Asia Racing Team RFN driver Timur Shagaliev has been crowned 2026 F4 Chinese Championship champion after a double win at Zhuhai International Circuit.
Asia Racing Team RFN and Blackjack Racing RFN fielded a six-car line-up for the season finale, with Héloïse Goldberg and Kevin Yang joining season regulars Timur Shagaliev, Josh Feng and Zhuyuan Chen, as well as series returnee Viktor Turkin.
Shagaliev arrived in Zhuhai leading the championship, though without a comfortable margin. The 15-year-old Russian did not crack under pressure and delivered an outstanding double pole position in Friday’s qualifying sessions.
Converting that form into a lights-to-flag victory in the opening race, he then finished second in the day’s second race, leaving him one win away from the title heading into a decisive Sunday.
He duly delivered. A second lights-to-flag victory in Sunday morning’s race made Shagaliev the youngest champion in the history of the F4 Chinese Championship. He went on to chase one more win in the final race of the season, but was involved in a collision at Turn 1 that damaged his car and forced his retirement. The title, however, was already beyond anyone’s reach.
Rookie Josh Feng, the team’s other race winner this season, scored points in all four races, with a pair of fifth places his best results in a season that exceeded expectations for the 15-year-old British-Chinese driver.
Blackjack Racing RFN’s Zhuyuan Chen had a tough weekend in Zhuhai. A sixth-place finish in Saturday’s opening race and eighth on Sunday morning could not mask the disappointment of ending a promising rookie season with two DNFs, and away from the podium where he had been a regular visitor throughout the year.
Viktor Turkin’s second F4 weekend of the season yielded three wins in the Masters Class. The Russian was in the fight for a fourth Master Class victory, but lost out when a throttle pedal issue slowed him in Sunday’s morning race.
Héloïse Goldberg had a difficult Friday, with qualifying falling well short of her expectations and leaving her with work to do. The 17-year-old French driver responded with a strong recovery drive on Saturday, climbing from P19 to P7, and added a ninth place later in the weekend to score points in the second and fourth races.
Completing the six-car line-up was Kevin Yang, another familiar face within the team and the circuit. Making his F4 debut, he was caught up in two incidents on Saturday, but bounced back on Sunday to feature in the top-five battle for a while to finish eighth in the last race of the weekend.
Reflecting on the season that has just ended, Team Principal Jack Pang Changyuan said: “Congratulations to the entire team and all our drivers. I believe everyone achieved something meaningful this season, even if not every goal was fully realised. It has been a truly memorable year, reminding us of what matters most to us and why we race in the first place.”
Team Manager Rodolfo Ávila added: “Congratulations to Timur for his relentless determination and fighting spirit, and to the entire team for an outstanding job. This title means a huge amount to us. It’s been a tough season, but we pushed to the limit, fought for every point and never gave up. We’ve worked incredibly hard to make this happen!”
The F4 Chinese Championship season is now over, and the team will turn its focus to the Macau Formula Race – FIA F4 World Cup at the 73rd Macau Grand Prix, from 19 to 22 November.
