February 24, 2026 – For the second year in a row, the Vendée-based team was crowned Formula 4 Middle East Champion on February 13 at Lusail, Qatar. In the Drivers’ standings, Andy Consani and Kenzo Craigie finished Runner-up and Rookie Champion respectively. An outstanding season that confirms the team’s progress over the past two years.
Season Recap
Round 1: First Wins for Consani and Craigie, First Overall Podium for Cotty
The season got off to a flying start for the team in Abu Dhabi. Andy Consani, member of the Mercedes Junior Program, finished second in Race 1 before claiming victory in Race 3 from pole position.
Emily Cotty secured her first overall podium with a second-place finish in Race 2, while fellow Mercedes Junior driver Kenzo Craigie came home just behind her in third. The Brit also took his first win in the Rookie category.
R-ace GP moved to the top of the Teams’ standings.
Round 2: Double Podium for Consani, Craigie Continues Rookie Dominance
Andy Consani stepped onto the podium twice, finishing second in Races 1 and 3. In the Rookie category, Kenzo Craigie secured his first double victory of the season and extended his lead in the championship.
Round 3: Double Pole and First Overall Win for Craigie
In Dubai, Kenzo Craigie delivered an outstanding qualifying performance, taking double pole position for Races 1 and 3. The Brit won Race 1 overall and in the Rookie category, while Andy Consani completed the podium in third place.
R-ace GP kept on dominating in Races 2 and 3. Consani finished second in Race 2 and third in Race 3, behind Craigie, who added another Rookie victory to his tally.
Round 4: Double Pole and Double Victory for Consani
The Qatar finale ended on a high note for Andy Consani, who secured double pole position for Races 1 and 3 and converted both into victories.
With 13 podiums — including four wins — and five pole positions, R-ace GP confirmed its dominance and clinched the 2026 UAE4 Series Teams’ title in style.
Andy Consani finished Runner-up in the Drivers’ standings, just eight points behind the reigning title holder.
Rookie Champion Kenzo Craigie also secured third place overall in the Drivers’ championship.
Season Review
A Confirmed Leadership Status
“This excellent season confirms that last year’s results were not achieved by chance,” explains Team Principal Thibaut de Mérindol. “The team has been competitive at every circuit, and our engineers and mechanics have done a tremendous job.”
However, the team remains focused and grounded ahead of the upcoming European campaign. “We are starting from a clean sheet to prepare as thoroughly as possible for the season in Italy,” adds de Mérindol.
Consani and Craigie: A Formidable Duo
With nine podiums from twelve races — including three victories — and three pole positions, French driver Andy Consani has been one of the standout performers this season. “His performances have been remarkable, and he played a major role in securing the Teams’ title,” underlines de Mérindol.
The same can be said for Kenzo Craigie, who claimed a double pole position and an overall victory this season. Alongside seven podiums and five Rookie wins, these strong results enable him to finish third in the Drivers’ standings.
Encouraging Performances from Cotty, Weiss and Gender
The season also brought positive surprises from the rest of the line-up. Starting with Emily Cotty, who begins her second year in F4 with R-ace GP. “We were pleasantly surprised by Emily’s step forward compared to last year,” says de Mérindol, highlighting the British driver’s “strong racecraft development”.
German driver Elia Weiss, whose season proved challenging at times, finishes on a positive note with encouraging results in Qatar (P10, P6, P8), described as “a reflection of his potential.”
Finally, Hungarian driver Tomika Gender also shows clear progress in Qatar. “Tomika has a great attitude and makes the most of learning from the other drivers to keep improving. His approach paid off at the final meeting,” de Mérindol concludes.
The team now turns its attention to preparations for the European Formula 4 season. The Formula 4 Italian Championship will kick off in Misano on May 9.
