Molnár Martin, the British F4 rookie champion from last year kicks off his 2025 racing season this weekend at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit, a track that has hosted the Formula 1 season finale for many years. The 16-year-old driver is aiming to gather valuable experience in the F4 Middle East Championship.
After clinching the rookie championship in the British F4 last year, this year Martin Molnár will compete in two championships on his way to Formula 1. This weekend he will line up on the grid in the first of five rounds in the F4 Middle East Championship with Evans GP. The first race weekend will take place at the iconic Yas Marina Circuit, which has witnessed four Formula 1 title deciders (in 2010, 2014, 2016, and 2021). The F4 field will be racing on the same Grand Prix layout, meaning the 29 young drivers will battle it out on the very same tarmac as the F1 stars. The 5.281 km track, consisting of 16 corners, runs in the counterclockwise direction. The drivers have already completed two test days, giving Martin a chance to get familiar with the Evans GP team, as well as the completely new circuit, tires, brakes, and the hot weather conditions that are quite different from those in the British F4.
“After two test days I feel like this could be my new favorite circuit. It’s a fantastic track, really enjoyable to drive on, and the surroundings are just amazing, especially in the evening. I’m really looking forward to the night race!” said the Hungarian Motorsport Academy (HMA) driver after getting his first taste of the track. “As for the car, it’s mostly the same as the one we race in the British series, but there are some differences, like the brake discs and pads, as well as the clutch and the tires. I’ll need to get used to these new things, but it helps a lot that I’m in a familiar environment, with my engineer and mechanic from Virtuosi Racing, and also my team principal, Mark Salmon accompanying me to the races. I can’t wait for the season to start!”
Tamás Pál Kiss, the sporting director of Motorsport Talent Management (MOTAM), emphasized that the big advantage for Martin this year compared to last is that he can get into competitive racing conditions three months earlier, completing 15 more races in a large field.
“This championship is all about gaining experience and getting into rhythm before the British series. Martin will arrive there with half a season already under his belt, having experienced a variety of race situations, starts, and other stress-inducing scenarios. He’ll be much more prepared at the start of the season than he was last year, both mentally and physically. Also, I know from personal experience how important it is to have a driver already familiar with his engineer, mechanic, and the team’s dynamics. Martin will benefit from the familiarity of working with Virtuosi Racing after a full year with them. Our goals remain the same, and everyone will do everything to achieve them,” said the former racing driver, who continues to mentor and coach Martin this year.
“The two test days in Abu Dhabi have shown that the F4 Middle East Championship has a very competitive field. Some drivers are entering their second season here, so we shouldn’t have unrealistic expectations for Martin. But I still expect him to finish in the top 10,” Kiss Pál Tamás continued. “It’s clear that Martin adapts quickly to new conditions. In the first session of the first test day, he was immediately P4, despite the unusually good grip and high temperatures on the dusty track. However, he couldn’t improve as much in the later sessions as his rivals, who were more accustomed to these conditions, which caused him to drop down the order. The first weekend will definitely be all about learning, as racing on nearly 50-degree asphalt is a different challenge. It requires a specific technique, particularly in braking zones and corner entries. You have to analyze the telemetry to find the time gaps, and it takes a bit of feel. Over the two test days, the Evans GP team tried several setups with Martin, and on the second day, they managed to improve by half a second.”
Martin will have three more hours of official testing on Friday before the Abu Dhabi weekend officially kicks off on Saturday. The races will be streamed live on the Parc Fermé TV official YouTube channel.
The schedule for the first round of the F4 Middle East Championship is as follows (times are in local time, which is GMT+4):
Saturday
10.05 – 10.35: Free practice
16.05 – 16.20: Qualifying 1
16.25 – 16.40: Qualifying 2
20.35 – 21.05: Race 1
Sunday
08.45 – 09.15: Race 2
19.35 – 20.05: Race 3