2025 F4 China Championship Shanghai Station returned with great success

The second round of the 2025 Dongpeng Special Drink FIA F4 Formula China Championship was successfully held at the Shanghai International Circuit on the weekend of May 16-18. Apollo RFN Racing by Blackjack Racing and Apollo RFN Racing by ART both achieved excellent results. Andrei Dubynin climbed onto the podium of the overall champion, and Viktor Turkin won the top three in the Masters Group.

The two qualifying races on Friday afternoon kicked off the fifth and seventh rounds of the season. Andrei Dubynin, who performed well in the Ningbo opener, finished fourth in the first qualifying race and sixth in the second qualifying race, laying a solid foundation for the official race on the weekend.

In the Masters class, Viktor Turkin continued to demonstrate his stability and driving speed, finishing second and third in both qualifying races, further establishing his position as a regular on the podium.

15-year-old Tiger Zhang achieved his best qualifying result to date with a P14 in the second qualifying race, which fully demonstrated his growing confidence and steady development in the series.

With the addition of driver Huang Chujian to the Apollo RFN Racing by ART team, he will fight alongside Andrei Dubynin and Zhang Xinhan of Apollo RFN Racing by Blackjack, as well as teammate Viktor Turkin, when the second four-round weekend of the Formula 4 Chinese Championship officially begins.

Both teams performed well in the fifth and sixth rounds and both won valuable points. Dubynin showed great speed in the fifth round and finished fourth. Then in the sixth round, he started from seventh place and overtook others to finish third, successfully reaching the podium for the first time.

Meanwhile, teammate Viktor Turkin also made it to the podium in the sixth round on Saturday, finishing second in the Masters class. Despite receiving a controversial post-race penalty in the fifth round, he still earned a good point.

Youngster Zhang Xinhan continued to make steady progress in the single-seater field. He finished 15th in round five, but had to end the race early in round six after being affected by the spinning car in front of him when trying to catch up after the start.

Wong Chu-kin, who made his debut in the series, impressed in his first single-seater race and performed steadily in both rounds on Saturday. He held his position in the competitive midfield and finished seventh in the CFGP category in round six, one step away from the podium.

Sunday's format was similar to Saturday's, with the final two rounds held at the iconic venue of the Chinese Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Shanghai International Circuit.

Andrei Dubynin once again climbed onto the podium in round seven, showing his ability to quickly adapt to the series. Despite retiring in round eight due to a collision while overtaking, the experienced karting driver and F4 rookie once again proved his potential.

In the Masters class, Viktor Turkin continued his strong form, finishing third in both rounds on Sunday, and had a solid and rewarding weekend.

Zhang Xinhan showed commendable focus and composure in the race on Sunday. Despite a 10-second penalty for causing a collision in round seven, he still finished 14th overall. Round eight was an important learning experience for him, as he had to start from the pit lane after missing his starting position.

Teammate Huang Chujian also successfully completed both races on Sunday, bringing his first race weekend in a single-seater car to a successful conclusion.

Team manager Rodolfo Aiminda Avila concluded: "It was a tough race week. Fortunately, we also won awards, but more importantly, our drivers showed obvious improvement compared to the Ningbo opener. Andrei fought for the podium, Viktor has been in the top three of the Masters class, and Tiger has further improved. Huang Chujian also performed very well in his first single-seater race. Next, we will continue to work closely with the drivers to strive for better results in the next race."

The Formula 4 China Championship will rekindle the battle at the Zhuhai International Circuit from June 13th to 15th, so stay tuned!

F4, Formula 4, is a formula event founded by the International Automobile Federation in 2014. Teenagers aged 15 or above can participate in the event after receiving the formula training course. The F4 Formula event aims to fill the gap between karting and F3, and build a promotion path for young drivers from karting to F4, then to F3, F2, and finally to F1. The FIA Formula 4 China Championship, founded in 2015, is a formula series in China authorized by the International Automobile Federation. The championship is hosted by the China Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, exclusively operated and promoted by Mingtai Racing Sports Co., Ltd., and exclusively sponsored by Dongpeng Special Drink. It aims to train more young drivers to enter the world's top events such as F1.