The calmest weekend of September somehow still has nine junior single-seater championships racing. We cover seven of them in detail in our weekly preview and tell you how you can keep up with each one.

By Feeder Series

The attention might not be on single-seater motorsport quite so heavily this weekend without F1, IndyCar, Super Formula or Formula E on this weekend. Still, there’s likely to be plenty to celebrate in the championships at the grassroots level. With five penultimate rounds of the season plus two runaway leaders in the others, up to seven drivers could be crowned champions this weekend.

The series are not, however, widely streamed. French F4’s Lédenon round will run without a broadcast, as will FR Americas’ second race and the Ultimate Cup Series Formula Cup’s Friday action. F4 US, the Ligier Junior Formula Championship, Japanese F4 and Italian F4 will have broadcasts for all their races. To find out more about how to follow each series, live-streamed or otherwise, keep reading.

Outside of our regular reviews, Indian F4 holds the second of two back-to-back rounds at Kari Motor Speedway, with Aris Kyriakou sitting at the top of the standings after claiming three podiums last weekend, including a win in race three. He has a 13-point advantage over Luviwe Sambudla, who won race one. Formula Global Shootout Program winner Aaron Mehta, who took two podiums and sits third in the standings, will be hunting for his first win.

Finally, Formula Nordic closes its season at Mantorp Raceway. Hampus Varis has been enjoying his champion title for two months already, but he will still want to increase his win total from 11 to 13 to match the record set by Linus Granfors in 2023 and Melvin Kalousdian last year. Fredrik Lindholm looks set to take second, but with Robin Hafström absent for the second round running in favour of Porsche Sprint Challenge Scandinavia, third place will be hotly contested between Vera Jurland and Vincent Kraft.

If the single-seater action isn’t enough, the first FIA Karting world champion of the year will be crowned this weekend as the KZ category takes to Le Mans. Frequent weekend preview readers may recognise young star Maksim Orlov, who also competes in SMP F4. Alongside them is the KZ2 World Cup, with two F1 juniors – Ferrari’s Filippo Sala and Aston Martin’s Niklas Schaufler – taking part, along with Eurocup-3 driver Daniel Maciá. The name to watch, however, is reigning European champion Kimi Tani, who was recently announced for the annual Richard Mille Young Talent Academy shootout, which offers a seat in Spanish F4. And the KZ2 Masters Super Cup features one very well-known name: former F1 driver Rubens Barrichello.

Italian F4: Round 6, Misano

Circuit: Misano World Circuit, 4.226 km

Schedule: All times local (UTC+2)

Friday 18 September

• 08:30–09:00: Free practice 1 (Group 1)
• 09:10–09:40: Free practice 1 (Group 2)
• 11:40–12:10: Free practice 2 (Group 1)
• 12:20–12:50: Free practice 2 (Group 2) 
• 16:50–17:10: Qualifying (Group 1) 
• 17:20–17:40: Qualifying (Group 2) 

Saturday 19 September

• 11:15–11:45: Race 1 (Groups B and C)
• 17:05–17:35: Race 2 (Groups A and B)

Sunday 20 September

• 10:10–10:40: Race 3 (Groups A and C)
• 16:20–16:50: Final race

How to follow: Free practice and qualifying sessions are not broadcast, but ACI provides live timing. Races are live-streamed on ACI’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Weather forecast: Showers likely on Thursday and Friday, with clearer skies on Saturday and Sunday.

What to know: Italian F4 started their season in Misano back in May. Now, as they return for a second round at the circuit, championship leader Luka Sammalisto has a chance to clinch the title. Currently 99 points ahead of nearest challenger David Cosma Cristofor, the Finn needs just a single win to become the Italian F4 champion for 2026. 

Sammalisto, Alp Aksoy, and Niccolò Maccagnani all took victory last time at this circuit. For Aksoy, repeating that success could help him reclaim the rookie standings lead from Kenzo Craigie, who sits just behind Aksoy in the main standings in fifth. But Craigie has been on hot form recently, taking a win and two second-place finishes earlier this month in Imola. 

Edu Robinson, currently sixth overall, also excelled in Imola, taking a win and two third-place finishes. Just 12 points behind Craigie, he’s in position to push for a top-five championship finish.

Maccagnani won’t be able to reprise his win as he has departed the series following his F3 debut at the Madring last weekend. He’ll be replaced at Prema by Georgiy Zasov (#25), who sits seventh in the F4 CEZ standings after taking his first single-seater victory in Brno. He last competed in Italian F4 at the first round of the season for Jenzer. 

At Alpha 54 Racing, Joaquín Pagola (#75) will replace countryman Bautista Acosta, who did not start either of his races last round. Pagola currently leads the Formula 3 Entrerriana standings in his home country of Argentina. 

Lucas Pasquinetti (#77) will join Trident’s lineup this weekend, returning to single-seaters for the first time since he finished 41st overall in UAE4 early this year. Meanwhile, Rocco Coronel will not return to AKM Motorsport this weekend following his appearance in Imola, meaning the team’s lineup will return to two drivers. PA Racing’s Ginevra Panzeri will also miss round six without being replaced as she instead competes in French F4. 

Report by Calla Kra-Caskey

Read the previous round’s report here.

French F4: Round 5, Lédenon

Circuit: Circuit de Lédenon, 3.156 km

Schedule: All times local (UTC+2)

Friday 18 September

• 09:00–09:30: Free practice
• 15:00–15:30: Qualifying

Saturday 19 September

• 09:05–09:40: Race 1
• 14:50–15:30: Race 2

Sunday 20 September

• 09:25–10:00: Race 3

How to follow: All sessions will have live timing available on its-live.net. For the only time this season, none of the races will be broadcasted. 

Weather forecast: Sunny all weekend with warm temperatures and gusty winds.

What to know: French F4 returns to Lédenon in the south of France a few kilometers from the Arena of Nîmes, which once welcomed gladiators battling each other for glory. Two thousand years later, two drivers are eyeing the French F4 crown, with others trying to shine in hopes of moving up the ladder.

Sophomore driver Guillaume Bouzar returns to the scene of his first single-seater win with a 39-point lead on Belgian rookie star Thibaut Ramaekers. If Bouzar outscores Ramaekers by 26 points and no drivers behind score more than 56, he will be crowned champion with one weekend remaining.

But Ramaekers is soaring with four podiums in the last four races, while Lilian Soares, Hugo Herrouin and Kota Tsuchihashi – third, fourth and fifth respectively overall – are still seeking their maiden win. Following his Magny-Cours disappointment, Matthéo Dauvergne, the only polesitter besides Bouzar, will hope to convert his pace into strong points. 

After joining for the last round, Truly Adams is not returning to the grid this weekend. Focusing on her F1 Academy program, Lisa Billard will not be present this weekend in Lédenon, though Jade Jacquet is staying.

Report by Perceval Wolff-Taffus

Read the previous round’s report here.

Japanese F4: Round 5, Sugo

Circuit: Sportsland Sugo, 3.587km

Schedule: All times local (UTC+9)

Thursday 17 September

• 13:30–14:00: Champion Class practice 1
• 14:15–14:45: Independent Class practice 1
• 15:30–16:00: Champion Class practice 2
• 16:15–16:45: Independent Class practice 2

Friday 18 September

• 08:00–08:30: Champion Class practice 3
• 08:45–09:15: Independent Class practice 3
• 13:10–13:30: Champion Class qualifying
• 13:45–14:05: Independent Class qualifying

Saturday 19 September

• 08:15–08:45: Independent Class race 1 (17 laps) 
• 09:20–09:50: Champion Class race 1 (17 laps) 

Sunday 20 September

• 08:15–08:45: Independent Class race 2 (17 laps) 
• 09:20–09:50: Champion Class race 2 (17 laps) 

How to follow: All races are streamed on the series’ official YouTube channel. Live timing will be available on the Super GT Live Timing app, although it is not available in Europe.

Weather forecast: Cloudy on Thursday and Friday. Rain showers likely ahead of the races on Saturday and Sunday. 

What to know: Japanese F4 enters its fifth round of the season at Sugo this weekend with 29 drivers entered in the Champion Class and 19 entered in the Independent Class.

Kageyama Racing’s Ryo Shirasaki is racing in a class of his own this year as he has taken six consecutive wins and now leads the drivers’ standings on 150 points, 45 ahead of Masana Muto. The Toyota junior is listed on the entry list but sustained an injury in Formula Regional Japan’s Sugo round that will sideline him for the coming weeks. 

Buzz Racing’s William Beck (#8) returns having sat out the previous round at Suzuka, which clashed with his AU4 campaign. Fujita Pharmacy Racing’s Taiga Ishii (#47) likewise returns having skipped Suzuka. Muto’s replacement at TGR-DC Racing School will be Riona Tomishita (#29), who currently leads the Kyojo Cup standings.

Team 5Zigen’s Sena Yamamoto and Drago Corse’s Kaoru Yoshida will be absent from this weekend’s round. 

In the Independent Class, Ryuichi Kunihiro (#92) returns at Rn-sports, replacing Masayuki Ueda. M&K Racing’s Mitsuhiro Endo (#97) likewise returns. 

Zap Speed and drivers “Go Shimizu” and “Mototino”, as well as the injured Nobuhiro Imada of B-Max Engineering, are absent. 

Report by Finjo Muschlien

Read the previous round’s report here.

FRegional Americas: Round 7, Virginia

Circuit: Virginia International Raceway, 5.263 km

Schedule: All times local (UTC−4)

Thursday 17 September

• 17:15–18:00: Test session 1

Friday 18 September

• 11:05–11:35: Test session 2
• 15:55–16:20: Practice

Saturday 19 September

• 09:30–09:55: Qualifying
• 16:25–17:00: Race 1

Sunday 20 September

• 14:35–15:10: Race 2

How to follow: Live timing will be available on Race Monitor for all sessions. Qualifying and race one will be streamed on Racing America’s YouTube channel.

Weather forecast: Showers and thunderstorms are possible Friday evening into Saturday morning, followed by cloudy skies on Saturday afternoon and a hot and sunny Sunday with temperatures reaching up to 32°C.

What to know: FRegional Americas has reached its penultimate round of the season. The series heads to Virginia International Raceway, with Brady Golan sitting atop the championship by 10.5 points over Evagoras Papasavvas and 47 points over Cooper Shipman.

The drama reached perhaps its highest level all season in the previous round at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, with Papasavvas going upside down in race one, Golan crashing into Shipman for the lead in race three, and Kekai Hauanio taking a win on a weekend he didn’t expect to attend.

This weekend’s pair of races will set the stage for October’s season finale at Barber Motorsports Park. As in the previous round, the grid will feature 13 cars at VIR, but several drivers have come and gone.

Atlantic Racing Team and James Lawley are again absent from the grid because of a conflict with the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series. Masters Cup leader Whitney Strickland, who joined Atlantic from Hillenburg Motorsports for the Mosport round, is absent from the grid as well. Fellow Masters Cup competitor Anthony Autiello and Momentum Motorsports will not compete at VIR either after a difficult weekend in Mosport.

After missing the last two rounds, Eric Wiśniewski (#21) is back with Hillenburg, who also make their return to the series after not competing at Mosport. Jensen Global Advisors, who made a surprise return to the series for the New Jersey Motorsports Park round, will race once again as well, keeping the driver line-up of Aiden Zelaya (#1) and Robert Arana (#2).

Report by Owen White

Read the previous round’s report here.

F4 US: Round 6, Virginia

Circuit: Virginia International Raceway, 5.263 km

Schedule: All times local (UTC−4)

Thursday 17 September

• 16:25–17:10: Test session 1

Friday 18 September

• 09:00–09:30: Test session 2
• 14:25–14:50: Practice
• 17:55–18:25: Qualifying

Saturday 19 September

• 14:15–14:50: Race 1

Sunday 20 September

• 11:35–12:10: Race 2

How to follow: Live timing will be available on Race Monitor for all sessions. Both races will be shown on Racing America’s YouTube channel.

Weather forecast: Showers and thunderstorms are possible Friday evening into Saturday morning, followed by cloudy skies on Saturday afternoon and a hot and sunny Sunday with temperatures reaching up to 32°C.

What to know: F4 US will also run its penultimate round at VIR. Gastón Irazú finished in the top two in all three races at Mosport and stretched his championship advantage to 66 points over Zach Fourie, one of two first-time winners at Mosport.

Caleb Campbell sits eight points further back, but after two difficult rounds, he risks losing third to the other new series winner, Cole Medeiros, 25 points behind Campbell.

With four races remaining, Irazú can clinch the title at VIR unless Fourie gains 17 or more points on him, Campbell gains 25 or more, or Medeiros wins both races while Irazú fails to score in both races. 

Irazú has finished first or second in every race since the second round. The silver lining for the chasers is that VIR was the only circuit where he failed to find the podium during his title-winning LJFC campaign last year.

The only change to the grid is the addition of Ben Ramirez (#32) and RASE Motorsports, who are set to make their first start since the third round of the season at Mid-Ohio.

Report by Owen White

Read the previous round’s report here.

Ligier Junior Formula Championship: Round 6, Virginia

Circuit: Virginia International Raceway, 5.263 km

Schedule: All times local (UTC−4)

Thursday 17 September

• 16:25–17:10: Optional test 1

Friday 18 September

• 09:00–09:30: Optional test 2
• 14:25–14:50: Practice
• 17:55–16:25: Qualifying

Saturday 19 September

• 10:30–11:05: Race 1

Sunday 20 September

• 10:05–10:40: Race 2

How to follow: Live timing will be available on Race Monitor for all sessions. Both races will be shown on Racing America’s YouTube channel.

Weather forecast: Showers and thunderstorms are possible Friday evening into Saturday morning, followed by cloudy skies on Saturday afternoon and a hot and sunny Sunday with temperatures reaching up to 32°C.

What to know: The Ligier Junior Formula Championship heads to VIR for its second-to-last round of the season.

Last time out in New Jersey, Edward Kennedy won all three races overall, putting himself just one point behind Jack Speth in the Gen 2 standings with two rounds still to be run.

Gen 1 was a similar story. Beckham Jacir won all three races in class ahead of Lázaro Bainotti, who sits on 189 points, 66 behind Jacir. Third on 123 points is Ava Hanssen, who salvaged a podium in a leased car from Berg Racing after facing mechanical problems in race one. AJ Abdullah and Alexander Savage round out the top five.

With four races left on the calendar, Jacir could clinch the Gen 1 title as early as race one if he enters the final three races with a 75-point gap over Bainotti.

The entry list remains the same for the third round in succession.

Report by Marco Albertini

Read the previous round’s report here.

UCS Formula Cup: Round 4, Spa

Circuit: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, 7.004 km

Schedule: All times local (UTC+2)

Thursday 17 September

• 09:00–09:20: Paid test 1
• 11:40–12:00: Paid test 2
• 13:55–14:35: Paid test 3
• 15:45–16:15: Private practice 1
• 17:25–17:55: Private practice 2

Friday 18 September

• 09:00–09:15: Qualifying 1
• 09:20–09:35: Qualifying 2
• 13:10–13:30: Race 1
• 17:10–17:30: Race 2

Saturday 19 September

• 10:15–10:35: Race 3

How to follow: Live timing is available through It’s Live. Saturday’s race is expected to be live-streamed on the Ultimate Cup Series TV YouTube channel.

Weather forecast: Both Friday and Saturday will be cloudy or partly cloudy, with showers likely on Sunday.

What to know: After nearly two months since the last round in Mugello, UCS Formula Cup returns for round four on another F1 track, the famous Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, as it begins the second half of its season.

After winning eight out of nine races so far, Stepan Suslov of Winfield Racing has the opportunity to claim his championship trophy this round, as his closest rival in the overall classification – Frédéric Boillot – sits 132 points behind the Swedish-licensed driver. In third overall, and second in the rookie classification, is Alexis Størksen, who despite missing the previous round sits ahead of his rivals Eros Gioannini and Alan Orzynski.

While Suslov won eight out of nine races among the rookies, Boillot has won eight out of nine in the gentlemen standings, with Alexandre Lima in second after one class win in Mugello despite missing round one.

There are numerous returning and debuting drivers this weekend. Martin Stoyanov (#12), currently sixth in the standings after three second-place finishes in round one, makes his comeback after missing rounds two and three.

In the gentleman class, Christophe Hurni (#62) makes his first appearance of the season. The 63-year-old Swiss driver, who has been competing in single-seaters for four decades and even raced in GP3 in 2011, contested the first round of the UCS Formula Cup last year.

Further new additions are Frenchmen Nicolas Dumond (#46) and Alban Thomas (#5), who both specialise in hill climb, as well as Moroccan Diego El Glaoui (#22), a 38-year-old entrepreneur. 

Report by Maciej Jackiewicz

Read the previous round’s report here.

All times and forecasts listed above are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, follow each series’ websites or social media pages.

Header photo credit: Alex Galli