A short introduction into the new season of Italian F4 with some insights from the drivers
- Diana Badea
- May 3, 2024
- 4 min read
After a 7 month-hiatus, the awaited Italian F4 Championship is ready to kick off. The Championship is about to commence this weekend in Misano, so let's take a look at who is about to follow the steps of Kacper Stzuka and bring home the prestigious title.
Italian F4 progresses as a captivating journey, proving to set the ground for the next generation of rising stars that want to make their way to the pinnacle of motorsport. One of the key aspects of Italian Formula 4 is its competitive field, featuring more than 35 young drivers from around the globe eager to prove temselves in the world of motorsport. The races are filled with a variety of emotions: from excitement and joy to dissapointment and drama; creating a thrilling spectacle for the fans.
This season will see the astounding number of 12 teams and 37 drivers coming to compete from all across the world. The 11th edition of Italian F4 awaits 7 rounds across prestigious race tracks from: Italy, France and Spain. When reffering to the structure of the racing weekend, its format remains the same as in the previous years, featuring three races throughout the weekend, along with two qualifying sessions and two collective tests.
The teams championship
There will be 12 teams competing this season in Italian F4, with Us Racing and Van Amersfort Racing looking to get ahead of Prema. Each team aims to do their best and make the most of every chance, offering an exciting show for motorsport fans. The grid is being completed by two new teams: Real Racing and Cram Motorsport. Real Racing is a romanian-based team that is set to make its debut in Formula 4 after building up its experience in international karting; while Cram Motorsport is an italian-based outfit that has a lot of heritage in the world of single-seater racing.
As always, all eyes will be on Prema Racing, the reigning teams champions
that will participate with 4 rookies in Tomass Stolcermanis, Dion Gowda, Kean Nakamura Berta, and Alex Powell and 2 returnees in Freddie Slater and Rashid Al Dhaheri. Eager for more silverware, Prema comes into the season with high expectations, looking to replicate their successes from the pevious years. Alex Powell is confident that the team can be in the title fight this year: “Obviously, Prema has been one of the dominant forces in F4 over the last few years, so we already have a pretty clear idea of where we want to be and what direction we want to work in [..] We have Us Racing there, we have VAR and I’m sure that other teams are gonna be competitive as well, so it’s going to be really tough “.
The drivers championship
With a huge number of drivers participating in the championship, this season is set to be highly competitive. Ahead of the first round, we had the opportunity to gather some thoughts from a few of the rising stars: Akshay Bohra, Alvise Rodella, Alex Powell, Emanuele Olivieri and Tomass Stolcermanis.
Akshay Bohra
Akshay, who has topped the timesheets in the preseason testing in Mugello a few weeks ago is definitely looking for a positive result this year:
“Returning to the Italian Formula 4 championship, I have high expectations. I feel good about my pace this season, especially after our testing days, and I know most of the tracks on this year’s calendar. However, I don’t put expectations on my finishing positions but instead on my process and performance to achieve those results. To be one of the top contenders, I need to work hard, stay focused, and dig deep every weekend. What I do expect is to deliver my best in every qualifying and race; then, I will get the result I deserve.”
Alvise Rodella
"It will be my second season in F4, the first full one in Italy. I won’t hide that I have high expectations, both for the experience I think I have gained, and for the team that will accompany me in this adventure. I’m talking about Van Amersfoort Racing, a very competitive team, with a strong background and history. I am convinced that together we can do well, aiming at the high positions in the rankings. I can’t wait to measure myself on tracks such as Mugello, Monza and Imola, historical places for drivers and motorsport enthusiasts."
A few of the drivers spoke about the transition from karting to F4 and the way they will get familiar with the single-seater machinery.
Alex Powell
“We know, we are well aware that the season is gonna be a super tough one because we have a few competitive teams that will be difficult to beat for sure, but most important is for us to keep on improving and to keep working colectively well as a team. Expectations are also quite high, but for myself in specific, I think is important to manage the expectations are really to take every race as an individual one and not look to much at the end result. In the end it’s just about staying as consistent as possible and really focus on every detail, because in the end it’s the milliseconds that make the difference. So, it’s going to be an exciting one”
Emanuele Olivieri
”The feeling with the car is very good and I managed to improve my driving style track after track. Jumping from karting to F4 I knew that it wouldn't be easy but it is really a wonderful experience: the speed/speed in the corners and racing in important and historical circuits such as Imola, Monza etc. For this season I do not have many expectations: obviously I will try to give my best because the speed is there. We have to improve a little bit more, me first, but we can aim high enough. It will not be easy but we will try our best.”
Tomass Stolcermanis
"It's my rookie season this year, very grateful for the step from karting to Formula 4! I have done already 2 race weekends and got some experience, as also enough tests to get the feeling with car! I’ve got all the opportunities to perform well because Prema is one of the biggest and most competitive teams in the world! Definitely will need to work hard because I have one of the most talented and strongest drivers in my team as well.”
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