, will compete in modern-day open-wheel machinery for the first time at the Motorsport Games.

Qatar: Bader Al Sulaiti (#3)

Bader Al Sulaiti, the 2023 Qatar Karting Championship winner, will represent Qatar in its debut in the F4 Cup.

The 16-year-old tested F4 machinery earlier this year at the Lusail International Circuit and at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Like Malta’s Gauci, Al Sulaiti will make his competitive debut in F4 at the Motorsport Games.

Header photo credit: SRO / Twenty-One Creation – Jules Benichou