The tradition has been well established for several years: the French F4 Championship has got into the habit of launching its season at Nogaro in the Gers. From private testing on Friday to Race 3 on Monday, the meeting promises to be intense with 26 cars on track!
In 1993, Formula Campus was officially created and was to revolutionise the motor sport pyramid. 30 years later, this one-make promotional formula has evolved! It remains the benchmark for starting out in single-seaters, combining financial accessibility and sporting fairness, while offering a unique scouting process. Renamed the “FFSA Academy” a little over 15 years ago, the federal training centre has produced dozens of drivers, as well as countless racing mechanics. In 2023, for this anniversary season, the French F4 Championship will break records, with 26 Mygale-Renault F4 single-seaters meeting FIA standards on the starting grid and no less than 13 different nationalities represented!
Alessandro Giusti’s succession is open
A rich and varied line-up will be present at this edition of the famous Easter Cup from 8th to 10th April 2023. French driver Paul Alberto, who just turned 15 on 31st March, will be the youngest driver in the field. The driver from the PACA region arrives with a solid karting background marked by a French Cadet Championship in 2019 and 2nd place in the French Junior Championship in 2021 with the FFSA Academy. At 19 years of age (20 in October), the Canadian Kevin Foster will be the oldest of this new cohort, but in no way the least ambitious. He has just won the Feed Racing Volant organised by Jacques Villeneuve and Patrick Lemarié, who have decided to trust the FFSA Academy to continue the training of the recent winner of their driving school.
Other entities have chosen the French F4 to place their young hopefuls. This is the case for the RACB, the Belgian federation, which will count on Yani Stevenheydens. A new member of the RACB National Team, the recent winner of the “Road to F4” operation also came 2nd in the highly competitive IAME International Karting Final in 2022. On that day, he was overtaken by Frenchman Evan Giltaire, who comes to F4 with some fine credentials: winner of the French Cadet Cup in 2018, French Senior Champion and 5th in the FIA Karting European Championship in 2022.
In addition, three German drivers are joining the ranks of the FFSA Academy Championship thanks to a new partnership with the ADAC Formula Junior Team, recently created to promote young hopefuls from this great motorsport country. They are Finn Wiebelhaus, Tom Kalender and Max Reis, who had already raced in 2022. Reis will not be the only repeat participant on the grid. The Frenchmen Enzo Peugeot, 5th in 2022, Romain Andriolo, the local of the event, Edgar Pierre, Enzo Richer, as well as the Spaniard Pol Lopez will also compete in their second consecutive season in the FIA-Certified French Formula 4 Championship.
In addition to the Canadian Foster, three other drivers are from the American continent: his compatriot Jason Leung, the American Garrett Berry and the Colombian Joao Paulo Diaz Balesteiro. Japan’s Hiyu Yamakoshi will try to follow in the footsteps of Ayumu Iwasa, who won in 2020. The Eastern countries will be represented by the Ukrainian Yaroslav Veselaho and two Romanians: Andrei Duna and Luca Savu.
Less experienced, but passionate and determined, Edouard Borgna (FRA) will try to make a name for himself, as will Louis Schlesser (FRA). The son of car champion Jean-Louis Schlesser intends to build his reputation. The Briton Gabriel Doyle-Parfait, the Andorran Frank Porte Ruiz and three talented ex-kartmen, Adrien Closmenil, Karel Schulz, and the Italian Leonardo Megna will also be present.
> F4 Nogaro 2023 programme
Friday 7th April: Private testing (5 sessions)
Saturday 8th April: Free Practice (08:55 – 09:25) and Qualifying (15:30 – 15:55)
Sunday 9th April: Race 1 (10:45 – 11:10) and Race 2 (16:50 – 17:15)
Monday 10th April: Race 3 (11:30 – 11:55)
> Duration of the races: 20 minutes + 1 lap
> Mygale single-seater, Renault turbo engine, Pirelli tyres, 100% renewable Repsol fuel
Follow races 2 and 3 LIVE on L’Equipe Live.
