An ever-growing number of racing series offered opportunities to young drivers hoping to make their mark on the motorsport scene as they progress towards Formula 1, IndyCar, Super Formula and more. In our final article of 2025 and our longest story ever, get to know the drivers’ champions across 43 junior single-seater series.
By Feeder Series
Hall of Fame e-book produced by Michael McClure, Calla Kra-Caskey, Jordy van de Bunt and Daisy Turvey
- FIA Formula 2 Championship: Leonardo Fornaroli
- FIA Formula 3 Championship: Rafael Câmara
- F1 Academy: Doriane Pin
- Formula Regional European Championship: Freddie Slater
- Eurocup-3: Mattia Colnaghi
- Eurocup-3 Spanish Winter Championship: Maciej Gładysz
- GB3 Championship: Alex Ninovic
- Euroformula Open Championship: Tymek Kucharczyk
- Formula Regional Middle East Championship: Evan Giltaire
- Super Formula Lights: Yuto Nomura
- Formula Regional Japanese Championship: Kiyoshi Umegaki
- Formula Regional Americas Championship: Titus Sherlock
- Formula Regional Oceania Championship: Arvid Lindblad
- FIA Formula Regional World Cup: Theóphile Naël
- FIA Formula 4 World Cup: Jules Roussel
- Italian Formula 4 Championship: Kean Nakamura-Berta
- E4 Championship: Kean Nakamura-Berta
- British Formula 4 Championship: Fionn McLaughlin
- GB4 Championship: Ary Bansal
- Spanish F4 Championship: Thomas Strauven
- Eurocup-4 Spanish Winter Championship: Thomas Strauven
- French Formula 4 Championship: Alexandre Munoz
- Formula 4 CEZ Championship: Gino Trappa
- Nordic 4: Marius Kristiansen
- Formula Nordic: Melvin Kalousdian
- Formula Winter Series: Gabriel Gomez
- Formula Trophy: Alp Aksoy
- Formula 4 Middle East Championship: Emanuele Olivieri
- Saudi Arabian Formula 4 Championship: Kit Belofsky
- Japanese Formula 4 Championship: Tokiya Suzuki
- Kyojo Cup: Rio Shimono
- Chinese Formula 4 Championship: Simon Zhang
- Indian Formula 4 Championship: Shane Chandaria
- Formula 4 South East Asia Championship: Alex Sawer
- AU4 Championship: Noah Killion
- Brazilian Formula 4 Championship: Heitor Dall’Agnol
- NACAM Formula 4 Championship: Zaky Ibrahim
- Formula 4 United States Championship: Cooper Shipman
- Ligier Junior Formula Championship: Gastón Irazú
- Indy NXT: Dennis Hauger
- USF Pro 2000 Championship: Max Garcia
- USF2000 Championship: Jack Jeffers
- USF Juniors: Leonardo Escorpioni
- Other series’ champions
- See you in 2026!
FIA Formula 2 Championship: Leonardo Fornaroli
By Martin Lloyd
Leonardo Fornaroli took his second successive championship in 2025, storming to F2 title glory after a stunning season with Invicta Racing.
The Italian driver quickly settled into his rookie season in the series with second place in the opening race at Melbourne and never looked back. He took four wins from Silverstone to Monza, cementing him as the title favourite.
The 21-year-old’s season was defined by his consistency. Fornaroli had scored points in an impressive 23 of 25 races by the time he won the title with second place in the Lusail feature race.
When Fornaroli was not on the podium, where he finished nine races, he almost always scored points. He ended 13 races between fourth and eighth, a level of steadiness that his rivals – Jak Crawford, Richard Verschoor, Luke Browning and Alex Dunne – could not match even with more feature race wins. When Fornaroli finally hit consistent race-winning form in mid-summer, he became unstoppable.
His triumph was one shared by Invicta, who took their second consecutive double championship and have distinguished themselves as the pre-eminent F2 team in the Dallara F2 2024 era.
Fornaroli’s 2026 plans are yet to be announced, but he recently joined the McLaren Driver Development Programme as a test and reserve driver.
Summary
Team: Invicta Racing
Country: Italy
Age: 21
Rounds: 14
Races: 27
Wins: 4
Fastest laps: 0
Poles: 3
Podiums: 9
Points: 211
Gap over P2: 36 points
2026 plans: TBA
FIA Formula 3 Championship: Rafael Câmara
By Tori Turner
Rafael Câmara solidified his status as one of the best drivers in the current era of F3 when he became the only champion to claim the title before the final round. Despite his rookie status, he entered the season as a title favourite, proved his worth from the very first round and went on to equal the record for the most wins in a season with four.
He opened the season by taking pole position in Melbourne. That gave him the momentum to take another two poles in a row and five in total from the 10 rounds, breaking the record for the most pole positions in a season. The Ferrari junior also won the first two feature races of the season, but his failure to score points in the first three sprint races held him back.
Sorting out his early reverse-grid weakness also helped Câmara sharpen his approach to racing. He experienced a six-race podium drought mid-season, but consistent points finishes in the meantime helped him maintain his lead. Having left the rain-hit Spa weekend with a commanding advantage, he produced a flawless pole-to-win drive in the feature race at the penultimate round in Budapest to claim the title, becoming the third champion to do so as a rookie.
For the 2026 season, Câmara will move up to F2 with reigning teams’ champions Invicta Racing.
Summary
Team: Trident
Country: Brazil
Age: 20
Rounds: 10
Races: 19
Wins: 4
Fastest laps: 4
Poles: 5
Podiums: 5
Points: 166
Gap over P2: 42 points
2026 plans: F2 with Invicta Racing
F1 Academy: Doriane Pin
By Kaylene Lau
Expectations were high in 2025 for Doriane Pin, who began her sophomore season in the series as a title favourite after finishing second last year.
Throughout the season, the Mercedes-backed Prema Racing driver fought a tough battle with Maya Weug for the championship title. Pin left the first round at Shanghai leading the championship, but Weug took the lead in the following round at Jeddah. In Miami, Pin won in the sole race of the weekend as the second was cancelled because of poor weather. She regained the championship lead in Canada with her third win of the season in the first race and another podium in the third race as Weug faltered with mechanical issues.
The finale at Las Vegas saw Pin come out ahead with a win in the first race and fifth in the second race. With those results, the Frenchwoman secured the F1 Academy title with a 15-point gap over Weug.
Consistency was key for Pin in securing the title. Although she never took pole this season, she secured four wins and four further podiums and never finished lower than sixth. Throughout her two seasons in F1 Academy, she finished every race in the points.
Pin’s plans for next season are unknown, but she’s targeting a hypercar drive for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Summary
Team: Prema Racing
Country: France
Age: 21
Rounds: 7
Races: 14
Wins: 4
Fastest laps: 7
Poles: 0
Podiums: 8
Points: 172
Gap over P2: 15 points
2026 plans: TBA
Formula Regional European Championship: Freddie Slater
By Francesca Brusa
Coming off a dominant season in Italian F4, Freddie Slater arrived to FR Europe after having finished as the runner-up in FR Middle East over the winter despite having more wins than champion Evan Giltaire.
The first round of his European campaign, however, offered a glimpse of just how bittersweet Slater’s run for the title was set to be. After a first-lap incident led to a non-score in the first race at Misano, he bounced back in race two to score his first podium of the season.
The British driver’s first win in the series came only one race later when he won from pole in race one at Spa. Another incident then put an end to his second race after one corner.
From that moment onwards, Slater became a consistent presence on the FR Europe rostrum, missing out on the podium only five times across the next seven rounds.
His season included highlights such as the weekend at Le Castellet, where he became the only driver in 2025 to clinch both pole positions and both race wins in one weekend, and the finale at Monza, where he secured the title with a race to spare.
In 2026, Slater will join reigning drivers’ champion team Trident for his first full campaign in F3. He participated in two rounds of the series this year.
Summary
Team: Prema Racing
Country: United Kingdom
Age: 17
Rounds: 10
Races: 20
Wins: 8
Fastest laps: 7
Poles: 6
Podiums: 12
Points: 313
Gap over P2: 36 points
2026 plans: F3 with Trident
Eurocup-3: Mattia Colnaghi
By Seb Tirado
After winning Spanish F4 as a rookie last year, Mattia Colnaghi secured his second drivers’ title in as many years when he became the Eurocup-3 champion in the penultimate round at Jerez. The Italian-Argentine driver scored maximum points in his first race of the season in Spielberg and went on to notch points in every race bar one.
In total, Colnaghi took 10 podiums, including five wins. He once again went on a seven-race podium streak, as he did in Spanish F4 last year.
Colnaghi’s final podium was victory in the second race at Jerez, which secured him the title by giving him an insurmountable lead of 71 points over teammate Valerio Rinicella. He ultimately won the championship by 35 points after he skipped the final round of the Eurocup-3 season to compete in the clashing FR World Cup, run as the flagship event of the Macau Grand Prix weekend. After starting and finishing seventh in the qualifying race, he rose to fourth in the main race.
Next year, Colnaghi will stay with MP Motorsport and move up to F3. He will continue to represent the Red Bull Junior Team, who signed him over the summer.
Summary
Team: MP Motorsport
Country: Italy
Age: 17
Rounds: 7
Races: 16
Wins: 5
Fastest laps: 5
Poles: 4
Podiums: 10
Points: 256
Gap over P2: 35 points
2026 plans: F3 with MP Motorsport
Eurocup-3 Spanish Winter Championship: Maciej Gładysz
By Seb Tirado
Maciej Gładysz came out on top in a tight fight with teammate and 2024 Spanish F4 rival Mattia Colnaghi to secure the inaugural Eurocup-3 Spanish Winter Championship title.
After spending much of the season equally matched with Colnaghi, with each driver taking three podiums in the first five races, Gładysz trailed the Italian by 28 points going into the final weekend at Aragón thanks to a fuel pump issue at the end of the final race at Portimão.
Despite the setback, Gładysz capitalised on a non-scoring race one for his title rival with victory, pole position and the fastest lap. That put them level on points, and when Colnaghi only finished 13th in race two, Gładysz’s second-place finish meant that he was able to steal the title by a margin of 18 points. He ended the season with a total of five podiums, including two victories.
For his main campaign, Gładysz finished 10th in the Eurocup-3 standings with a single victory in the opening round at Spielberg. He will move up to F3 in 2026 with ART Grand Prix.
Summary
Team: KCL by MP Motorsport
Country: Poland
Age: 17
Rounds: 3
Races: 8
Wins: 2
Fastest laps: 1
Poles: 2
Podiums: 5
Points: 115
Gap over P2: 18 points
2026 plans: F3 with ART Grand Prix
GB3 Championship: Alex Ninovic
By George Sanderson
After finishing as the runner-up in British F4 last year, Alex Ninovic claimed the GB3 title with a round to spare. The 18-year-old also led his Rodin Motorsport team to consecutive teams’ championship honours.
Ninovic took victories in every round except the season opener at Silverstone. His tally of nine wins and 10 pole positions set records for the most in a single GB3 season, and he was only 11 points short of equalling Zak O’Sullivan’s series-high points tally of 535.
In the second half of the season, Ninovic took a firm grip on the drivers’ championship. He entered round six at Brands Hatch with a 39-point lead in the standings, which grew to 71 points following his victories in races one and two.
The Australian took two further victories in the penultimate round at Donington Park, the second of which involved overcoming a 10-second jump start penalty. When his title rivals faltered in race three, Ninovic stayed out of trouble, securing the championship with a round remaining.
Ninovic signed off his 2025 campaign in style with one final victory and a double pole at Monza, putting him 148 points ahead of runner-up Patrick Heuzenroeder.
In 2026, Ninovic will remain with Rodin Motorsport but move over to FR Europe for a second year at the FR level.
Summary
Team: Rodin Motorsport
Country: Australia
Age: 18
Rounds: 8
Races: 24
Wins: 9
Fastest laps: 10
Poles: 10
Podiums: 11
Points: 524
Gap over P2: 148 points
2026 plans: FR Europe with Rodin Motorsport
Euroformula Open Championship: Tymek Kucharczyk
By Marco Albertini
Coming off the back of a strong sophomore season in GB3, Tymek Kucharczyk joined BVM Racing in the week leading up to Euroformula Open’s season-opening round in Portimão.
Despite his lack of track time with the car relative to his competitors, Kucharczyk qualified on pole on debut and scored his maiden podium in race three by finishing third. He had a near-perfect round two at Spa to put himself in the title fight, but a podium-free round at Hockenheim interrupted his progress.
One month later, Kucharczyk won at the Hungaroring and never missed out on a podium spot in the following two rounds to take the points lead and grow his advantage with two rounds left. Kucharczyk then won at Barcelona and headed to Monza as the title favourite.
He won the championship in dramatic fashion with a race to spare, edging out Yevan David by 0.001 seconds to take his first title in single-seaters with the series’ closest-ever race-winning margin.
Kucharczyk hasn’t announced his 2026 plans yet. He tested USF Pro 2000 and Indy NXT machinery at Indianapolis in October.
Summary
Team: BVM Racing
Country: Poland
Age: 19
Rounds: 7
Races: 21
Wins: 6
Fastest laps: 9
Poles: 5
Podiums: 14
Points: 362
Gap over P2: 17 points
2026 plans: TBA
Formula Regional Middle East Championship: Evan Giltaire
By Daniele Spadi
Evan Giltaire raised a lot of eyebrows earlier this winter when he stormed to the FR Middle East drivers’ title.
Though the Frenchman started his 2025 winter campaign strong with two podiums in the first three races at Abu Dhabi, it was British sensation Freddie Slater who took an early 26-point lead thanks to two victories. Giltaire, however, proved in round two that experience was key, managing his tyres to perfection to seal victory twice.
Giltaire outscored Slater across rounds three and four, taking four podiums in six races and coming to the season finale in Lusail with a 17-point advantage. A collision between the rivals in race one dropped the Briton outside of the top 10, and Giltaire finished ahead of his rival in race two to take the crown with a race to spare.
The ART Grand Prix driver ultimately took three wins, five further podiums and five pole positions en route to the highest-level title of his career, proving how important consistency and experience can be in single-seater racing.
After also competing in his second FR Europe season, in which he finished fifth, Giltaire has his eyes set on a new challenge in 2026 as he looks to join the Super Formula Lights grid after taking part in the championship’s post-season tests.
Summary
Team: ART Grand Prix
Country: France
Age: 19
Rounds: 5
Races: 15
Wins: 3
Fastest laps: 2
Poles: 5
Podiums: 8
Points: 264
Gap over P2: 36 points
2026 plans: TBA
Super Formula Lights: Yuto Nomura
By Finjo Muschlien
Yuto Nomura became the first driver ever to win the Super Formula Lights title in his rookie season. He took 12 wins and 153 points, equalling the series’ records.
The former Red Bull junior entered Super Formula Lights as Honda’s only supported driver in the championship after having dominated Japanese F4 last year.
Initially, TOM’S’ Yuki Sano was the one to beat, winning the first four races, but Nomura’s subsequent eight victories in a row gave him the championship lead at the fourth round at Sugo and the title in the penultimate round.
Nomura was no doubt the fastest driver this year, but as overtaking was limited all season, his eight poles were the main key to his success.
The 20-year-old’s dominance came as a bit of a surprise. Having struggled to adapt to French F4 right away in 2022 and having taken only one win in Japanese F4 in 2023, he was not expected to acclimatise as easily to the Dallara 324 as he did.
Next year, he will step up to Super Formula with B-Max Racing and will have to adapt to a car that is more than twice as powerful as the Dallara 324.
Summary
Team: B-Max Racing Team
Country: Japan
Age: 20
Rounds: 6
Races: 18
Wins: 12
Fastest laps: 8
Poles: 8
Podiums: 16
Points: 153
Gap over P2: 49 points
2026 plans: Super Formula with B-Max Racing Team; Super GT GT500 class with Real Racing
Formula Regional Japanese Championship: Kiyoshi Umegaki
By Finjo Muschlien
Kiyoshi Umegaki came out on top in Japan’s most intense feeder series title fight of the year to win his maiden single-seater championship. . He and Tokiya Suzuki, his rival and TOM’S teammate, were never separated by more than a race win’s worth of points until the final round.
The 18-year-old only inherited the championship lead in round four of six, when he won two races at Sugo to begin his four-race winning streak. He took seven victories across the year and clinched the title in the penultimate race after Suzuki crashed in an attempted overtake for the lead.
Umegaki and Suzuki battled hard not only in the standings but also on track. The flashpoint of their fight came at the third round at Suzuka, when the pair’s last-lap battle for second, which involved multiple position changes, ended in a collision in the final chicane. They dropped from second and third to seventh and eighth after penalties were applied.
In 2026, Umegaki will switch to Super Formula Lights with TOM’S in addition to racing in Super GT’s GT300 class with Carguy.
Summary
Team: TOM’S
Country: Japan
Age: 18
Rounds: 6
Races: 15
Wins: 7
Fastest laps: 5
Poles: 5
Podiums: 12
Points: 280
Gap over P2: 28.5 points
2026 plans: Super Formula Lights with TOM’S; Super GT GT300 class with CarGuy Racing
Formula Regional Americas Championship: Titus Sherlock
By Marco Albertini
After a successful rookie year in FR Americas, in which he finished fourth with four wins, Titus Sherlock returned to the series for 2025 with Crosslink Motorsports for a title charge.
Sherlock had mixed results in the first few rounds of the season. He left NOLA fourth in points despite taking a win, but things turned around as the series headed to Road America, where Sherlock won all three races to take the points lead. Sherlock then scored only two podiums in the following three rounds and fell as far as 56 points behind then–points leader Bruno Ribeiro with three rounds remaining.
At Mosport, Sherlock once again completed a clean sweep of races, and he never finished off the podium in the final two rounds as his title rivals faltered. He ultimately clinched the title by 41.5 points over Nicolás Ambiado with a win in the penultimate race of the season at Barber.
Sherlock hasn’t announced his 2026 plans yet.
Summary
Team: Crosslink Motorsports
Country: United States
Age: 21
Rounds: 8
Races: 20
Wins: 8
Fastest laps: 2
Poles: 1
Podiums: 13
Points: 291.5
Gap over P2: 41.5 points
2026 plans: TBA
Formula Regional Oceania Championship: Arvid Lindblad
By Kaylene Lau
Heading into the 2025 FR Oceania season, Arvid Lindblad was the clear favourite for the title. The Briton’s aim entering the series was to obtain the minimum 40 points required for an FIA Super Licence.
Lindblad took the championship lead at the first round in Taupō, securing two third-place finishes in the first two races and a commanding victory in the feature race. He won at least once in every round, including each feature race with the exception of the finale’s.
Lindblad clinched the title in the first race of the final weekend at Highlands Motorsport Park after finishing second, giving him an unassailable 74-point lead over Zack Scoular and Nikita Johnson. He closed out the season with a total of 370 points, beating Scoular by 56. Along with the title, Lindblad became eligible for a Super Licence after gaining 18 points, bringing his total above the 40-point threshold.
On his way to the title, Lindblad took six wins, 12 podiums and six fastest laps. He was the first driver in series history to win four of five feature races.
In his main campaign in F2, meanwhile, Lindblad took three wins, becoming the youngest race winner in F2 history.
Next year, Lindblad will step up to F1 with Racing Bulls.
Summary
Team: M2 Competition
Country: United Kingdom
Age: 18
Rounds: 5
Races: 15
Wins: 6
Fastest laps: 6
Poles: 6
Podiums: 12
Points: 370
Gap over P2: 56 points
2026 plans: F1 with Racing Bulls
FIA Formula Regional World Cup: Theóphile Naël
By Kaylene Lau
When Theóphile Naël raced at the Guia Circuit for the first time in 2024, he was disqualified for a pit lane infringement. Upon his return in 2025, he got redemption for last year’s misfortunes and took victory at the Macau Grand Prix, one of the most illustrious races of the year.
Naël set the fastest time overall in the qualifying sessions, taking pole position in timed qualifying on Friday. Though he slid down to third behind Freddie Slater and Mari Boya in Saturday’s qualifying race, Naël bounced back on Sunday.
A daring double overtake on Mari Boya and Enzo Deligny heading into Lisboa with two laps to go secured the victory for Naël. With his win in Macau, Naël became the first French driver to win the Macau Grand Prix since Alexandre Prémat did so in 2004.
Naël raced with Van Amersfoort Racing in F3 for his main campaign this year. He finished eighth in his rookie season with three podiums and a total of 72 points. Naël will continue to race in F3 next year, switching teams to reigning champions Campos Racing.
Summary
Entrants: 27
Qualifying 1: P4
Qualifying 2: P1
Qualifying race: P3
Main race: P1
Winning margin: +0.250s
Team: KCMG by Pinnacle Motorsport
Country: France
Age: 18
2026 plans: F3 with Campos Racing
FIA Formula 4 World Cup: Jules Roussel
By Kaylene Lau
Jules Roussel took the inaugural F4 World Cup title with a commanding victory in Sunday’s main race at Macau.
Roussel started the weekend off on the back foot after earning a penalty for causing a collision with Tiago Rodrigues in qualifying. The three-place grid drop put the Frenchman ninth on the grid for the qualifying race on Saturday, but he made up multiple places to finish second.
On Sunday, he got a good launch off the line, taking the lead from polesitter Emanuele Olivieri at the first corner. He and French F4 rival Rayan Caretti, who started third, then fought throughout the race. Caretti briefly snatched the lead on the third lap at Lisboa, but Roussel was able to retake the position at the same corner on the eighth lap. This move ultimately secured Roussel the victory, as Caretti crashed into the barriers and the race ended behind the safety car.
Roussel also raced in French F4 this year, finishing third in the championship with a total of 186 points.
Roussel’s plans for next year are unknown.
Summary
Entrants: 19
Qualifying: P6
Qualifying race: P2
Main race: P1
Winning margin: +1.258s
Country: France
Age: 19
2026 plans: TBA
Italian Formula 4 Championship: Kean Nakamura-Berta
By Francesca Brusa
Kean Nakamura-Berta’s sophomore season in Italian F4 kicked off perfectly. He claimed victory in the first five races he contested and had practically signed his name in the series’ hall of fame two rounds into the campaign.
An incident with teammate and title rival Sebastian Wheldon in the final race at Vallelunga, however, opened the door for other contenders to heat up the fight.
The rest of Nakamura-Berta’s championship run was less dominant but still impressively consistent. After Vallelunga, he stepped off the podium only twice: in race three at Monza, when last-lap contact with Wheldon blew both drivers’ hope for a top-three finish; and in race two at Mugello, where he had to settle for sixth after starting from ninth.
With eight race wins under his belt heading to the Monza finale, Nakamura-Berta clinched the title after the second of four races he contested and crowned his season with victory in the last race of the season.
The Japanese-Slovakian driver’s plans for 2026 are yet to be announced, but winter testing suggests that he’ll follow in 2024 champion Freddie Slater’s footsteps and step up to FR Europe with Prema Racing.
Summary
Team: Prema Racing
Country: Japan
Age: 18
Rounds: 7
Races: 20
Wins: 9
Fastest laps: 3
Poles: 9
Podiums: 17
Points: 342
Gap over P2: 75 points
2026 plans: TBA
E4 Championship: Kean Nakamura-Berta
By Francesca Brusa
For the first time since its inception in 2023, E4 had the same champion in one year as Italian F4. Nakamura-Berta unlocked this achievement by staying consistent throughout the three-round series and fending off title rival Gabriel Gomez in both series.
The first round of the E4 season at Le Castellet was perhaps underwhelming for Nakamura-Berta, who claimed two second-place finishes and one third as Gomez and Reno Francot shared wins.
The Mugello round, however, was the turning point in the Prema Racing driver’s chase. Victory in race one and a second-place finish behind R-ace GP’s Alex Powell were enough for Nakamura-Berta to leap to the top of the standings ahead of Gomez, who did not take a podium.
The points leader became the champion after the very last race of a perfect weekend, which he entered with a 24-point advantage over his nearest rival. Clinching all three race wins, Nakamura-Berta became the first driver to win two simultaneous F4-spec series in Europe since Andrea Kimi Antonelli won both Italian F4 and ADAC F4 in 2022.
His plans for 2026 are yet to be announced, but he is primed to continue with Prema as he steps up the feeder series ladder to FR Europe.
Summary
Team: Prema Racing
Country: Japan
Age: 18
Rounds: 3
Races: 9
Wins: 4
Fastest laps: 1
Poles: 7
Podiums: 8
Points: 181
Gap over P2: 47 points
2026 plans: TBA
British Formula 4 Championship: Fionn McLaughlin
By Gavin Guthrie
Following a stellar single-seater debut in the Formula Winter Series with Hitech – where the then 17-year-old finished third in the overall standings – Fionn McLaughlin took to the British F4 championship alongside the Silverstone-based outfit for a rookie-year title challenge.
McLaughlin was an immediate frontrunner, taking four podiums in the first six races of the season. His first win in the series did not come until race nine at Snetterton, but with it, he earned the points lead.
The Red Bull junior’s only round without a podium was at Thruxton, where he dropped to second in the title race. But McLaughlin bounced back at Oulton Park, taking his second win and a championship lead that he held for the rest of the season.
McLaughlin clinched the Rookie Cup title with two rounds to go with his 20th class podium of the year, though it took until the first race of the final round at Brands Hatch for the Irish driver to seal the overall championship with a second-place finish. He crossed the line just four tenths away from a sixth victory of the season, ultimately ending the year with five wins and a further nine podiums.
McLaughlin will remain with Hitech for 2026, beginning the year in the FR Oceania Trophy in preparation for his main campaign in F3.
Summary
Team: Hitech
Country: Ireland
Age: 18
Rounds: 10
Races: 30
Wins: 5
Fastest laps: 8
Poles: 3
Podiums: 14
Points: 363.5
Gap over P2: 52.5 points
2026 plans: FR Oceania and F3 with Hitech
GB4 Championship: Ary Bansal
By George Sanderson
Ary Bansal left it late to take the GB4 drivers’ championship, leading the standings for only one day before claiming the title in a three-driver showdown at Donington Park. The 16-year-old took four wins and seven further podiums during the season, including a run of six podiums in the last seven races.
Bansal picked up his first victory in the second race of the season. A double podium at Silverstone followed, and the Indian finished five of the opening six races inside the top five.
Then at Oulton Park, he finished 16th and 10th in mixed conditions, taking eighth in the sole dry race. The results left him to play catch-up to championship leader Guinchard from there.
Bansal responded strongly, taking two poles and two wins at Snetterton before earning podiums at Silverstone and Brands Hatch. In the Donington Park finale, Bansal overturned a 25-point deficit to Guinchard in the opening two races of the weekend after his rival picked up track-limits penalties. He took victory in race three before claiming the title with a podium in the season finale, finishing 11 points ahead of both Phelps and Guinchard.
Having completed the final round of the 2025 Italian F4 season with US Racing, Bansal will return to the team for a full campaign in 2026. He will also combine this with a second full campaign in E4 with the team.
Summary
Team: Elite Motorsport
Country: India
Age: 16
Rounds: 7
Races: 21
Wins: 4
Fastest laps: 4
Poles: 2
Podiums: 11
Points: 402
Gap over P2: 11 points
2026 plans: FWS, Italian F4 and E4 with US Racing
Spanish F4 Championship: Thomas Strauven
By Seb Tirado
After taking the Eurocup-4 Spanish Winter Championship title earlier in the year, Thomas Strauven posted one of the most dominant campaigns in Spanish F4 history to win his second championship of 2025.
The Belgian driver finished on the podium 17 times, took 10 victories and only failed to score points in the second race of the season at Aragón. By taking 11 podiums in a row – during which he took a hat-trick of wins at Portimão – he also achieved the longest podium streak in the series since Nikola Tsolov in 2022.
Victory for Strauven in race one at Valencia – from pole position and with the fastest lap to boot – secured him the Spanish F4 title with five races to spare. He finished his season with a gap of 157 points over runner-up Ean Eyckmans, the largest points margin in Spanish F4 history.
Next year, Strauven will move up to Eurocup-3 with Campos Racing.
Summary
Team: Griffin Core by Campos
Country: Belgium
Age: 17
Rounds: 7
Races: 21
Wins: 10
Fastest laps: 11
Poles: 10
Podiums: 17
Points: 392
Gap over P2: 157 points
2026 plans: Eurocup-3 with Campos Racing
Eurocup-4 Spanish Winter Championship: Thomas Strauven
By Seb Tirado
Strauven fought a close battle with teammate Jan Przyrowski to take the inaugural Eurocup-4 Spanish Winter Championship title, his first of two championship victories in 2025.
The Belgian driver truly entered championship contention during the second round at Portimão, where he won race one from pole position, took another victory in the sprint race and finished second in race three from his second pole of the weekend. This set of results moved him into the championship lead ahead of the season finale at Navarra.
Strauven and Przyrowski briefly drew level on points after the Polish driver won the first race of the final weekend, which polesitter Strauven finished in second. But after Strauven finished third in race two ahead of the non-scoring Przyrowski, a multi-car incident involving his title rival on the opening lap of the final race effectively handed Strauven the title before a racing lap had even been completed.
By finishing fourth in that race and setting the fastest lap, Strauven secured the title by 25 points, with a final tally of two wins and four further podiums.
Next year, Strauven will move up to Eurocup-3 with Campos Racing.
Summary
Team: Griffin Core by Campos
Country: Belgium
Age: 17
Rounds: 3
Races: 9
Wins: 2
Fastest laps: 4
Poles: 3
Podiums: 6
Points: 143
Gap over P2: 25 points
2026 plans: Eurocup-3 with Campos Racing
French Formula 4 Championship: Alexandre Munoz
By Perceval Wolff-Taffus
Already a race winner last season, French F4 sophomore Alexandre Munoz was tipped as one of the favorites amongst the 30 drivers who started the season in the FFSA Academy–operated series.
Munoz had a stellar start to his year with four wins in the first four regular-grid races at Nogaro and Dijon-Prenois, the first time this has happened in championship’s history under FIA certification. But he faced strong opposition mid-season from fellow sophomore driver Jules Roussel, who answered him with a double win in Spa-Francorchamps.
Munoz is the only driver to have collected podiums in non-reverse-grid races at all six rounds. His consistency enabled him to maintain and increase his gap over his rivals race after race. He secured the title as well as the increased €250,000 champion’s scholarship with one race to go in Le Mans. Free of pressure by that point, he took his fifth and final win of the year and pulled a 61-point championship margin on his two nearest rivals, Arthur Dorison and Roussel, at the end of the year.
In 2026, the French driver is expected to follow the path of previous French F4 champions Evan Giltaire and Taito Kato by joining ART Grand Prix in FR Europe. He tested with the team several times over the winter.
Summary
Country: France
Age: 16
Rounds: 6
Races: 18
Wins: 5
Fastest laps: 6
Poles: 4
Podiums: 9
Points: 247
Gap over P2: 61 points
2026 plans: TBA
Formula 4 CEZ Championship: Gino Trappa
By Marco Albertini
Following a race-winning rookie year in Brazilian F4, Gino Trappa moved to Europe full-time for 2025, racing in both the CEZ and Spanish F4 championships. Though he spent most of his year on the Iberian peninsula, Trappa shone the brightest in central Europe.
Driving for reigning teams’ champions Jenzer Motorsport, Trappa began the F4 CEZ season by finishing second in all three races in Spielberg, then winning twice at the same venue a month later to take the championship lead. In the final Austrian round in Salzburg, Trappa finished second in the first two races and closed out the weekend by winning race three over teammate Max Karhan, whom he led by 42 points in the standings at the time.
The Argentine scored three wins in the following two rounds, and despite not standing on the podium in the season-ending round in Brno, he clinched the title in the finale by nine points over Karhan.
Trappa also made a one-off appearance in Euroformula Open at Le Castellet, where he scored a best result of fifth. As a result of his F4 CEZ triumph, he was invited to race in November’s F4 World Cup, in which he finished ninth.
Trappa hasn’t announced his 2026 plans yet, but he recently tested Euroformula Open machinery for Motopark as well as 2025-spec Eurocup-3 machinery for Drivex.
Summary
Team: Jenzer Motorsport
Country: Argentina
Age: 17
Rounds: 6
Races: 18
Wins: 6
Fastest laps: 5
Poles: 3
Podiums: 11
Points: 294
Gap over P2: 9 points
2026 plans: TBA
Nordic 4: Marius Kristiansen
By Mitchell Ash
Marius Kristiansen, fresh off a strong rookie season in 2024, narrowly edged out season-long rival Sebastian Bach to take the Nordic 4 title.
His season started strong with a win and two podiums at Padborg Park. Although he briefly surrendered the championship lead to Bach after a tough second round at Anderstorp, where he took his only non-podium finishes until the final round of the season, he quickly reclaimed it with another win at Ring Djursland.
A further win at Jyllandsringen and two at the second Padborg Park event gave Kristiansen a 32-point advantage heading into the final round, also at Jyllandsringen, which would prove dramatic. Kristiansen was disqualified from his race one win because of a technical infringement, handing a crucial victory to Bach. Undeterred, he charged from last to third in race two, and a fourth-place finish in race three was enough for him to secure the title with Bach only managing seventh and eighth in the final two races.
Kristiansen’s plans for 2026 are unconfirmed, but he is expected to move away from single-seaters, having tested Lamborghini Super Trofeo machinery.
Summary
Team: FSP Racing
Country: Denmark
Age: 19
Rounds: 6
Races: 18
Wins: 5
Fastest laps: 9
Poles: 2
Podiums: 13
Points: 288
Gap over P2: 24 points
2026 plans: TBA
Formula Nordic: Melvin Kalousdian
By Mitchell Ash
Melvin Kalousdian made a head-turning single-seater debut this year, dominating Formula Nordic and becoming the series’ youngest champion a month after his 14th birthday.
Upon arriving at the opening round at Scandinavian Raceway, Kalousdian immediately quieted any concerns about his young age, taking pole position and all three wins. Despite some troubles early in the season – mechanical retirements at Gelleråsen and Ljungbyhed – that dropped him behind Richard Olson in the standings, he quickly regained control by embarking on a stunning run of nine wins in the final ten races. The only interruption was a retirement from race two in the penultimate round at Jyllandsringen after a collision with Olson, who received a penalty for the incident.
Kalousdian was officially crowned champion after the first race of the final round, also at Jyllandsringen. In that race, along with the Formula Nordic class win, he equalled his best overall result of fifth in the five of six rounds that the series shared the track with the faster Nordic 4 cars. He ended the season 87 points clear of Olson, eight years his senior.
Still too young to compete in F4 in Europe, Kalousdian is expected to move stateside and compete in the Ligier Junior Formula Championship next year, having completed a test with Kiwi Motorsport in November.
Summary
Team: Race Team Gelleråsen
Country: Sweden
Age: 14
Rounds: 6
Races: 17
Wins: 13
Fastest laps: 4
Poles: 2
Podiums: 14
Points: 371
Gap over P2: 87 points
2026 plans: TBA
Formula Winter Series: Gabriel Gomez
By Finjo Muschlien
For the second consecutive year, the Formula Winter Series has helped convert a Spanish F4 midfielder into a title winner the following winter. Gabriel Gomez clinched the FWS drivers’ championship with three wins and six further podium finishes, coming out on top in a three-way title fight against the Hitech duo of Leo Robinson and Fionn McLaughlin.
The 19-year-old impressed straight away, kicking off his season with two wins in the opening round at Portimão and a total of nine consecutive podium finishes. From there, he only had to secure a few points in the final round at Barcelona to clinch the title. He did that with ease in the second race.
FWS has a history of issues with track limits violations. Notably, all 38 drivers were disqualified from the first qualifying session at Valencia in 2024, while drivers accumulated an average of 40 total track limits violations across the collective tests at Portimão and Valencia this year. Gomez, however, kept it relatively clean, collecting only seven across the two events – the second lowest in the field.
The Brazilian later came runner-up to Kean Nakamura-Berta in Italian F4 and E4, collecting four and two wins respectively.
Gomez’s 2026 plans have yet to be announced.
Summary
Team: US Racing
Country: Brazil
Age: 19
Rounds: 4
Races: 12
Wins: 3
Fastest laps: 3
Poles: 4
Podiums: 9
Points: 204
Gap over P2: 41 points
2026 plans: TBA
Formula Trophy: Alp Aksoy
By Anabelle Bremner
Turkish rookie Alp Aksoy impressed in his single-seater debut for the Mumbai Falcons in Formula Trophy, taking a definitive championship win over Niccolò Maccagnani.
After topping both qualifying sessions in his debut round, Aksoy crossed the line first in race one but received a 10-second penalty for a false start, demoting him to sixth. A grid adjustment in race two for the jump start limited him to a fifth-place finish, but Aksoy clawed back ground later in the weekend with a dominant lights-to-flag victory in race three. The rookie sat second in the championship – but he was clearly the one to beat.
A disappointing weekend followed at Yas Marina, as Aksoy could only manage third place in race one and eighth in race two. He remained second in the standings leaving the round, but the grand finale, again at Yas Marina, proved much more successful for the 15-year-old. Finishing second in race one was enough for him to move into the championship lead as former leader Maccagnani dropped to third with a retirement. One more dominant win from pole handed Aksoy the title, 27 points ahead of second-placed Maccagnani.
Aksoy will contest Italian F4 and E4 with Prema Racing in 2026.
Summary
Team: Mumbai Falcons
Country: Türkiye
Age: 15
Rounds: 3
Races: 7
Wins: 2
Fastest laps: 2
Poles: 3
Podiums: 4
Points: 105
Gap over P2: 27 points
2026 plans: Italian F4 and E4 with Prema Racing
Formula 4 Middle East Championship: Emanuele Olivieri
By Calla Kra-Caskey
In F4 Middle East this year, Emanuele Olivieri proved that with the right machinery, he could be a force to be reckoned with.
Driving for eventual teams’ champions R-ace GP, Olivieri controlled the championship from the beginning. He was particularly strong in qualifying, topping five out of ten qualifying sessions and converting that pace into six victories.
Olivieri finished on the podium in all but two races, with one fourth place and one retirement, both in reverse-grid races. In the first round of the season at Yas Marina, the third round at Dubai and the fifth round at Lusail, he finished all three races on the podium. He sealed the championship ahead of teammate Alex Powell and Prema’s Kean Nakamura-Berta with a race to go.
His main campaign this year was in Italian F4, and he led his R-ace GP squad once again and finished seventh in the standings. Olivieri also drove in the F4 World Cup in Macau, where he finished second.
Olivieri’s plans for next year are yet to be announced, but he has tested FR machinery with R-ace GP extensively in recent months.
Summary
Team: R-ace GP
Country: Italy
Age: 17
Rounds: 5
Races: 15
Wins: 6
Fastest laps: 7
Poles: 5
Podiums: 13
Points: 339
Gap over P2: 58 points
2026 plans: TBA
Saudi Arabian Formula 4 Championship: Kit Belofsky
By Marco Albertini
After a four-year international karting career highlighted by a victory in the 2022 IAME Winter Cup’s X30 Mini class, Kit Belofsky made his single-seater debut in the centrally run F4 Saudi Arabian Championship.
Against expectations, Belofsky was immediately on pace with F4 veterans, winning race one in Bahrain and taking the fastest lap before finishing sixth in race two. With those results, he left the round tied for first with Nina Gademan and Theo Palmer, then solidified himself as the sole points leader in round two at the same venue by taking third in the first race and dominating the second.
The next two rounds were held in November in Jeddah, and the 15-year-old finished no lower than fourth across the four races and scored a win in race one of the latter event. With one round left, only Adam Al Azhari and Scott Kin Lindblom were in contention for the title, but Belofsky’s title was sealed when the two title contenders skipped the finale to race in Formula Trophy. With the title already confirmed, the Briton ended the year with his fourth win of the season and another podium.
Belofsky is set to continue in single-seaters next year, joining Fortec Motorsport for his rookie year in British F4.
Summary
Country: United Kingdom
Age: 15
Rounds: 5
Races: 10
Wins: 4
Fastest laps: 3
Poles: 2
Podiums: 8
Points: 189
Gap over P2: 64 points
2026 plans: British F4 with Fortec Motorsport
Japanese Formula 4 Championship: Tokiya Suzuki
By Finjo Muschlien
Toyota junior Tokiya Suzuki became Japanese F4 champion in 2025 despite having trailed Itsuki Sato for four of the six rounds.
The 19-year-old had a great start to the season, winning the opening race and leading the drivers’ standings after the first round. Sato’s streak of four wins and 10 consecutive top-two finishes, however, quickly made Suzuki an outside contender.
In the final round at Motegi, everything changed. Entering the round in second, 23.5 points off the lead, Suzuki benefitted from Sato’s retirement in the first race and reduced the points gap to just 5.5 points before the final race.
Starting second behind Sato, Suzuki quickly attacked his rival in the opening corners, but the pair collided in Turn 4, causing Sato to drop into the Independent class’ midfield. Suzuki likewise ran through the gravel trap but recovered to second on track.
Controversially, both drivers received five-second time penalties for the incident. Suzuki’s penalty dropped him to fourth, but the 12 points he collected were still enough to earn him the title, especially with Sato earning none for his 14th-place finish after crossing the line 13th.
In 2026, Suzuki will race in Super Formula Lights with TOM’S as well as in Super Taikyu and Super GT. He initially tested with R-ace GP as preparation for a possible move to FRegional in Europe and the Middle East.
Summary
Team: TGR-DC RS
Country: Japan
Age: 19
Rounds: 6
Races: 14
Wins: 4
Fastest laps: 2
Poles: 3
Podiums: 9
Points: 219
Gap over P2: 6.5 points
2026 plans: Super Formula Lights with TOM’S; Super GT GT300 class and Super Taikyu ST-Q class with GR Team Spirit
Kyojo Cup: Rio Shimono
By Finjo Muschlien
Rio Shimono was crowned the first champion of the all-female Kyojo Cup’s open-wheel era. The 25-year-old took eight wins from 10 races and only missed out on the top step of the podium in the second round, when her car had issues.
A frontrunner in the Kyojo Cup in years past, Shimono was a favourite for the title heading into the season. The Japanese driver also brought years of experience in single-seaters and F4 and had teamed up with Team Impul with Dr.Dry, with whom she also competes in Japanese F4.
Her races were mostly uneventful. Others’ open-wheel inexperience caused the field to be unbalanced in the opening rounds, and Shimono was able to outperform her closest rivals, Miki Onaga and Aimi Saito.
In 2026, Shimono will return to the Kyojo Cup with Team Impul with Dr.Dry. She is also expected to continue in Japanese F4.
Summary
Team: Team Impul with Dr.Dry
Country: Japan
Age: 25
Rounds: 5
Races: 10
Wins: 8
Fastest laps: 4
Poles: 3
Podiums: 10
Points: 149
Gap over P2: 51 points
2026 plans: Kyojo Cup with Team Impul with Dr.Dry
Chinese Formula 4 Championship: Simon Zhang
By Kaylene Lau
Heading into the season, it had been 10 months since Simon Zhang had raced in any single-seater series. He had last raced in the first three rounds of Italian F4 in 2024 with Jenzer Motorsport. In the same year, he also competed in the opening two rounds of F4 CEZ, the first with Jenzer and the second with BVM Racing.
Zhang immediately cemented himself as the driver to beat in Chinese F4, taking three of four victories in the first round at Ningbo. He continued to show his dominance with four podiums in four races in Shanghai, two of which were wins. A perfect weekend at Zhuhai saw him win all four races, and heading into Chengdu, he had an 86-point lead over second-placed Dai Yuhao.
He secured the championship title in Chengdu after finishing second in the final race that weekend, which came after two wins and a sixth-place finish. In the finale at Zhuhai a month later, he took three additional victories. He finished the season with 14 wins, 18 podiums and a total of 424 points. In addition, he secured ACM Geeke Racing their first teams’ title since 2020.
Zhang’s 2026 plans are yet to be confirmed.
Summary
Team: ACM Geeke Racing
Country: China
Age: 17
Rounds: 5
Races: 20
Wins: 14
Fastest laps: 9
Poles: 3
Podiums: 17
Points: 424
Gap over P2: 133 points
2026 plans: TBA
Indian Formula 4 Championship: Shane Chandaria
By Grayson Wallace
After his step up from karting into single-seaters this year, Shane Chandaria took the championship title for Indian F4’s third-ever season.
Chandaria took his maiden single-seater win – and fastest lap – in the second round of the championship. From there, he was able to build a gap on potential championship contenders, taking one win at the next two rounds.
He finished on the podium in both races at the final round in Madras and sealed the championship there with a 17-point gap over F4 Global Shootout Program winner Sachel Rotgé. Chandaria’s 2026 plans aren’t clear, but he will hope to carry this consistency into wherever he competes next year.
Summary
Team: Chennai Turbo Riders
Country: Kenya
Age: 15
Rounds: 5
Races: 15
Wins: 3
Fastest laps: 5
Poles: 5
Podiums: 8
Points: 186
Gap over P2: 18
2026 plans: TBA
Formula 4 South East Asia Championship: Alex Sawer
By Grayson Wallace
Alex Sawer claimed his first championship title this year with a dominant season. After finishing 24th this February in FR Middle East with Evans GP, Sawer accomplished wonders with the team in F4 South East Asia.
The 18-year-old swept the first two rounds of the championship, taking six of six wins and only finishing below that five times in the following three rounds. In round three, an accident in the first race helped his rival, Seth Gilmore, take first place. Even so, Sawer took another two wins in a row following the stumble.
After the ingress of Niccolò Maccagnani for the final two rounds, Sawer faced much stiffer competition. He still won twice in the penultimate event but could not take another win in the final round at Sepang as Maccagnani swept the round. Sawer sealed first place in the drivers’ standings after qualifying on pole position, additionally finishing on the podium in all three races to follow with an impressive points gap of 96 over Gilmore.
Sawer’s plans for 2026 have not yet been announced.
Summary
Team: Evans GP
Country: Vietnam
Age: 18
Rounds: 5
Races: 14
Wins: 9
Fastest laps: 9
Poles: 5
Podiums: 12
Points: 357
Gap over P2: 96 points
2026 plans: TBA
AU4 Championship: Noah Killion
By Anabelle Bremner
Noah Killion entered AU4 a single-seater newcomer – and left it a champion.
The 15-year-old had a rocky start to the season, taking just two podiums – both race wins – in the first two rounds and allowing his rivals to take an early advantage.
He found his feet at the championship’s midpoint, dominating the Phillip Island round with two first-place finishes, and from then on, it was clear that he had pace to spare. He went into the penultimate round at Sydney second in the championship, 12 points behind his more consistent rival Isaac McNeill, but two wins and a second place helped him close the gap to only four points ahead of the three-race finale.
The tense title fight went down to the wire, but with an unquestionably dominant triple victory, Killion pipped McNeill for first on merit and again on mathematics, as AU4’s dropped points system confirmed his victory.
Killion also competed in this year’s Formula Trophy, finishing 13th in the standings. In 2026, he heads to Italian F4, E4 and FWS with US Racing.
Summary
Team: AGI Sport
Country: Australia
Age: 15
Rounds: 5
Races: 15
Wins: 8
Fastest laps: 12
Poles: 3
Podiums: 9
Points: 268
Gap over P2: 27 points
2026 plans: FWS, Italian F4 and E4 with US Racing
Brazilian Formula 4 Championship: Heitor Dall’Agnol
By Marco Albertini
Heitor Dall’Agnol stepped up from karting to cars in 2025, joining TMG Racing for his rookie year in Brazilian F4.
On his debut at Interlagos, Dall’Agnol took three top-five finishes, including his first of four wins, to enter Velocittà as the points leader. In the first of three rounds held at the venue, Dall’Agnol finished second in the first two races and won the third to extend his lead to 45 points. The Brazilian then continued his streak of top-five results in the second Velocittà round before winning twice in the third to extend his lead to 79 points with two points-paying events remaining.
Returning to Interlagos for the final two rounds on the second weekend of December, Dall’Agnol finished on the podium three times in the first four races before closing out the year with two finishes outside the points. By then, however, Dall’Agnol was already the champion, as his third-place finish in race one of the final round proved enough for him to seal the title with two races to spare.
Dall’Agnol hasn’t announced his 2026 plans yet.
Summary
Team: TMG Racing
Country: Brazil
Age: 16
Rounds: 6
Races: 18
Wins: 4
Fastest laps: 7
Poles: 1
Podiums: 11
Points: 243
Gap over P2: 39 points
2026 plans: TBA
NACAM Formula 4 Championship: Zaky Ibrahim
By Marco Albertini
After finishing third in last year’s truncated edition of NACAM F4, Zaky Ibrahim returned to Ram Racing for his sophomore season in the series.
Ibrahim took an early points lead with a double win in the season-opening round in Puebla and extended it by winning all three races in the first of four Mexico City–based rounds. A month later at the same venue, Ibrahim scored his sixth and final win of the season as title rival Fernando Luque began to gain ground on him.
In the following two rounds, Luque ate into Ibrahim’s lead, finishing on the podium in all but one race leading up to the finale in Mexico City. In that time, Ibrahim, once a fixture on the podium, could only manage a best result of fourth.
In the two-race round under the F1 support bill, Ibrahim finished third in race one and crossed the line sixth in race two. Though Luque won the final race, Ibrahim had done enough to seal the title by six points.
Ibrahim hasn’t announced his 2026 plans yet.
Summary
Team: Ram Racing 1
Country: Mexico
Age: 19
Rounds: 6
Races: 17
Wins: 6
Fastest laps: 5
Poles: 2
Podiums: 8
Points: 256
Gap over P2: 6 points
2026 plans: TBA
Formula 4 United States Championship: Cooper Shipman
By Marco Albertini
After two years in the F1600 Championship Series, Cooper Shipman transitioned to the F4 United States Championship for 2025, joining Kiwi Motorsport for his rookie year in the series.
Having kicked off the year by finishing second in all three races at NOLA and scoring one podium at Road America, Shipman entered the Mid-Ohio round second to Kekai Hauanio in points. There, Shipman was unbeatable, qualifying on pole and winning both races to take the points lead.
In the following three rounds, Shipman continued his dominant form by winning every race he entered in New Jersey, Mosport and Virginia. He clinched the F4 US title with a round to spare, 72 points ahead of Hauanio.
Shipman opted to skip the season finale at Barber in favour of making his debut in FR Americas at the same venue, finishing third on debut for Kiwi Motorsports. He ended the F4 season with a 32.5-point gap over eventual runner-up Alex Popow.
Shipman will continue with Kiwi as he steps up to full-time FR competition in 2026, beginning the year in the FR Oceania Trophy.
Summary
Team: Kiwi Motorsport
Country: United States
Age: 17
Rounds: 6
Races: 15
Wins: 9
Fastest laps: 7
Poles: 4
Podiums: 13
Points: 298.5
Gap over P2: 32.5 points
2026 plans: FR Oceania with Kiwi Motorsport
Ligier Junior Formula Championship: Gastón Irazú
By Marco Albertini
Following a third-place finish in the Supertouring Championship Uruguay and a title-winning campaign in Formula FARA, Gastón Irazú joined Champagne Racing to race in the Ligier Junior Formula Championship in 2025.
The Uruguayan’s second season in the United States kicked off with a bang, as he won twice and finished second in round one at NOLA to take an early points lead. Irazú then finished second in all three races at Road America before taking his third win of the season at Mid-Ohio to further extend his title advantage.
In the truncated New Jersey round, Irazú won twice more, his final wins of the season. He scored just one podium in the remaining two rounds of the season, but his early-season form gave him enough breathing room to secure his title with an eighth-place finish in race one at Barber. He ended the season 33 points ahead of Drew Szuch.
Irazú hasn’t announced his 2026 plans yet, but he has received a scholarship to race in F4 US next year. The prize covers the entry fees for races as well as the race tyres, engine and lease of a Ligier JS F422 chassis.
Summary
Team: Champagne Racing
Country: Uruguay
Age: 18
Rounds: 6
Races: 15
Wins: 5
Fastest laps: 7
Poles: 2
Podiums: 10
Points: 215
Gap over P2: 33 points
2026 plans: TBA
Indy NXT: Dennis Hauger
When Dennis Hauger was announced by Andretti Global for the 2025 Indy NXT season, he was immediately the favourite for the title based on his strong, though at times unlucky, three-year F2 spell.
Right out of the gates, Hauger made the transition to American motorsports look easy. The Norwegian won the first two races of the season at St Petersburg and Barber in dominant style, with an impressive winning margin of 11 seconds at the latter.
When he hit a bump following an opening-lap incident in race one at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, Hauger showcased composure and discipline, clawing his way back to eighth. That was good enough for him to maintain the championship lead over Lochie Hughes, and in race two the next day, the 22-year-old was back on top with a decisive victory.
Hauger’s strong performances continued into the second half of the season, with his consistent podium-scoring giving the likes of Caio Collet and Hughes no real chance to get close in the championship.
Hauger ultimately won six races and stood on the podium a total of 11 times in 14 starts, leading the Indy NXT championship from start to finish – just as he did in his first two races in the series.
Shortly after Hauger claimed the title, Dale Coyne Racing announced he would pilot one of their full-time entries for the 2026 IndyCar season.
Summary
Team: Andretti Global
Country: Norway
Age: 22
Rounds: 12
Races: 14
Wins: 6
Fastest laps: 5
Poles: 8
Podiums: 11
Points: 559
Gap over P2: 72 points
2026 plans: IndyCar with Dale Coyne Racing
USF Pro 2000 Championship: Max Garcia
At 16 years old, Max Garcia may be the biggest prospect in American open-wheel junior racing right now, and his championship-winning campaign in USF Pro 2000 only reaffirmed that. On top of the outright speed the Pabst Racing driver displayed this year, his composure and consistency proved particularly impressive.
Garcia opened the season with two wins and three second-place finishes. These results gave the young American a lead of 16 points after the first two rounds of the season. In the following round at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, the 16-year-old finished fourth, third and fourth, increasing his championship lead to 57 points despite being in the midst of his longest winless streak this year.
If other contenders such as Ariel Elkin and Alessandro de Tullio had any championship ambitions left, Garcia squashed them with a dominant display in the second half of the season, winning seven of the last nine races.
In total, Garcia won nine races in IndyCar’s third tier, the most since Kyle Kirkwood did so in 2019. The Pabst Racing driver clinched the championship with three races to spare and the biggest points margin among all American junior single-seater series in 2025.
Next year, Garcia will make his Indy NXT debut with Abel Motorsports.
Summary
Team: Pabst Racing
Country: United States
Age: 16
Rounds: 8
Races: 18
Wins: 9
Fastest laps: 12
Poles: 9
Podiums: 13
Points: 495
Gap over P2: 148 points
2026 plans: Indy NXT with Abel Motorsports
USF2000 Championship: Jack Jeffers
Sometimes in racing, the unforeseen events that derail one person’s career offer a golden opportunity to another. When visa issues forced dominant USF2000 points leader Liam McNeilly to leave the series after five races, second-placed Jack Jeffers suddenly had a serious chance to win the title.
Jeffers started his season strong with three second-place finishes behind McNeilly. After the first five races, all of which McNeilly had won, the gap in the championship stood at 51 points.
Following McNeilly’s departure, Jeffers immediately stepped up by winning race one at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and finishing third in race two. The Exclusive Autosport driver left the IMS round as the points leader.
A tight championship battle followed between Jeffers and Thomas Schrage over the next few rounds, but going into the second half of the season, Jeffers found another gear. From Mid-Ohio onwards, the 19-year-old won five out of the last eight races and finished second in the other three. His championship run got extra wings when Schrage got caught up in incidents during both races in Toronto while Jeffers emerged victorious.
In the end, Jeffers clinched the USF2000 championship in Portland with a race to spare. Next year, he will graduate to USF Pro 2000 with Exclusive.
Summary
Team: Exclusive Autosport
Country: United States
Age: 19
Rounds: 8
Races: 18
Wins: 6
Fastest laps: 5
Poles: 5
Podiums: 13
Points: 438
Gap over P2: 67 points
2026 plans: USF Pro 2000 with Exclusive Autosport
USF Juniors: Leonardo Escorpioni
By Marco Albertini
After a quiet rookie year in USF Juniors in which he scored one podium and finished ninth in points, Leonardo Escorpioni returned to Zanella Racing for his sophomore season in the series.
Escorpioni began the season by finishing third in race one at NOLA and scoring his maiden series win in race two, but he left the round fifth in points after retiring in race three. One month later at Barber, the Brazilian won the opening two races and finished third in race three to jump to second in points.
His strong form carried on to Mid-Ohio, where he took the points lead with two third-place finishes. One month later at the same venue, he extended it with two more podiums.
At Road America, Escorpioni recovered from a 17th-place finish in qualifying to take two podiums as Liam Loiacono swept the weekend and cut the 15-year-old’s lead to 14 points. In the season-ending round at Portland, however, he shone, winning the first two races to clinch the USF Juniors crown with a race to spare as Loiacono faltered behind him.
Escorpioni will remain with Zanella Racing as he and the team step up to USF2000 for 2026.
Summary
Team: Zanella Racing
Country: Brazil
Age: 15
Rounds: 6
Races: 16
Wins: 6
Fastest laps: 5
Poles: 6
Podiums: 14
Points: 403
Gap over P2: 71 points
2026 plans: USF2000 with Zanella Racing
Other series’ champions
Europe
Hoosier Formula Cup: Nano López, Argentina, TS Corse
Austrian Formula 3 Cup: Sandro Zeller, Switzerland, Jo Zeller Racing
Austrian Formula Regional Class: Jérémy Clavaud, France, STAC
Austrian Formula 3 Trophy: André Petropoulos, Germany, Team Hoffmann Racing
Austrian Formula Light Cup: Michael Fischer, Austria, LRT
F2000 Italian Formula Trophy: Sandro Zeller, Switzerland, Jo Zeller Racing
Italian F2.0 Cup: Karim Sartori, Italy, Speed Motor
SMP F4: Yaroslav Shevyrtalov, Russia, Lada Sport
Asia
Formula Beat: Shota Sakai, Japan, First Garage
Super FJ: Shota Sakai, Japan, First Garage
F110 Cup: Leon Ochiai, Japan, Eagle Sports
Oceania
Australian Formula Open: Michael Doherty, Australia, Performer Australia
AU4 Championship (Gen 1): Jensen Marold, Australia, AGI Sport
Americas
Atlantic Championship: John McAleer, United States, MotoNomaddicts
Formula FARA: Kai Johnson, United States, VRD Racing
Formula Pro USA Western Championship, FPUSA-3: Larry Schnur, United States, World Speed Motorsports
Formula Pro USA Western Championship, FPUSA-4: Ridgeley Welsh, United States, World Speed Motorsports
YACademy Winter Series: Leonardo Escorpioni, Brazil, Zanella Racing
Skip Barber Race Series: Iván Machado Pérez, Spain
Fórmula Nacional Argentina: Julián Ramos, Argentina, CB Racing
Fórmula 2 Argentina: Valentino Alaux, Argentina, Gabriel Werner Competición
Fórmula 3 Metropolitana: Thiago Falivene, Argentina, Satorra Competición
Fórmula Delta: Paulo Willemann, Brazil
See you in 2026!
Header photo collage created by Daisy Turvey featuring photos from ACI Sport, AU4 Championship, Luís França / Vicar, Bruce Jenkins Photography, Chinese Formula 4 Championship, Chris Owens / Penske Entertainment, Dutch Photo Agency, Edern Frouin, Formula 4 CEZ Championship, Formula 4 Middle East Championship, Formula Regional Americas Championship, Formula Regional Japanese Championship, Formula Regional Middle East Championship, Formula Trophy, Gavin Baker Photography, Indian Formula 4, Jakob Ebrey Photography, Japanese Formula 4 Championship, Jiří Křenek / Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Limited, Kyojo Cup, Macau Grand Prix Organizing Committee, Nordic 4, Saudi Arabian Formula 4 Championship, Sebastian Kawka / Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Limited and Super Formula Lights
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