Martin Molnár not only secured his first podium finish in an FIA-sanctioned Formula 4 championship but also made history for Hungarian motorsport at the sixth round of the British F4 series in Zandvoort, Netherlands. The Virtuosi Racing driver excelled among the rookies, finishing as the best rookie twice and second-best rookie once.
Martin Molnár was eagerly anticipating the resumption of the British F4 championship after the month-long summer break. Racing on his favourite track, he expected a more balanced competition as an F4 series visited Zandvoort for the first time. In the rain-soaked qualifying session, Martin drove on a wet track for the first time at this venue and achieved his career-best fourth place. He then made history by finishing third in the first race.
The 15-year-old athlete, who had already secured eight podium finishes in the rookie standings before the weekend, started the second race from the front row due to his second-best qualifying lap time. He held second place at the start but was eventually overtaken by Alex Ninovic, who is second in the overall standings. Martin maintained a good pace in the heavy rain to secure third place. This achievement made him the first Hungarian to finish on the podium in the British F4 and among all FIA F4 championships, in a field of 27 drivers – the largest grid of the season.
“This podium came at the perfect time, benefiting both me and the team. It was an incredibly enjoyable weekend on my favourite track, and all three of my races went well, improving my overall standings. The support I felt from Hungary, more than 1000 km away, after the podium finish was overwhelming, and I thank everyone for that. I am particularly pleased that the first race was the only uninterrupted race of the weekend, with no safety car phases or interruptions, and no one retiring ahead of me, so I achieved this podium through sheer performance. It was important to manage expectations before the remaining two races, and I handled the situation well. I hope we will have similar results in the remaining part of the season,” said Martin, who is part of the Hungarian Motorsport Academy run by HUMDA Hungarian Mobility Development Agency Zrt.
Intense Battles, chaos and more good results
After being the best rookie in the first race of his career, Martin repeated this the next day on the third race and was ranked second in the rookie standings in the second race. The second race, also planned for Saturday, descended into chaos due to malfunctioning start lights. Fortunately, Martin avoided the pile-up that ensued, resulting in the race being postponed to Sunday. Starting on a dry track for the 20-minute race, he moved from ninth to seventh by the end of the first lap. Although not satisfied with his pace, his tire management was commendable, setting his best lap in the final lap and finishing as the second-best rookie in seventh place.
The third and final race of the weekend was also disrupted, with a red flag due to a major accident shortly after halfway. He made a great start, moving from fourth to third, and held this position for a few laps until overtaken by Ninovic, finishing fourth when the race was stopped. After the restart, he had intense battles, finishing fifth despite being held up by Ninovic, who had lost his front wing, allowing two drivers to pass him.
Tamás Pál Kiss, director of MOTAM and Martin’s coach and mentor was pleased with Martin’s performance. “It felt like a year had passed since the last weekend, given how differently Martin raced. His situational awareness improved significantly, evident in all his starts and battles. The overall podium boosted his confidence; he created space for himself, improved his defense, and was aggressive when needed but held back when it wasn’t necessary. Competing on such a challenging track and under various conditions, Martin performed excellently.”
“My main expectation before the weekend was to catch up with the rookie leader, Mercedes junior Yanpu Cui, in the standings,” continued Tamás Pál Kiss. “This was achieved not only in terms of positions but also in pace, as Martin matched Cui’s speed throughout the second race. The whole team is delighted with Martin’s continuous improvement, and it felt like a new season had begun in Zandvoort. Martin arrived fresh and well-rested, excelling both on and off the track. Improving his racing was our primary goal, and he made significant progress in just one weekend, evident in the onboard footage and data. While there is still room for improvement, we are confidentthat Martin belongs in the top 10, and he achieved this podium through sheer performance.”
After the Dutch round, the British F4 series returns to the UK, racing next at Knockhill in Scotland on August 10-11.
