Race Report

FORMULA 4
FWS F4 Winter Series, Rounds 1/2/3

Circuit: Estoril (P), Length 4,182 km, 21^st – 25^th January 2026
www.circuito-estoril.pt

JENZER MOTORSPORT 2026:
Teo Borenstein (CZ), Levi Arn (CH), Georgiy Zasov (CH), Markas Silkunas (LTU)

Levi Arn with super start in FWS Winter Series in Estoril

The FWS F4 Winter Series was very well received also this year, and a total of 32 drivers registered.
The young drivers want to prepare as well as possible for the new season. From mid January to mid March we are racing in five events on four different major circuits in Spain and Portugal, with three sprint races per event, in order to gain as much experience as possible.
The first race weekend took place on the traditional, technical Estoril circuit near Lisbon and close to the Atlantic Oceanl. The weather was rather cool with strong winds and frequent heavy rain.

Qualifying

Saturday, 24/01/26, Quali 1 10.20 – 10.35, Quali 2 10.40 - 10.55, Weather: Cloudy, 10°C

In this championship there are several free practice sessions on Thursday and Friday, then two qualifying sessions of 15 minutes each, and a total of three races of 30 minutes + 1 lap each.
The starting grid for the first race will be created in the order of the fastest qualifying time from Q1. The starting grid for the second race will be based on the 2nd fastest time per driver from Q1. The starting grid for the third race will be drawn up in the order of each driver's best qualifying time from Q2.
The excitement was high as the 31 vehicles set off for the first qualifying of the 2026 FWS F4 Winter Series. For Artem it was his very first qualifying in a Formula car. But actually everyone was a bit nervous at the first event of the year!

FWS F4 Winter Series

Race One (30 Min + 1 lap)

Saturday, 24/01/26, 14.10, Weather: Cloudy, 13°C

Shortly before the race, it had rained heavily, and another downpour hit the track during the starting grid formation. The race started behind the safety car. Unfortunately, Teo spun and lost his excellent fourth starting position. This allowed Levi to take over fourth place. Markas was in 20^th and Georgiy in 27^th. The rain became so heavy that the race was red-flagged. Ten minutes later, the weather had calmed down, and the race restarted behind the safety car. At the start of a clear lap, and just before several accidents occurred, Levi bravely managed to move up to third place. The final laps were then run behind the safety car. Levi thus achieved a spectacular podium finish in his very first race in a Formula car, taking third place overall! In the rookie standings this counted as a third place as well! Markas and Georgiy also performed as well as they could under the difficult circumstances. It was also their first Formula 4 racing experience. Markas finished in 15^th place, and Georgiy came home in 19^th. Teo's first result this year was 22^nd place.

FWS F4 Winter Series

Race Two (30 Min + 1 lap)

Sunday, 25/01/26, 10.20, Weather: Wet, overcast, 13°C

The weather was wet and overcast for the second race, but the rain held off for the time being. The race started as usual with a standing start. There were immediate battles for position. Teo and Markas were in a very active group and were doing very well. Their positions changed almost every lap. Markas managed to overtake Teo towards the end of the race, but Teo didn't give up and reclaimed the position at the end. Teo finished 14^th, with Markas right behind him in 15^th. Georgiy had to start far back but was making good progress and improved his position lap by lap. Levi started even further back and staged a brilliant comeback. He had fearlessly worked his way up to 15^th place when he lost his front wing in a collision. Levi got a new part in the pits and started the race again. Now he first had to make up a large gap to the field, but a safety car period helped him. The field bunched up again. Unfortunately, Levi and Georgiy then collided, forcing both to return to the pits with damaged cars. The race only had a few minutes left, and neither driver was able to rejoin the race.

FWS F4 Winter Series

Race Three (30 Min + 1 lap)

Sunday, 25/01/26, 14.45, Weather: Cloudy, humid, 13°C

Before the third race, the weather was holding up quite well, although threatening dark clouds hung over the mountains. But just as the Formula 4 field was in the middle of the starting procedure, it began to rain, first hesitantly, then more heavily. The entire field was on slick tires, however. For a brief moment, the rain eased, but soon a real downpour came down. Several cars spun off the track, and the safety car took over. Despite this, many cars continued on slicks for a few more laps, as it was unclear how the weather would develop. But then the rain became even heavier, and all the cars came into the pits in two large waves for tire changes. Levi quickly got back on track and managed to drive confidently up to 7^th place. In the rookie standings this was another 3^rd place podium. Teo managed to keep his car on the track and moved up to 18^th. Georgiy damaged his front wing but kept his car on course for the final laps. He finished in 26^th place. Markas was involved in an accident at the beginning of the race, and thus his race was unfortunately over shortly after the start.

Teo Borenstein (CZ)

+15

Levi Arn (CH)

+30

Georgiy Zasov (CH)

+11

Markas Silkunas (LTU)

+13

© Photo Pellegrini

2026 FWS F4 Winter Series - Agenda

More information:
formula-winter-series.com