Martin Molnár is racing in Dubai this weekend, as the third round of the F4 Middle East Championship takes place here. The Evans GP driver aims to build on the lessons learned from the first two race weekends and push forward.
After the first two rounds in Abu Dhabi, the F4 Middle East Championship grid, including Martin Molnár, heads to the Dubai Autodrome. The 16-year-old driver has been the best performer for his team, Evans GP, in five of the six races so far. He was on track to make it six out of six, but a mechanical failure prevented him from finishing the most recent race. Additionally, he’s finished in the top 10 four times, with his best result being a seventh-place finish.
As before, the Hungarian Motorsport Academy (HMA) driver faces an unfamiliar circuit. He has never raced on the 5390-meter-long Dubai Autodrome, which features 16 corners.
“I saw the Dubai Autodrome for the first time during the track walk. It’s a wide circuit and my first impressions are good. A lap is very long with a long straight and there are some elevation changes. It’s clear that no Formula 1 races are held here—the asphalt is much dirtier, bumpier, and cracked in places, and the surrounding environment is different. The grip will be lower than in Abu Dhabi, which could work in our favor. There’s almost no shade, the sun constantly beats down on the tarmac, and there are no sand traps, so the wind will blow sand onto the track. It’s sure to be a tough weekend, but the layout promises exciting battles and overtakes, so we’ll have plenty of action,” said Martin, looking ahead.
“The team has been working hard before the third round, analyzing what happened in the first two events and even had a meeting with the engineers from Virtuosi Racing in Formula 2,” said Tamás Pál Kiss, head of Motorsport Talent Management (MOTAM) and Martin’s coach. “A lot of ideas came up on how to improve and what to test during the Dubai sessions. Martin doesn’t know this track either, and the practice time is limited. But I believe he’s starting to reach the same level as he did at the end of his karting career—so if the track isn’t too far from his liking, he’ll be able to get into the rhythm during two practice sessions.”
“The big question now is how many of the prepared options they will be able to test and which ones will work. Will they hit the mark right away, or will it take time to fine-tune? I’m optimistic, as both the team and Martin have rested after the first doubleheader, processed the experiences and the lessons have settled. We don’t have unrealistic expectations: if everything clicks, I believe he can make it into the top five, but based on his previous best results, I’ve set the target of a top-eight finish for now,” added Kiss.
The F4 Middle East Championship: a crucial step toward F1
In the F4 Middle East Championship Martin is not only encountering three new tracks, but he’s also adjusting to new brakes, tires, and conditions (hotter weather, night races, a different field) compared to what he experienced last year in the British F4. For the Hungarian driver, simply participating in this series is extremely valuable.
“The new brakes, tires, tracks, and temperature changes are all helping Martin become a more versatile driver,” explained Kiss. “I started my career by racing in all kinds of cars, which helped me develop the skill to quickly adapt to anything. But later on I had to focus more on mastering the feel and handling of each specific car. For Martin, it was important to first master a particular car type, but now he’s moving into a phase where, with a solid foundation, he’s being challenged from all directions. The new team, different teammates, and completely foreign environments and circuits are teaching him what he missed before.”
The new tracks, which are completely different from the ones in the British F4, will provide valuable experience for Martin’s later career.
“The key now isn’t necessarily how quickly someone adapts, but how they prepare themselves for the fact that the tracks of the F4 Middle East Championship require a different driving style,” noted Kiss. “These Grand Prix-style tracks are wide, with big run-off areas, making it easy to lose control. If you’re used to racing on ultra-tight tracks, you develop reflexes where the immediate reaction is to stay near the grass run-off or the barriers. Here, you have to accept that it’s okay to push the limits a bit, as there’s a massive asphalt run-off area, so even if you go off, you’re unlikely to hit a wall.”
“Last year at Silverstone we saw that Martin struggled when he moved onto a wide, large Grand Prix circuit with big run-offs. It was tough for him to switch mentally. This series is perfect preparation for this challenge, as Martin won’t be racing in F4 next year, and whatever the next series is, it will likely involve Grand Prix circuits 90% of the time.”
The key part of the F4 Middle East Championship will take place on Saturday and Sunday, according to the following schedule. The qualifying sessions and races can be followed live here.
The schedule for the third round of the F4 Middle East Championship is as follows (GMT+4):
Saturday
08.00 – 08.15: Qualifying 1
08.20 – 08.35: Qualifying 2
11.15 – 11.45: Race 1
