The UAE4 Series, formerly Formula 4 UAE Championship and F4 Middle East Championship is a Formula 4 racing series. It was launched by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, and its national affiliate the Automobile & Touring Club of the United Arab Emirates (ATCUAE), who acted as the championship's promoter.[1] The series was governed by the Emirates Motorsport Organisation (EMSO) and promoted by AUH Motorsports.[2]
| Category | FIA Formula 4 |
|---|---|
| Country | United Arab Emirates |
| Region | Middle East |
| Inaugural season | 2016–17 |
| Constructors | Tatuus |
| Engine suppliers | Abarth |
| Tyre suppliers | Giti Tire |
| Drivers' champion |  Oleksandr Bondarev |
| Teams' champion |  R-ace GP |
| Official website | Official website |
 Current season | |
History
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In 2013, the FIA Single seat commission announced their intention to introduce a new category of single seat racing in order to bridge the gap between karting and Formula 3.[3]
Throughout the following two years, the ATCUAE has worked to develop a Formula 4 championship for the UAE, which will be the first in the Middle East and North African region. One of the first steps taken was to appoint Dubai based AUH Motorsports to manage the championship, based on their experience and expertise in having run the regional Radical Sportscars series for several years.[4]
In February 2016, the Formula 4 UAE Championship was launched in spectacular fashion in front of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, with the public unveiling of the car undertaken by HH Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development and Chairman of the General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare, and Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the ATCUAE.[5]
Following the launch in February 2016, the car was given its first test around the Dubai Autodrome, driven by Dubai-born Indy Lights driver Ed Jones.[6]
The championship was renamed by its promoters (Top Speed China) as F4 Middle East Championship in 2025 amidst the long-term expansion to the other countries of the Middle East region.[7][8] In 2026, the championship has lost its FIA-certification and was renamed again as UAE4 Series.
Format
editThe inaugural 2016–17 championship featured eighteen races over six weekends, four of which were held at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, with the remaining two at the Dubai Autodrome.[9] From 2019 to 2022, the championship featured twenty races over five rounds. The race weekends consist of two qualifying sessions determining grids for Race 1 and 3. Starting grids of Race 2 are set by the second fastest lap during Qualifying 1 and grids of Race 4 are with the top eight drivers having their positions reversed from Race 3 results.
A new three-race format was adopted since the 2023 season. The two qualifying sessions determine grids for Race 1 and 3. The grid for race two is set by reversing the top 10 from race one's results.[10]
Car
editThe championship features Tatuus designed and built cars. The cars are constructed out of carbon fibre and feature a monocoque chassis.
From 2016–17 season to 2021 the series used F4-T014 model and 1.4 turbo Abarth engine.[11] The same combination of the chassis and the engine was used in the Italian F4 Championship, F4 Spanish Championship, ADAC Formula 4 and SMP F4 Championship.
In the 2022 season, the series was the host for the global debut of the new second-generation Tatuus F4-T421.[12]
Champions
editDrivers
edit| Season | Driver | Team | Races | Poles | Wins | Podiums | Fastest lap | Points | Margins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formula 4 UAE Championship | |||||||||
| 2016–17 |  Jonathan Aberdein |
 Team Motopark |
18 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 368 | 107 |
| 2017–18 |  Charles Weerts |
 Dragon Motopark F4 |
23 | 3 | 8 | 16 | 9 | 377 | 52 |
| 2019 |  Matteo Nannini |
Xcel Motorsport |
20 | 6 | 7 | 16 | 7 | 363 | 68 |
| 2020 | Francesco Pizzi |
Xcel Motorsport |
20 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 300 | 26 |
| 2021 | Enzo Trulli |
Cram Durango |
20 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 5 | 319 | 1 |
| 2022 |  Charlie Wurz |
Prema Racing |
20 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 255 | 45 |
| 2023 |  James Wharton |
 Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited |
15 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 5 | 232 | 20 |
| 2024 |  Freddie Slater |
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited |
15 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 172 | 4 |
| F4 Middle East Championship | |||||||||
| 2025 | Emanuele Olivieri |
R-ace GP |
15 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 9 | 339 | 58 |
| UAE4 Series | |||||||||
| 2026 | Oleksandr Bondarev |
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited |
12 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 191 | 8 |
Teams
edit| Season | Team | Drivers | Poles | Wins | Podiums | Fastest lap | Points | Margins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formula 4 UAE Championship | |||||||||
| 2016–17 | Team Motopark |
2 | 10 | 14 | 31 | 18 | 629 | 390 | |
| 2017–18 | Dragon Motopark F4 |
3 | 3 | 9 | 19 | 10 | 580 | 19 | |
| 2019 | Xcel Motorsport |
5 | 8 | 11 | 30 | 11 | 632 | 171 | |
| 2020 | Xcel Motorsport |
6 | 3 | 11 | 32 | 9 | 595 | 182 | |
| 2021 | Xcel Motorsport |
9 | 14 | 11 | 34 | 12 | 617 | 255 | |
| 2022 | Prema Racing |
3 | 8 | 10 | 22 | 9 | 550 | 165 | |
| 2023 | Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited |
3 | 2 | 8 | 21 | 7 | 444 | 221 | |
| 2024 | Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited |
4 | 3 | 5 | 18 | 8 | 340 | 102 | |
| F4 Middle East Championship | |||||||||
| 2025 | R-ace GP |
4 | 9 | 11 | 22 | 8 | 602 | 117 | |
| UAE4 Series | |||||||||
| 2026 | R-ace GP |
5 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 6 | 301 | 40 | |
Rookie
edit| Season | Driver | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formula 4 UAE Championship | |||||||||
| 2016–17 |  Logan Sargeant |
Team Motopark | |||||||
| 2017–18 | David Schumacher |
Rasgaira Motorsports | |||||||
| 2019 | Matteo Nannini |
Xcel Motorsport | |||||||
| 2020 | Francesco Pizzi |
Xcel Motorsport | |||||||
| 2021 | Enzo Trulli |
Cram Durango | |||||||
| 2022 |  Rafael Câmara |
Prema Racing | |||||||
| 2023 |  Tuukka Taponen |
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited | |||||||
| 2024 | Kean Nakamura-Berta |
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited | |||||||
| F4 Middle East Championship | |||||||||
| 2025 |  Salim Hanna |
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited | |||||||
| UAE4 Series | |||||||||
| 2026 | Kenzo Craigie |
R-ace GP | |||||||
Formula Trophy
edit| Category | FIA Formula 4 |
|---|---|
| Country | United Arab Emirates |
| Inaugural season | 2024 |
| Drivers' champion |  Alp Aksoy |
| Teams' champion | Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited |
| Current season | |
The Formula Trophy (formerly Formula Trophy UAE) is a racing series made up of an extended version of the F4 UAE's trophy round. Instead of a single round, the series is composed of two rounds at the Yas Marina Circuit and one round at the Dubai Autodrome.[13]
The inaugural season was held in 2024. It was won by Kai Daryanani, who drove for Evans GP.[14] Mumbai Falcons' Alp Aksoy succeeded him in 2025.[15]
Circuits of Formula 4 UAE Championship / F4 Middle East Championship / UAE4 Series
edit- Bold denotes a circuit used in the 2026 season.
| Number | Circuits | Rounds | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yas Marina Circuit |
21[a] | 2016–present |
| 2 | Dubai Autodrome |
20[b] | 2016–present |
| 3 |  Kuwait Motor Town |
2[c] | 2023 |
 Lusail International Circuit |
2 | 2025–present |
Circuits of Formula Trophy UAE (2024–present)
edit| Number | Circuits | Rounds | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yas Marina Circuit |
4[d] | 2024–2025 |
| 2 | Dubai Autodrome |
2 | 2024–2025 |
Notes
edit- ↑ Yas Marina Circuit hosted 4 rounds in 2017–18 season, 3 rounds in 2016–17, 2024 and 2025 season, and 2 rounds in 2019–2022, and 2026 seasons.
- ↑ Dubai Autodrome hosted 3 rounds in 2019–2022, 2 rounds in 2016–17, 2017–18, 2023 and 2024 seasons.
- ↑ Kuwait Motor Town hosted 2 rounds in 2023.
- ↑ Yas Marina Circuit hosted 2 rounds in 2024 and 2025.
References
edit- ↑ "Formula 4 Launched in UAE". Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 8 February 2016.
- ↑ "FIFTH SEASON OF F4UAE CONFIRMED TO BEGIN JANUARY 2021". Formula 4 UAE. 7 September 2020. Archived from the original on 14 September 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
- ↑ O'Leary, Ben Anderson and Jamie (21 March 2013). "FIA reveals Formula 4 plan". Autosport.com.
- ↑ "ATCUAE AND AUH MOTORSPORT ANNOUNCE FORMULA 4 CHAMPIONSHIP". tracktalk. 14 December 2015. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015.
- ↑ "UAE Formula 4 Championship holds promise for 'new generation' of Emirati drivers". The National. 3 February 2016.
- ↑ "FIA Formula 4 UAE test at Dubai Autodrome by Ed Jones". YouTube. 17 February 2016.
- ↑ "FIA Announces World Motor Sport Council Decisions in Geneva". Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. 2023-10-19.
- ↑ Wood, Ida (24 October 2024). "New F4 UAE series emerges as original becomes F4 Middle East". Formula Scout. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- ↑ "Calendar". Archived from the original on 26 July 2016.
- ↑ Kra-Caskey, Calla (16 January 2025). "F4 Middle East: 2025 season guide". Feeder Series. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- ↑ "F4UAE Car". Formula 4 UAE. Archived from the original on 13 February 2021.
- ↑ "F4UAE SET TO HOST GLOBAL DEBUT OF GEN-2 TATUUS RACER". Formula 4 UAE. 14 June 2021. Archived from the original on 14 June 2021.
- ↑ "2025 Formula Middle East Season Announced". www.f4uae.com. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ↑ McClure, Michael (15 December 2024). "Daryanani: Clinching maiden title in Formula Trophy UAE 'a feeling like no other'". feederseries.net. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ↑ Wood, Ida (13 December 2025). "Alp Aksoy ends first month in single-seaters with Formula Trophy title". Formula Scout. Retrieved 3 January 2026.