Insights from Recent Feeder Series Testing in Europe

In the past week, over 100 drivers from various feeder series took to the tracks at Monza, Mugello, and Spa as they gear up for the 2026 racing season. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the testing sessions, highlighting key participants, teams, and performance metrics gathered during these crucial preparation events.

Formula 2 and Formula 3 Testing at Monza

The private testing session at Monza began on November 3rd, with Kateyama conducting their second day of tests. Among the notable drivers was Colton Herta, who had previously been reported to be involved. Prema Racing showcased a Dallara F2 2018 car, featuring Aston Martin junior Mari Boya (#1), who is expected to race for René Rosin’s team in the upcoming season.

On the same day, Emmo Fittipaldi Jr. (#14) partnered with Herta in another Dallara F2 2018 from MM International Motorsport. The identity of the driver who participated on the first day remains unconfirmed.

In the Formula 3 category, Brando Badoer (#912) replaced Christian Ho in Rodin Motorsport’s Dallara F3 2019 car, while Jesse Carrasquedo (#20) took over from Hiyu Yamakoshi in the Van Amersfoort Racing F3 vehicle.

Feeder Series identified several other drivers who participated in both days of testing. Campos Racing fielded its F2 lineup with Nikola Tsolov (#12) and Noel León (#44). Meanwhile, Porteiro Motorsport had Ricardo Escotto and Yevan David in their F3 cars. David is confirmed to race for AIX Racing next year, while Escotto was seen in the paddock at the F3 season finale in Monza.

Additionally, it has come to light that Charlie Wurz will not be racing for Trident in Formula 2 next year. Instead, he is believed to be heading to a Toyota team in Japan’s Super Formula series for 2026. This opens the door for Christian Mansell, who tested with Trident at Monza, to potentially fill that seat.

Test Results from Monza

During the testing sessions at Monza, the following times were recorded:

• Formula 2, Day 1:
  • Colton Herta, 1:50.264 (MM International Motorsport #14)
  • Christian Mansell, +0.746s
• Formula 2, Day 2:
  • Nikola Tsolov, 1:30.522
  • Noel León, +0.023s
  • Colton Herta, +0.999s
• Formula 3, Day 1:
  • Pedro Clerot, 1:51.957
  • Christian Ho, +0.083s
• Formula 3, Day 2:
  • Jesse Carrasquedo, 1:38.697
  • Pedro Clerot, +0.214s
  • Brando Badoer, +0.232s

(Note: All times were achieved using previous-generation cars.)

Formula Regional and F4 Testing at Mugello

Following the Monza tests, Kateyama organized another testing session at Mugello on November 4th. The first two days were dedicated to Formula Regional teams, while F4 teams took the track on the second and third days. This testing phase will likely provide significant insights into driver placements for the upcoming season.

A notable entry in the FRegional class was Reza Seewooruthun (#9), who tested for Trident ahead of the Macau Grand Prix. He was accompanied by Trident’s confirmed 2026 drivers, Maximilian Popov (#7) and Andrija Kostic (#8).

In a surprising turn, AKM Motorsport fielded Stefano Pedani (#55), although both the team and driver are not anticipated to be on the grid next year. CL Motorsport and R-ace GP also showcased young talents, including Mercedes junior Rashid Al Dhaheri (#23) and Toyota junior Yuki Sano (#11). RPM participated with drivers Tomass Štolcermanis and Reno Francot in the #21 car alongside Jan Przyrowski (#74).

Tatuus also conducted tests with its new T-326 model, featuring former FIA F3 driver Lorenzo Colombo (#80).

F4 Testing Highlights

In the F4 segment, seven teams from the current Italian F4 grid participated, alongside E4 team AKM and 2026 entrant Trident. Reigning Italian F4 champions Prema Racing entered six cars for drivers who had not raced for them in 2025 but are slated to be part of their 2026 lineup. These drivers included Christian Costoya (#01), Kingsley Zheng (#04), Alp Aksoy (#10), Beco Bernoldi (#16), Niccolò Maccagnani (#19), and Payton Westcott (#94).

US Racing brought five cars, adding Nathan Tye (#8) to their roster, with Ludovico Busso (#29), Ary Bansal (#46), and Arjen Kräling (#62) having previous experience with the team. R-ace GP also entered four cars, including David Cosma Cristofor (#32), with the other three drivers being familiar faces.

Jenzer Motorsport had two drivers who had previously competed for the team this year, with Florentin Hattemer (#25) and Elia Weiss (#21) leading their charge. The team also included Teodor Borenstein (#24) and Casper Nissen (#26).

PHM Racing and Technorace maintained their lineups from Monza, featuring Roland Kuklane (#27) and Iacopo Martinese (#46) for PHM, while Technorace fielded Antonio Errigo (#89), coached by Pierre-Louis Chovet.

Cram Motorsport participated with Rafael Vaessen (#37), who had prior experience at Monza, while Trident tested four cars, introducing Alexander Chartier (#6) alongside Dominik Simek (#5), Augustus Toniolo (#7), and Lyuboslav Ruykov (#8).

Test Results from Mugello

The following times were recorded during the Mugello tests:

• FRegional, Day 1:
  • Maximilian Popov, 1:42.501
  • Rashid Al Dhaheri, +0.187s
  • Jan Przyrowski, +0.208s
• FRegional, Day 2:
  • Maximilian Popov, 1:41.291
  • Reno Francot, +0.342s
  • Jan Przyrowski, +0.352s
• F4, Day 1:
  • Rafael Vaessen, 1:50.914
  • Vittorio Orsini, +0.489s
  • Ginevra Panzeri, +0.701s
• F4, Day 2:
  • Niccolò Maccagnani, 1:49.302
  • Alp Aksoy, +0.134s
  • Elia Weiss, +0.156s
• F4, Day 3:
  • Noah Killion, 1:49.158
  • Niccolò Maccagnani, +0.077s
  • Elia Weiss, +0.179s

Multi-Series Testing at Spa

Motopark hosted an extensive testing session at Spa from November 5th to 6th, where 29 teams from various series, including FIA F3, FR Europe, GB3, Euroformula Open, Eurocup-3, F4, and GB4, participated. Among the new talents, McLaren junior Matteo De Palo and Jan Koller were also present, although their teams were not confirmed.

Seven teams from FIA F3 participated in the first day, with ART Grand Prix’s Kanato Le (#46) leading the pack, supported by Maciej Gładysz (#47) and Taito Kato (#48). On the second day, Prema Racing’s Enzo Deligny (#55) took the top spot, partnered by an unidentified second driver.

Campos Racing also brought their team with Ugo Ugochukwu (#58) and another unidentified driver. DAMS fielded two cars with confirmed driver Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi (#53) and Gerrard Xie (#54), who is expected to race for them next season.

Rodin Motorsport was present with two cars, featuring Brando Badoer (#49) and Pedro Clerot (#50), while Van Amersfoort Racing and Hitech added their drivers to the mix.

Across the Euroformula Open teams, Motopark showcased six cars, including Lorenzo Castillo (#2), Diego De La Torre (#3), and Everett Stack (#4). Incoming Eurocup-3 team Double R brought three cars, with their #60 car topping the timing sheets for both days.

Test Results from Spa

The following times were recorded during the Spa testing sessions:

• F3, Day 1:
  • Kanato Le, 2:05.877
  • Maciej Gładysz, +0.136s
  • Taito Kato, +0.190s
• F3, Day 2:
  • Enzo Deligny, 2:05.577
  • Maciej Gładysz, +0.010s
  • Brando Badoer, +0.244s
• **Euroformula Open, Day 1: