The final round of the FIA-certified French F4 Championship proved just as intense as the 2026 season as a whole. At the Paul Ricard circuit, three different drivers took turns on the top step of the podium. Following in the footsteps of the Frenchmen Matthéo Dauvergne and Tom Dussol, Japan’s Kota Tsuchihashi won Race 3 ahead of Australia’s Lewis Francis and the American Maverick McKenna, underlining the highly international nature of the Championship run by the FFSA Academy. Guillaume Bouzar claimed the French Championship title, whilst Austrian Clara Stiebleichinger became the first-ever French Women’s F4 Champion.
Winner of Race 3, Tsuchihashi secures the title of French Vice-Champion
Kota Tsuchihashi’s participation in the French F4 series follows in the footsteps of a long line of Japanese champions who have passed through the FFSA Academy (Iwasa, Aaro, Kato and Sato, amongst others). Far from his homeland, Tsuchihashi continued to go from strength to strength in 2026. His two victories at Lédenon had re-established him amongst the contenders vying to finish runner-up to French Champion Guillaume Bouzar. Ultimately, it was the driver backed by the Suzuka Honda Racing School who had the honour of concluding the 18th and final race of the season with a victory. Starting from pole position, he made no mistakes following a perfect start and made excellent recoveries following the two safety car periods. Tsuchihashi thus secured 2nd place in the Championship once and for all.
Like the Japanese driver, Lewis Francis and Maverick McKenna did not hesitate to travel long distances – from Australia and the United States respectively – to join the ranks of the FFSA Academy. They were also among the drivers who made significant progress and were able to celebrate this rise in form on the podium at Le Castellet. Francis overtook Lilian Soares at the start of the race, before holding off McKenna’s excellent comeback to secure 2nd place. At times under pressure from the Belgian Thibaut Ramaekers, Soares finished 4th – which was also his position in the final Championship standings behind Ramaekers.
A high-tension chicane
Race 3 was marked by a number of incidents, the three main ones all taking place at the northern chicane. On the very first lap, a collision between Matthéo Dauvergne and Yuval Rosen forced the former to retire, whilst Rosen went on to finish in 7th place. A few laps later, Tom Dussol and the Polish driver Wojciech Woda collided, leaving both unable to continue. Already crowned Champion, Guillaume Bouzar had a steady race in 6th place, whilst once again demonstrating his pace by setting the fastest lap of the race. The final points of the season went to France’s Hugo Herrouin, the American Jack Iliffe, the Kenyan Shane Chandaria – who staged a magnificent comeback from 29th place – and Paraguay’s Sacha Beisemann. This final race enabled Herrouin to hold on to 5th place in the Championship, a position sought after by Dauvergne.
Women’s: A dramatic finale
The northern chicane was also the scene of the climax to the French Women’s Championship. Between the Dutch driver Annabelle Brian and the Austrian Clara Stiebleichinger, whoever finished ahead of the other would take the title. Having set a faster Qualifying time than her rival, Stiebleichinger consistently led Brian throughout Race 3. Starting four places behind, Brian nevertheless managed to close the gap on the Austrian. With two laps to go, she attempted an overtaking manoeuvre, determined to give it her all right to the end. The two cars made contact, leaving the Dutch driver out of the running.
The very first French Women’s F4 Championship title was thus awarded to Clara Stiebleichinger. Having been unlucky on Saturday, Jade Jacquet took her revenge by claiming the top step of the final 2026 podium. Behind Siebleichinger, 3rd place in the race went to the Moroccan Sofia Zanfari, but it was Angelina Proenca who finished 3rd in the Championship ahead of Héloïse Goldberg, who managed to move up a place at Zanfari’s expense.
> Race 3 Results
1 Kota Tsuchihashi (Japan) with 11 laps
2 Lewis Francis (Australia) at 0.385
3 Maverick McKenna (USA) at 0.758
4 Lilian Soares (France) at 3.437
5 Thibaut Ramaekers (Belgium) at 3.549
6 Guillaume Bouzar (France) at 4.981
7 Yuval Rosen (Israel) at 5.753
8 Hugo Herrouin (France) at 6.626
9 Jack Iliffe (USA) at 7.105
10 Shane Chandaria (Kenya) at 7.355
11 Sasha Beisemann (Paraguay) at 8.093
12 Oscar Goudchaux (France) at 8.440
13 Jade Jacquet (France) at 8.703 *
14 Nicolas Pasquier (France) at 9.439
15 Thomas Senecloze (France) at 9.971
16 Clara Stiebleichinger (Austria) at 10.933 *
17 Paul Gleizes (France) at 11.819
18 Sofia Zanfari (Morocco) at 12.209 *
19 Kyler Cheezum (USA) at 13.443
20 Angelina Proenca (France) at 13.749 *
21 Arthur Barbe (France) at 14.456
22 Héloïse Goldberg (France) at 14.642 *
23 Gabriel Canal (France) at 14.718
24 Autumn Fisher (Canada) at 52.111 *
25 Annabelle Brian (Netherlands) 9 laps down *
26 Tom Dussol (France) 3 laps down
27 Wojciech Woda (Poland) 3 laps down
28 Arthur Eschalier (France) 1 lap down
DNF Matthéo Dauvergne (France)
NP Jules Avril (France)
FL: Bouzar 2:07.699 (avg. 164.1 km/h)
* Women’s
> Women’s Race 3
1 Jade Jacquet (France)
2 Clara Stiebleichinger (Austria)
3 Sofia Zanfari (Morocco)
4 Angelina Proenca (France)
5 Héloïse Goldberg (France)
6 Autumn Fisher (Canada)
7 Annabelle Brian (Netherlands)
> Final standings of the 2026 French Championships
F4 Academy: 1 Bouzar 223 pts, 2 Tsuchihashi (JPN) 161 pts, 3 Ramaekers (BEL) 145 pts, 4 Soares 127 pts, 5 Herrouin 113 pts, 6 Dauvergne 85 pts, 7 Dussol 64 pts, 8 Francis (AUS) 59 pts, 9 McKenna (USA) 46 pts, 10 Iliffe (USA) pts, 11 Rosen (ISR) and 42 pts, 12 Goudchaux 40 pts, 13 Avril 26 pts, 14 Chandaria (KEN) 20 pts, 15 Pasquier 13 pts, 16 Helias 9 pts, 17 Eschalier 8 pts, 18 Woda (POL) 14 pts, 19 Senecloze (FRA) pts, 20 Stiebleichinger (AUT) and Sacha Beisemann (PAR) 1 pt.
Women’s F4: 1 Stiebleichinger (AUT) 261 pts, 2 Brian (NED) 250 pts, 3 Proenca 212 pts, 4 Goldberg 178 pts, 5 Zanfari (MAR) 163 pts, 6 Abreu (CUB) 43 pts, 7 Fisher (CAN) 23 pts.
