Formula 1 is the most coveted racing league in the world. It is an arena where results are devastated by seconds of decision-making and advanced technology. The pathway to becoming an F1 driver has evolved in recent years. However, the journey from Karting to Formula 1 stardom remains crucial. Increasingly, however, a new generation of racers is emerging from the ranks of Formula 4 (F4) racing.
This article will look at the careers of some of the most well-known F1 drivers who started from F4 (Formula 4). We will explore the journey and challenges faced that boosted their confidence to the highest level of motorsport racing.
F4 to F1 success stories: Famous F1 Drivers who started from F4
Introduced by the FIA in 2014, Formula 4 serves as a key stepping stone to open-wheel racing, designed to nurture young talent. Many famous F1 drivers have made up through the ranks from F4 racing, proving its value as a developmental stage for future champions.
1. Lando Norris
The British star driver is currently driving for McLaren Racing in F1. After his successful karting years, he moved to the lower Formula Division to pursue his dream as an F1 driver. In 2015, he got a chance to secure his racing seat as a F4 racing driver with Carlin Motorsport. After joining the Carlin F4 racing team, he debuted in the open-wheel racing series called the MSA Formula Championship, which is now called the British F4 Racing Championship.
Norris raced for Carlin Motorsport in the 2015 British F4 season, where he won 8 races and claimed 10 pole positions. As a rookie, he managed to achieve 14 podiums, making him win his first F4 championship title in his debut season. After becoming a reigning F4 champion, he raced for Mucke Motorsport in the 2016 Italian F4 Championship season.
2. Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc is a Monegasque racing driver who is currently driving for the Scuderia Ferrari F1 team. He started his racing career in karting, where he raced in the junior direct-drive karting world cup in 2011. But he didn’t achieve anything big under his name. In Karting, he won just a couple of times and also failed to secure the Karting championship title under his belt.
It was in 2014 when he made his first move to be a part of the European Formula 4 racing series driving for Formula Renault 2.0. The Formula Renault 2.0 Euro Championship is a racing league that is organized and funded by the Renault F1 Team to find a new breed of drivers who can compete in F1 racing in the future. A British F4 junior team saw potential in Leclerc and gave him the drive at Fortec Motorsport. With them, he won 7 podium finishes and won twice at Monza.
3. George Russell
Mercedes star George Russell is one of the finest racers currently on the grid, and his record as a junior racer was quite prominent. Even in his karting days, he won twice the Junior-Drive Karting Championship in 2011 and 2012. But this was not enough for him to settle in his career. After ending his karting campaign, he made a contract with Formula Renault 2.0 to drive for the 2014 season. With team Prema Powerteam, Russell managed to win his first race at the Red Bull ring and finished 4th in the standings.
With such an impressive performance, Prema Powertram signed him to compete in the Formula 4 Racing Championship. The team supported him, and he won his first-ever BRDC Formula 4 Championship title in 2014. This win made him everything he has achieved in the motorsport realm through the years.
4. Lance Stroll
Lance Stroll's early racing days were not the same as his Formula 1. He was one of the few drivers whose career in the Junior Formula Division outperformed his F1 career. After graduating from karting, he moved to Florida to participate in the 2014 Florida Winter Series, hosted and organized by Ferrari Driver Academy. He took a two-podium finish and a race win at Miami Speedway.
The following year, he signed a contract with Prema Powerteam and got a seat to drive for the Italian F4 Championship. Surprisingly, Lance won 7 races and 3-podium finishes, making him secure his first-ever Italian F4 Championship driver’s title in 2014. He also won the Toyota Racing Series later that year.
5. Yuki Tsunoda
Yuki Tsunoda is one of the youngest drivers on the grid, currently driving for the Visa Cash RB F1 team. He began his racing career as a go-kart racer in 2010 and then won his first race in the JAF Junior Karting Championship. After moving from karting, he signed a contract with the Sutekina Racing Team to race in his debut F4 Japan Championship.
Tsunoda kept on racing with the junior team and in Super Formula till 2017. His luck turned up when he won his first-ever maiden F4 Japan title with Honda Formula Dream Project in 2018.
6. Mick Schumacher
Schumacher's name stands out in the world of motorsport. Carrying the father’s legacy under his belt, Mick Schumacher's racing career was not as bright as his legendary father, Michael Schumacher. Mick went into karting at an early age of 8. Soon he finished 3rd in the CIK-FIA Junior Karting Championship and was appointed as a reserved racing driver for the Euro F4 championship. He failed miserly in his rookie year.
In 2014, Mick joined Jenzer Motorsport to compete in the F4 Championship, and then he moved to the Van Amersfoort racing team. His major win was in 2016, when he raced for Prema Powertrain and won the ADAC Formula 4 Championship title.
7. Pierre Gasly
The French racer, Pierre Gasly, is driving for the French team Alpine for the 2024 F1 season. But before being an F1 racer, he raced in Formula 4 racing league. Moving from karting to Junior Formulae in 2011. He raced for a couple of years, and then he moved to the Formula Renault 2.0 Euro Championship. With Renault Training Academy, he won the 2013 Formula Renault 2.0 F4 Euro Championship. Then moved to the GP2 series in 2016 and made his winning succession, which added to his driving profile.
8. Zhou Guanyu
He is one of the first Chinese drivers in F1 history, currently racing for the Kick Sauber F1 team. Started his racing career at the age of 8 in karting, making him the only Chinese driver ever to drive in the British motorsport realm. After graduating from karting, he joined the Super 1 Championship racing league to upgrade his racing skills. With a marvelous performance in the rookie season, Prema Powerteam signed a contract with Zhou and offered a driving seat to race in Italian F4 Championship racing.
Zhou joined the 2015 Italian F4 Championship, making him the only Chinese driver to race under such categories. He later on also competed in the ADAC F4 Championship with two podium finishes at Spa and Speilberg.
Unlike them, many F1 drivers have underscored the new talent and emerging skills of racers from the world of Formula 4 racing. It was proven that it is crucial to have subdivided races to avoid functions and qualifications.
Who’s your favorite F1 driver from the grid? Do let us know in the comment below.
