Stepan Suslov made quite the impression on the 2026 UCS Formula Cup grid, winning five out of six races in two rounds. The 17-year-old Swedish driver sat down with Feeder Series to discuss his transition from GT4 racing to Formula Regional cars and the help the Winfield Racing School has given him throughout his single-seater career.

By Julien Thoinet

Last month, Magny-Cours was home to the second UCS Formula Cup round. Race week began on Thursday under the warm sun enveloping the Nièvre countryside. The heat would intensify every day, bringing another layer of challenge to the drivers.

This did not slow down rookie Stepan Suslov, the championship leader in both the overall and rookie standings. He finished second in race one on Friday, then went on to win the last two races on Saturday on scorching tarmac.

As the last day of the second UCS Formula Cup round began, Feeder Series arrived in the paddock for the first time and conducted an interview with the Swedish championship leader that morning. On track, Clio Cup cars were already racing as we climbed down the stairs that led to Winfield’s tents. As we were waiting for Suslov to come, the team was busy preparing their FR cars for race three – engineers analysing engine data, mechanics filling the cars up with fluids, tightening screws and wheels. The series uses the older Tatuus F3 T-318 chassis and Hoosier tyres to bring costs down while providing great wheel-to-wheel experience for drivers. 

It’s a perfect recipe for a rookie like Suslov. With a 59-point gap in the drivers’ standings as well as a 50-point gap in the rookies’ standings, the Stockholm native keeps putting one foot in front of the other in his march towards the championship. For a few minutes on this Saturday morning, though, Suslov paused to reflect. He hopped out of a van on this Saturday morning, coming fresh from his hotel, and met us to conduct an interview in front of the car he has piloted to great success.

“I started go-karting at the age of 12,” Suslov told Feeder Series. “My first experience racing internationally was in 2024, when I switched to GT cars. After that, I made my debut in Formula 4, and now I’m racing in Hoosier Formula Cup.”

Competing in Spanish F4 with Drivex, Suslov took a best race result of 13th, and he finished 28th in the standings. While he gained valuable experience, the Saratov-born driver, in his own words, wasn’t thrilled about his results. That was one factor that convinced him to make the jump to UCS Formula Cup instead of doing another F4 season.

“I had quite a bad year in Formula 4,” Suslov said. “Our goal was to find a good team for me to grow and develop with as well as show good results because this is very important for me this season. Winfield looked like an ideal place for me because the team is full of really professional people.”

Winfield have extensive experience in UCS Formula Cup, having joined the grid in 2023, but they truly stepped up in 2025 with the creation of Winfield Racing, a competitive entity dedicated to developing new talents. In Suslov’s case, Winfield’s involvement in his single-seater career started just before his Spanish F4 debut. He participated in a training camp with them in Bahrain where he not only discovered the car but also learned how the car works in thorough detail. The racing school also helped him mentally prepare for race weekends.

Winfield’s racing school is the oldest in France, dating back to 1964. The alumni section is a sight to behold: Alain Prost, Damon Hill, Jean Alesi, Isack Hadjar and Doriane Pin are some of the big names that have honed their craft with Winfield. To benefit from a good learning environment and follow a path like theirs, however, requires a driver to fulfill certain responsibilities.

For Suslov, that seemed to be no issue. Jade Alzon, Winfield’s team manager, praised his personality, performances, and ‘impeccable’ work ethic as he seeks to master even faster machinery than he drove before. 

Suslov in his car before race three at the 2026 Magny-Cours round | Credit: Julien Thoinet

“Formula Cup is a nice place because they have Formula Regional cars, which is a proper racecar,” Suslov said. “The calendar is quite good, full of European tracks. Plus you have a prize pool for the rookie winner, which is also a good thing because not every championship has it.”

Adapting to a new car wasn’t an issue for the rookie. For the last four years, Suslov has had to drive a new machinery in each series, whether it was karts, Mitjet silhouette cars or F4 cars.

“I get used to adapting very quickly to new cars,” he said. “The transition from F4 to Formula Regional was by far the smoothest. Before I was jumping from karting to GT, from GT to formula. Now, by staying in formulas, I’m just switching the category.”

With five wins in six races this season, the training has worked tremendously well. Suslov has been showing dominant form since pre-season testing, only bested once in race one at Magny-Cours by 2024 rookie champion Enzo Richer.

With success comes ambition, and the 17-year-old rookie is already looking ahead for next season, with the goal of becoming a professional driver. Though his desire to compete in any series drives his life, he wants to keep racing in single-seaters for as long as possible.

“Besides trying to win the championship – because that’s my goal always, [no] matter where I race – I would like to develop as a driver,” he said. “To find some sponsors to continue my career in single-seaters, that would be nice. Right now, I’m managing my career by myself.”

Though most of his team and the championship itself are based in France, Suslov still resides in Stockholm, meaning he has to travel abroad for all races. Still, he had plenty of time off track to visit the country.

“I really like France, and I travel a lot here – not only for races,” he said. “I visited different parts of the country and I really loved it.”

The next UCS Formula Cup event will take Suslov to Italy for the first international round of the season at the Mugello International Circuit from 9 to 12 July.

Header photo credit: Julien Thoinet