Charlie Wurz, son of former F1 driver Alexander Wurz, lines up on the grid. 22 talented youngsters start in the new Formula 4 race car. Eight teams and an international field at the season-opener.

ADAC Formula 4 kicks off its much-anticipated eighth season with a high-class field. From 22nd to 24th April, 22 drivers will battle it out for the first victories of 2022 at the Formula 1 circuit in Spa-Francorchamps – and they will do so in the brand-new Formula 4 car for the first time. The motorsport stars of tomorrow come from 17 different countries, making the popular junior series a truly international affair. ADAC Formula 4 not only features a new car, but also exclusively uses an environmentally-friendly fuel from Shell, which is made of roughly 50% sustainable components. All the races in the ADAC’s high-speed school are streamed live on adac.de/motorsport.

Charlie Wurz adds a little Formula 1 flair to the paddock at the season-opener: The 16-year-old Austrian lines up for Prema Racing. His father, Alexander Wurz, raced in the pinnacle of motorsport and also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans on two occasions. The international field also includes two talented young Germans: Jonas Ried (17) from Ehingen starts for new team PHM Racing from Berlin, which is making its ADAC Formula 4 debut this year. Like Ried, Chris Rosenkranz (15/Baabe) also dreams of one day making it into Formula 1. He starts for BWR Motorsport this year. Another pursuing the same dream is Maya Weug (17). The Dutch driver is part of the Ferrari Driver Academy and, together with the team Iron Dames, is adding some power to the ADAC junior series this season.

US Racing, the team run by Ralf Schumacher and Gerhard Ungar, travels to Spa-Francorchamps with four cars. Jenzer Motorsport from Switzerland returns to ADAC Formula 4 and lines up with a trio of cars at the iconic ‘Ardennes Rollercoaster’. French team R-ace GP is also back on the grid with two Formula 4 cars, having already raced in ADAC Formula 4 for the past few seasons. The second Swiss team in this season’s competition, Sauter Engineering + Design, is a family affair: Michael Sauter (17/Schweiz) is the man at the wheel.

The new Formula 4 race car from Tatuus makes its ADAC Formula 4 debut in Spa. With the Halo roll bar, the series has adopted Formula 1 technology. The latest safety updates also ensure the motorsport stars of the future are even better protected. The Tatuus F4 T-021 is powered by a 180-hp Abarth turbo engine.

ADAC Formula 4 sees ADAC continue its successful development of young drivers in Formula racing. Not only is the hunt on for the successor to last year’s champion Oliver Bearman, but also future Formula 1 drivers. Since 1991, 17 drivers have progressed through the ADAC’s junior Formula series on their way to the pinnacle of motorsport. The most recent of these are Lando Norris, Mick Schumacher and Guanyu Zhou.