FIA unveils new cars and team lineups for FR and F4 World Cups

The worldwide motorsport governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), has unveiled the final list of teams that will take part in this year’s Macau Grand Prix (GP) in the Formula Regional (FR) and Formula 4 (F4) categories.

According to an FIA release, a total of 25 teams will take part in the two World Cup events this November, with 13 in the FR and 12 in the F4.

FR World Cup

For the FIA FR World Cup, the 13-strong list (26 cars) includes a large number of top racing teams taking part in the FIA FR European Championship and outfits from the winning teams of last year’s FR World Cup and the FR Japanese Championship.

Also, a novelty for this year is the listing of the historic Macau-flagged team Theodore Racing as an independent team, contrary to previous editions, in which the team partnered with Italian team PREMA Racing, which will also continue to be present.

In total, eight countries and regions will be represented, with the largest contingent coming from Italy with four teams.

Compared with last year, the FR grid has been reduced to 26 Tatuus T326 FIA FR Gen2 cars, five fewer than in 2025, as, with a few exceptions, most teams last year were running three cars each.

F4 World Cup

In the opposite direction, and as the Times previously reported, the F4 World Cup grid will expand from 20 to 24 cars.

Another novelty announced for the second edition of the F4 World Cup, which, as previously announced, has moved this year from an “arrive-and-drive” system to a “team-based” lineup, is the car itself.

This year, the F4 World Cup will debut the Tatuus F4-T421, a second-generation FIA F4 single-seater race car introduced by the Italian manufacturer in 2021. The chassis is paired with a 1.4-liter turbocharged Abarth engine delivering around 180 horsepower.

In 2025, the F4 World Cup used the Ligier-branded Mygale M21-F4 chassis and Alpine 1.3-liter turbocharged inline-four engines, a specification that, as the Times reported, was used only in the French, Chinese and Indian championships. This engine, prepared by Oreca, is said to deliver an average of around 160 horsepower.

On paper, even though the cars are from the same generation, this year’s F4 cars could be faster than those used last year, particularly on the long straight from the R Bend (the last turn before the start-finish line) to the Lisboa Bend.

As for the teams, the F4 World Cup will feature a broad spectrum of teams from around the world. Among the names revealed are Hitech (Great Britain), Campos Racing (Spain), Evans GP (Malaysia), HYDRANGEA Kageyama Racing (Japan), PREMA Racing (Italy), R-ace GP (France), Theodore Racing (Macau), and Rodin Motorsport (New Zealand).

Also featured this year is another historic local-based team, Asia Racing Team RFN.

Founded in 2003, Asia Racing Team (also known as ART Motorsports) is a Macau-owned motor racing operation and racing school headquartered at the Zhuhai International Circuit. It competes in major Asian motorsport series and frequently features hometown drivers at the local GP.

Speaking to the Times about Asia Racing Team RFN’s participation in this year’s F4 World Cup, Team Manager and local racer Rodolfo Ávila said: “We are happy for the confidence placed in us by the FIA, AAMC [Automobile General Association Macao-China] and MGPOC [Macau Grand Prix Organizing Committee], and really proud to be taking part in our first FIA F4 World Cup. Motivation is high, and everyone in the team is approaching it with both respect and a determination to do even better. It is good to be part of the F4 elite, but we are conscious that we will be up against opposition far more familiar with the new Tatuus car and Pirelli tires. We see this as an opportunity to keep learning and improving.”

As mentioned by Ávila, Pirelli continues to be the official tire supplier for this year’s FIA FR and FIA F4 World Cups.

ATM to supply all FR and F4 engines

Italian company AutoTecnica Motori (ATM) will supply all engines for the FIA FR World Cup and FIA F4 World Cup, the company announced.

As previously mentioned, with the adoption of the Tatuus F4-T421 for the F4 category, the cars will be powered by a 1.4-liter turbocharged Abarth engine, which, according to the company, delivers 174 horsepower under regulations.

The engine is based on the Abarth (Fiat) 500 road car and is tuned for racing.

For the FR category, the same company announced that it will bring the new ATM163T to Macau this year. The FR Gen2 engine is the first three-cylinder engine to be featured in a racing formula. It was introduced this year in the FR European Championship, together with the new Tatuus T-326 chassis.

The ATM163T is based on Toyota’s G16E unit, initially built by Toyota under its Gazoo Racing (GR) division and first introduced in a road car in January 2020 for the GR Yaris.

ATM developed the ATM163T in collaboration with Japan’s TOM’S Racing.

According to the company, the 1.6-liter engine delivers 270 horsepower under series regulations. It replaces the first-generation 1.75-liter turbocharged Alfa Romeo engine, which could deliver between 280 and 350 horsepower depending on championship regulations.

New engine, new chassis for FR

The unveiling of the new engine to be raced in the FR World Cup would point to the adoption of a brand-new chassis for this year as well, a fact also confirmed by the FIA, which noted: “The new-for-2026 Tatuus T 326 FIA Formula Regional Gen2 cars will race at Macau for the first time.”

According to Tatuus, the T-326 “brings a major step forward in terms of performance, aerodynamics and safety,” with the new chassis designed to be lighter, more stable and more responsive.

The new car is also said to feature improved chassis architecture and a revised suspension system that enhances steering precision and overall balance through corners.

Another aspect in which the T-326 has improved is aerodynamic efficiency, which increases overall downforce and reduces the wake effect — a trail of slower, turbulent air — improving overtaking opportunities.

FIA raises expectations for revamped World Cup races

Commenting on the new developments to be introduced for this year’s edition of the two Formula racing events, FIA Single-Seater Commission president Emanuele Pirro said: “Thanks to the work of the FIA Single-Seater Department and the Macau Grand Prix Organizing Committee during an exhaustive selection process, the FIA FR World Cup and FIA F4 World Cup will both feature highly competitive grids formed by leading teams from across the globe.”

Pirro noted that the new selection method, as well as the new cars and talented junior drivers taking part, have raised the FIA’s expectations for this year’s event.

“These teams not only continue to achieve considerable success at national and international levels, but they also operate to extremely high standards and reflect strong sporting values. We are still more than four months from the 73rd Macau Grand Prix week, but expectations have been raised considerably with the confirmation of the competing teams.”