The ‘Macau test’ starts earlier now

For the first time, the FIA has granted an entry-level formula racing the status of a World Cup, and what better stage to host it than the challenging Guia Circuit?

As expected, the event has gathered the attention of many teams and racers eager to show their worth around what once was called the “ultimate test” in the path for the top level of formula racing.

The entry includes many champions and former champions at the F4 national and regional series in Europe, the Middle East, and China, among others, who are expected to make an impression and aim for higher flights in their young sports careers.

The Macau entry list includes several names from the competitive Italian F4 Championship; among these, the Anglo-Japanese racer Kean Nakamura-Berta, recently crowned 2025 Italian F4 Champion, certainly gets the spotlight as the top favorite for this year’s event.

The talented 17-year-old was crowned Italian F4 champion and leads the Euro 4 mini-series. He has claimed 10 race wins in F4 this year, and Macau is undoubtedly on his list for more.

Despite the favoritism attributed to Nakamura-Berta, he was not unbeaten this year. At the beginning of the year, while racing in the F4 Middle East Championship, the Italian Emanuele Olivieri could fight on equal ground and beat him.

Olivieri is also on the entry list for the FIA F4 World Cup after finishing sixth in the Italian F4 championship.

Sebastian Wheldon, the third-place finisher of the same championship, is also among the names to look out for. At 16, Wheldon has taken five race wins this season across Italian F4 and Euro 4 in his first year of European racing. He is affiliated with Andretti Global, the team with which his father (Dan Wheldon) became an IndyCar legend.

On his second visit to Macau, there is another offspring of a former champion, Rintaro Sato. The son of former champion Takuma Sato has taken a step back this year after his first visit to Macau at the wheel of an FR car last year.

Sato has raced this season in the French F4 championship, finishing ninth. His previous experience of the Guia Circuit might play in his favor, particularly at the early stages of the weekend, if he manages to use last year’s laps.

Also from the French series comes the champion, Alexandre Munoz, who made a significant step up in his second season of F4. He claimed the title with five race victories.

A final note to local and regional racers who join the field of F4, intending to be the dark horses of the event. Among them is local racer Tiago Rodrigues, who, like Sato, raced at last year’s FR event. Rodrigues would be joined by Marcus Cheong, the local karting talent who has recently joined the field of the Chinese F4 championship, to get acquainted with the car, and will undoubtedly want to grab this chance with both hands.

Let us not forget that Cheong is already in his second year of F4 in Macau after a first inception in 2023, when he was 12th. Cheong will want to improve on that classification.

Rodrigues placed sixth in 2023, although this was a very different race. He should be happy with this result if he places within the top 10 this year.

Wang Yuzhe from China and Hong Kong’s Shimo Zhang and Kimi Chan will be trying the same. Among them, Zhang seems to have the upper hand.

F4 action around the Guia circuit began with practice yesterday and is heading for qualifying this afternoon. A qualifying Race will follow tomorrow on the path to Sunday’s first-ever FIA F4 World Cup.