Marek Mičík entered the single-seater world this season with the F4 CEZ Academy team. He took part in the academy at the beginning of the year, and the next step for him was to participate in the F4 CEZ championship, where he showed great promise.
Marek Mičík has been racing in the F4 field since the season opener at Balaton Park. His first competitive experience brought him two 8th-place finishes and one 6th place—a solid debut.
“My first season was all about learning new things and gaining experience. I think I got off to a good start, but the rest of the season was really challenging,” said Mičík, who managed to finish in the top 5 at Most circuit in the second part of the season, marking his best result in 2024.
“It was in damp conditions, and I enjoyed it the most, probably also because it was my best career result,” explained Mičík, who also has fond memories of the second round at Red Bull Ring.
“My favorite track in the championship is Red Bull Ring. It’s a fantastic circuit, and I had an unbelievable weekend there, especially in the second race, where I made a great recovery after getting spun in turn 1 and then pulled off some nice overtakes.”
Mičík, of course, had to learn a lot, as Formula 4 was a completely new car for him. “The most important skill in F4 is properly managing the tires and maintaining your pace throughout the race,” said Mičík, who definitely wants to race in F4 again. “I have great plans for next season, though they depend heavily on our budget, but I’ll do everything I can to drive next year,” added Mičík, who finnished 8th in the final standings.
Five drivers from F4 CEZ participated in the FIA Motorsport Games in Valencia last weekend, and all of them demonstrated their skills, although some were unlucky in the final battle for medals.
This year’s F4 CEZ champion Oscar Wurz, third in the standings Max Karhan, along with Jean Paul Karras, Andrea Kostic, and Matus Ryba took part in the unique „Olympic Games of motorsport“ at Valencia in the F4 race.
All of them know each other from F4 CEZ this year. Wurz from Austria and Karhan from the Czech Republic raced the entire season, while Karras from Greece, Kostic from Serbia, and Ryba from Slovakia participated in selected races.
The FIA Motorsport Games took place at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia. The Formula 4 event began with two 45-minute practice sessions. Karras won the opening practice and finished third in the second.
The Saturday´s morning qualifying session took place under wet conditions, where the last driver to cross the finish line had the best chance at setting the fastest lap. Karras set the 7th fastest time, with Ryba in 10th, Kostic in 12th, Karhan in 14th, and Wurz in 15th.
Later in the afternoon, the qualifying race was on the schedule. This race was crucial, determining the starting order for Sunday’s final medal race. Ryba had a fantastic qualifying race, moving up to 5th place in the 20-minute session, becoming the best-placed F4 CEZ participant. Karhan moved to 9th, with Karras, Wurz, and Kostic right behind him.
The final race took place on Sunday, with Ryba starting from the third row. The fifth and sixth rows included drivers familiar from F4 CEZ. Unfortunately, for three of them, the race didn’t last long.
Wurz didn’t even complete the first lap; after a collision with another car, he retired with a broken suspension. Karras, fiercely defending his position against Karhan, braked unexpectedly early in a corner, causing Karhan to collide with him. Both retired after the second lap.
Ryba was racing in the top five but eventually lost his position due to a time penalty for track limits, dropping to ninth place behind Kostic, who finished eighth and thus became the highest-placed driver from F4 CEZ.
The FIA Motorsport Games showcased the impressive pace and talent of the F4 CEZ drivers. Despite some bad luck, Karhan, Karras, Kostic, Ryba, and Wurz proved to be highly competitive among a field of over 20 cars.
The 2024 F4 CEZ season saw Oscar Wurz claim his first single seater title with consistent performances for Jenzer Motorsport. Despite facing tough competition from Kirill Kutskov and Czech talent Max Karhan, it was the young Austrian’s steady results that secured him the championship. Here’s how the top three drivers shaped this thrilling season.
Oscar Wurz Oscar Wurz – a name familiar to long-time motorsport fans, but for his competitors in F4 CEZ, he’s just another rival. As the youngest son of former F1 driver Alex Wurz, Oscar entered this year’s F4 CEZ season with the top-tier Jenzer Motorsport team. Right from the start, he claimed the lead in the standings and stayed there until the finale at his home track, the Salzburgring. His strongest performance came at the Slovakia Ring, where he won two races and finished second in the third. He delivered consistent performances through the season, earning him his first circuit racing title.
Kirill Kutskov Kirill Kutskov, driving for the Swiss Maffi Racing team, was Wurz’s main challenger throughout the F4 CEZ season. He lost ground to the Austrian after the second event at the Red Bull Ring, where he failed to finish any of the three races. That points deficit proved too much to recover, and soon Max Karhan began closing in on him, turning the focus from the title battle to securing second place in the standings. Aside from the unlucky weekends in Austria and Slovakia, Kutskov won at least one race at every event, and he completely dominated the season finale at the Salzburgring, winning all three races. However, it wasn’t enough for the championship, and Kutskov finished second overall in F4 CEZ.
Max Karhan A promising talent in Czech motorsport, Max Karhan jumped into the F4 CEZ series midway through last season and this year completed a full campaign. With the support of the Jenzer Motorsport team, he had the best possible backing, and his breakthrough came mid-season with a victory at the Slovakia Ring. His appetite for success grew with his first Formula 4 trophy, and Karhan went on to triumph in Most and added two more wins in Brno. While his teammate Oscar Wurz held the championship lead, Karhan kept his title hopes alive with a strong finish to the season. He ended up third overall with four wins.News 169Kirill Kutskov 14Max Karhan 33Oscar Wurz 18
Rallycross driver Martin Knápek won the F4 CEZ Academy earlier this year. After that, we saw him on the starting grid of the Twingo Cup and Clio Cup, where he definitively proved that his talent extends to tarmac racing as well.
Martin, after years in rallycross, this year you tried circuit racing for the first time. You started with the Renault Twingo in Most, where it was raining on your debut. You started from 11th place and fought your way up to third. How do you remember that debut?
I heard people talk about the Twingo Cup as a „baby NASCAR.“ At first, I didn’t quite understand it, but now I know what they meant. Because the car doesn’t have much power, you have to get right up behind the car in front, push each other along and work together with the other drivers. It’s technically called „bumper drafting.“ Honestly, that was the most memorable part for me. During the race weekend, we had technical problems with the car, which wasn’t performing as well as it should have. Unfortunately, we couldn’t fix the issues, so we just had to fight on. The qualifying was on a dry track, where the lack of power really showed, and I finished 11th. But for the first race, it started to rain heavily, and I was confident in the wet, even from the back. They say the key to being fast is doing what you’d do in a video game – but without crashing. That’s what I focused on. I worked with other drivers, used bumper drafting to my advantage, and squeezed every bit of performance out of the Twingo. In the end, it worked out. So, to answer your question, I have fond memories of the Twingo Cup.
Then, at the final event in Brno, you moved into the fourth-generation Renault Clio. How big a difference is there between racing a Twingo and a Clio?
The difference is huge. I’d say it’s like switching from a bicycle to a motorbike. The Clio is a proper race car. It’s much faster, more fun, and with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, you feel like a pro. Another difference is moving from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive, which, thanks to rallycross, suits me better personally. But the truth is, the Twingo is much easier to drive. Compared to the Clio, it’s more forgiving and gives you more time to react to mistakes. Honestly, I’m glad I got to drive the Twingo before the Clio. I think it’s the perfect car to start with and to get a feel for how circuit racing works.
On your debut in Brno, you finished second in one race and then beat this year’s Clio Cup Trophy champion, Valter Nežič, in the next. How would you rate your debut with the Clio?
My main goal was simply to finish the race, and any good result would be a nice bonus. This approach stayed with me until qualifying, where I saw we’d be fighting for tenths of a second. I managed to win pole position in qualifying, but in the first race, I didn’t rev the engine enough at the start, and the car stalled. So, I had to fight my way back, and I ended up in second place. In the second race, I got a better start, and after a few battles, I fought my way into the lead, which I managed to hold. One new thing for me was managing the tyres during the race to ensure they lasted until the end.
Is Brno a challenging track for a debut in a new car? And how did you prepare?
Brno is probably the toughest track I’ve driven on. There are long, flowing corners where you have to be very precise, significant elevation changes, and the tyres suffer a lot due to the type of tarmac. Your tyres are pretty much overheated for the entire race. But Brno was an extreme challenge, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to tackle it. As for preparation, there wasn’t really any. I only got the offer to race on Wednesday, so the only thing I managed to do was a couple of laps in Assetto Corsa, watched some onboard videos before bed, and then the next day, I was already logging my first race kilometres in the Clio.
You’ve got plenty of experience in rallycross. Have you brought any habits from that which helped you on the tarmac?
Definitely. Rallycross may seem like a completely different discipline at first glance, but I’ve carried over a lot of habits. In rallycross, we also race on tracks like Slovakia Ring and Poznań, where a large part is on tarmac, and you follow a „racing line.“ You also learn to drive on the limit of your tyres, work with the car’s weight, and battle with other drivers – just not as aggressively. And since rallycross rarely takes place in ideal conditions, it really helped me when racing in the rain.
How would you compare the environments of rallycross and circuit racing? How do the demands on the driver, the team, and preparation differ?
The biggest difference was that in circuit racing, I had a rented car from the team, so there was no need to pack spare parts, tools, or worry about transporting the car. Even though rallycross is a sprint race, lasting just around five minutes, it’s incredibly aggressive and tough. Physically and mentally, it was more demanding for me. As a result, rallycross required more physical preparation. So far, I’ve only raced in circuit events in the ESET Cup, but I really like the friendly atmosphere in all the divisions I’ve raced in.
What are your plans for next season?
After trying circuit racing, I’d really like to continue and move up the ranks. I really like the TCR series or the GT categories, but as everyone knows, motorsport isn’t the cheapest, so we’ll see what offers come along and how the lottery numbers turn out! I’d like to give a big thanks to my main partners, YACCO, MONTKOVO, and NAREX, who’ve supported me this year as well.
Just five weeks after the end of the F4 CEZ and TCR Eastern Europe seasons, some drivers are heading to the FIA Motorsport Games in Valencia. This unique motorsport “Olympics” offers a prestigious competition, where nations compete across various disciplines.
Representing F4 CEZ in Spain will be this year’s champion Oscar Wurz and Max Karhan, who finished third overall. These two Jenzer Motorsport teammates will once again face off in the F4 single-seater, taking to the grid at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit. Wurz will race for Austria, while Karhan represents the Czech Republic.
Drivers from TCR Eastern Europe will also compete under their national flags. This year’s runner-up, Adam Kout, will take part in the TCR race, alongside René Kircher, representing Germany. But the list of drivers doesn’t end there. Davit Kajaia will head to Valencia to represent Georgia in the Single Make GT category, driving a Ferrari. Martin Kadlečík, who has previously raced in TCR events with an Audi RS3, will also return to the FIA Motorsport Games. After a successful showing in France, Kadlečík will once again compete in the esports category, racing in a simulator.
The FIA Motorsport Games will take place from October 23rd to 27th in Valencia. The event is organised by SRO’s Stéphane Ratel, known for establishing successful series like FIA GT and as the creator of the GT3 category. One of his latest ventures is this motorsport Olympics, which has enjoyed the support of the FIA since its inception.
The inaugural FIA Motorsport Games took place in 2019 in Rome, with the racing held at the nearby Vallelunga Circuit. After a pandemic hiatus, the next edition was held in 2022 in Marseille and at the Paul Ricard Circuit. Now, the event returns to its biennial schedule, with the 2024 edition set for Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo Circuit.
The number of competition disciplines continues to grow, and this year there are 28 categories, ranging from GT and TCR circuit racing to rally, off-road, karting, auto slalom, and virtual racing. Every competitor has the chance to win gold, silver, or bronze medals, with the nation that claims the most gold medals across all categories being crowned the overall winner of the FIA Motorsport Games.
This time, 28 categories are on the schedule, with more than 80 national sporting authorities expected to participate. The event has attracted top GT and touring car drivers from around the world.
The Automotodrom Brno hosted the penultimate round of this year’s F4 CEZ season, with Czech driver Max Karhan once again taking the spotlight. Over the course of the weekend’s three races, he collected the most points of any driver and claimed victory in two of them. The final sprint was won by Kirill Kutskov.
The expectation of an exciting weekend was set right after qualifying. The pole position went to Kirill Kutskov from Maffi Racing, but Max Karhan was right behind, missing out by just 0.057 seconds. Championship leader Oscar Wurz, Karhan’s teammate from Jenzer Motorsport, was only 0.261 seconds off the pace. Miroslav Mikeš from JMT Racing finished fourth, meaning the top four in the standings lined up in close proximity on the grid for the first race.
Karhan had the best start in the opening sprint, and as he looked in his rearview mirrors, his nearest competitors were fading into the distance. Both Kutskov and Wurz struggled at the start, losing several seconds.
To the delight of the fans, the top two positions were taken by the home favourites Karhan and Mikeš. While Karhan steadily built his lead, Mikeš came under pressure from Kutskov. Eventually, the Czech driver was overtaken by Kutskov, but Maffi racer couldn’t close the gap to Karhan. The first sprint ended with Karhan taking victory ahead of Kutskov and Mikeš. Young Australian Joanne Ciconte finished fourth, followed by Wurz in fifth.
For the second race, Karhan started from pole position ahead of Kutskov and Mikeš. However, it was Mikeš who, with a fantastic start, took the lead at the first corner and enjoyed a clear track ahead. But Karhan wasn’t one to wait long and moved into the lead on the second lap. He stayed in front until the end, even during a yellow flag phase caused by a collision between Kirill Kutskov and Miroslav Mikeš. Although Mikeš was hit from behind, he fortunately managed to continue, finishing fifth behind Simon Schranz, Nathanael Berreby, Wurz, and race winner Karhan.
In the final third race, Kirill Kutskov made a comeback. Starting from seventh, he quickly made his way through the field and soon found himself in second place behind Wurz. In the fourth lap, he took the lead and maintained a comfortable gap, crossing the finish line in first place ahead of Wurz, Mikeš, and Karhan.
Throughout the weekend, Wurz, Kutskov, Karhan, and Mikeš were regulars on the podium, with the only driver breaking into their ranks being Nathanael Berreby from Maffi Racing, who finished third in the second race. Berreby was often involved in on-track battles with Simon Schranz from Renauer Motorsport, providing spectators with thrilling, wheel-to-wheel duels. Similarly, Kornelia Olkucka (Maffi Racing) and Michalina Sabaj (AS Motorsport) engaged in some fierce racing. Joanne Ciconte from AS Motorsport also impressed, making her F4 CEZ debut and finishing fourth in the opening race.
Oscar Wurz continues to hold a solid 49-point lead in the overall drivers‘ standings after the Brno weekend, giving him a strong advantage going into the final race at his home circuit in Salzburgring. The fight for second place is, however, heating up, with Max Karhan now just seven points behind Kirill Kutskov, who has 201 points.
Czech driver Max Karhan from Jenzer Motorsport secured another home victory at Automotodrom Brno, driving from pole position to the win and closint the points gap to championship leader and teammate Oscar Wurz, who finished second.
Max Karhan and Kirill Kutskov started on the front row, with Miroslav Mikeš and Joanne Ciconte behind them. Karhan got a slightly better start than Kutskov, but it was Mikeš who had the best getaway, moving from third into the lead as they braked into the first turn. The order at the front was Mikeš, Karhan, Kutskov, and Wurz in fourth, after overtaking Joanne Ciconte, who dropped to seventh behind Simo Schranz in sixth and Nathanael Berreby in fifth.
Karhan reclaimed the lead on the second lap, and the battle continued between second-placed Mikeš and third-placed Kutskov. However, in the stadium section, Kutskov collided with Mikeš, sending him off the track. Shortly after, Kutskov also ran off the track and became stationary, prompting the deployment of the safety car.
The order behind the safety car was Karhan, Wurz, Berreby, Schranz, Mikeš, Ciconte, Olkucka, Sabaj, Němec, and Mičík.
The race was restarted after a couple of laps behind the safety car, with Karhan holding the lead and Wurz following closely. Behind them, there was a fierce battle for the final podium place between Berreby, Schranz, and Mikeš.
A close fight also unfolded between the three young women in the field—Ciconte, Olkucka, and Sabaj. Ciconte and Olkucka had a thrilling but fair duel, giving each other as little room as possible.
In the final lap, Schranz launched an attack on Berreby, and they drove side by side for a moment, but Berreby managed to hold on to third place until the finish. Max Karhan crossed the line first, claiming his second victory of the weekend and closing the points gap to championship leader Oscar Wurz, who finished second.
Simon Schranz finished fourth, Miroslav Mikeš fifth, Kornelia Olkucka sixth, Michalina Sabaj seventh, and Joanne Ciconte eighth.
Jenzer Motorsport driver Max Karhan had a perfect start in the opening race at Automotodrom Brno, taking the lead and holding it throughout the entire race to claim his third victory of the season.
Kirill Kutskov from Maffi Racing and Max Karhan lined up on the front row, with Oscar Wurz from Jenzer Motorsport and Miroslav Mikeš from JMT Racing starting from the second row. The top four drivers in the championship standings secured the best starting positions then.
Karhan took the lead, with fellow Czech driver Miroslav Mikeš slotting into second place. Kirill Kutskov, along with other drivers behind him, had a poor getaway and lost several positions.
The running order was Karhan, Mikeš, Nathanael Berreby from Maffi Racing, and Simon Schranz from Renauer Motorsport, rounding out the top five. Karhan was slightly faster and began to extend his lead each lap, while Mikeš soon found himself defending his position from Kutskov. Maffi Racing driver managed to pass Mikeš on the fourth lap and started chasing down Karhan, who had already more the three seconds lead.
Wurz collided with Nathanael Berreby, causing the championship leader to drop several positions. Berreby was investigated by race control for changing the line in this incident.
F4 CEZ debutant Joanne Ciconte from AS Motorsport had an impressive race, moving up to fourth place. A great battle unfolded for fifth and sixth positions between Nathanael Berreby and Simon Schranz. Their fight was intense for several laps until Wurz caught up, passed Berreby, and then set his sights on Schranz. Wurz also passed Schranz and began chasing down Ciconte, but she was to far away.
Meanwhile, Michalina Sabaj and Cornelia Olkucka fought fiercely for eighth and ninth positions for many laps, as their pace was very similar. When Sabaj claimed eighth place, she never really pulled away from Olkucka.
At the front, Karhan led Kutskov to the finish line, securing his third victory of the season. Kutskov finished second, while Miroslav Mikeš brought his car home in third. Ciconte had an excellent debut, finishing fourth just ahead of Oscar Wurz. Simon Schranz completed the top five.
Czech driver Max Karhan, representing the Swiss team Jenzer Motorsport, secured his second victory in the F4 CEZ championship in front of a home crowd in Most. Over the weekend, he collected the most points of any driver in the field.
The fourth round of the F4 CEZ took place at the Most Autodrom as part of the Racing Journal SpeedFest weekend. Karhan stood on the podium in all three races, collecting trophies for first, second, and third places.
In qualifying, Karhan clocked the second-fastest time, placing him on the front row of the grid alongside fellow Czech driver Miroslav Mikeš. Throughout the race, Karhan kept the pressure on and eventually finished second, trailing by just 0.555 seconds.
„I’m satisfied, but I’d be happier with a win. We have the pace, so I know I can get more out of the car. Unfortunately, overtaking on this track is quite difficult, and I didn’t want to take unnecessary risks at the start,“ Karhan commented after Saturday’s race.
In the second race, held on Sunday morning, Karhan was once again battling at the front. His main competitors were teammate Oscar Wurz, Kirill Kutskov, and of course, Miroslav Mikeš. Karhan had a fierce duel with Wurz and ultimately finished in third place.
Karhan saved his best performance for the final race of the weekend. Starting from fourth, he fought his way up to third and began challenging Wurz ahead of him. The two teammates engaged in another intense battle, and by the thirteenth of the sixteen laps, Karhan had moved into second place. A lap later, he overtook the leader, Kutskov, and quickly pulled away from his pursuers. Within three laps, he had built nearly a five-second lead, celebrating his second win of the F4 CEZ season.
„When you know you’re the fastest in the race, it gives you a huge boost in confidence and trust in the car. That’s why I pushed hard, and it paid off. There was no reason to hang back. My victory at the Slovakia Ring gave me a lot of self-belief, and this win in Most continues that momentum,“ Karhan concluded. We’ll see him back behind the wheel in September at the fifth round of the F4 CEZ in Brno.
The fourth race of the F4 CEZ championship during the Racing Journal SpeedFest weekend at Autodrom Most became a domain for Czech racers. Miroslav Mikeš won the first sprint, and Max Karhan took victory in the third. The only interruption to the home drivers‘ success was Kirill Kutskov, who won the second race.
Although the overall standings are led by Oscar Wurz from Jenzer Motorsport and Kirill Kutskov from Maffi Racing holds second place, it was expected that Mikeš and Karhan would challenge the F4 CEZ leaders. After all, Most is their home circuit, which they know very well, and both had achieved their first podium finishes at the previous event in Slovakia. Mikeš finished second at Slovakia Ring, while Karhan won there for the first time.
The qualifying battle already indicated the dominance of the two Czech favourites. Mikeš from the Czech team JMT Racing secured pole position with an eight-tenths lead over Karhan, followed by Wurz and Kutskov. Their joy was mixed with nerves, though. Would they maintain their positions after the start? Would they avoid trouble in the tricky chicane?
In the end, everything went well, and Mikeš, along with teammates Karhan – Wurz, and Kutskov, finished in the same positions they had started. However, the race was far from drama-free. On the contrary, the difference at the finish in the TOP3 was a mere 0.858 – reflecting how tight and intense the race was.
Spectators got their deserved share of motorsport in the second race, which took place on a wet track and was just as thrilling as the first. The order frequently changed until Wurz lost control of his Formula 4 during braking and collided with Mikeš. The Austrian retired, while home driver Mikeš continued to finish second behind Kutskov. Although Karhan crossed the chequered flag in fourth place, the stewards noticed that he was relegated to fourth by debutant Phillipe Armand Karras during a yellow flag period – thus, Karras received a five-second penalty and dropped to fourth place.
In the final third race, Kutskov led. Wurz unsuccessfully searched for a gap to overtake, while Karhan and Mikeš closed in on him. Towards the end, Karhan showed his Jenzer Motorsport colleague how to overtake at Most. He passed Wurz, swiftly overtook Kutskov, and began to pull away from his pursuers towards his second victory of the season.
Karhan and Mikeš had a points haul at Most. Karhan finished third, second, and first. Mikeš finished fifth, second, and first. Both are now within reach of the current second-placed Kutskov, and the next race will again be on a home circuit – Automotodrom Brno.
However, the F4 CEZ championship is not only about this quartet. The Hungarian team Gender Racing entered with debuting brothers Phillipe Armand Karras and Jean-Paul Karras, and especially Phillipe performed excellently, challenging the leading quartet.
The Czech team F4 CEZ Academy Klub made its debut in the championship with Marek Mičík and Michelle Jandová. She was one of three young women on the field. The others were Michalina Sabaj from AS Motorsport and Kornelia Olkucka from Maffi Racing.
The Racing Journal SpeedFest offered another beautiful showcase of the upcoming drivers generation. With two events remaining in the season, totalling six races, the scales could tip in any direction in the final phase.
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