Four Australians will be in action at this weekend’s season opener of the Formula 4 United Arab Emirates Championship.
 
Jack Beeton, Noah Lisle, James Piszcyk and James Wharton have all confirmed their starts on the grid for round one, with three races to be held in Dubai on 14-15 January.
 
The quartet have had a busy period in the lead up to the Championship. Wharton remains a member of the illustrious Ferrari Driver Academy and will also compete in a European Championship later this year, while Beeton and Piszcyk recently took part in Motorsport Australia’s Ferrari Driver Academy selection program in Malaysia late last year. Beeton made it as far as the World Scouting Finals in Italy, but narrowly missed out on being selected for the FDA.

All four competed in the pre-season testing recently, with Wharton finishing the final test session second quickest, Lisle ended the weekend 21st, Piszcyk in 24th and Beeton in 35th.
 
The compact 2023 F4 UAE Championship takes place over five rounds, with two rounds in Dubai, two in Kuwait and a single round at the Formula 1 circuit, Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi, to act as the finale on 18-19 February.
 
Click here for more information about the Formula 4 UAE Championship.
 
Wharton, who previously competed in the UAE Championship in 2022, said he was looking forward to returning to the UAE as he prepares for a big 2023 abroad with his Ferrari Academy Driver duties.
 
“I am happy to announce I am back racing in the Formula 4 UAE Championship,” Wharton said on Instagram.
 
“Racing with @mumbaifalcons, I had a very strong couple of rounds last year. Can’t wait to see what we can do as a team for 2023. Happy to be back and can’t wait to get fully ready for my European season.”
 
Piszcyk will race in the UAE with Hitech GP, the same team who will lead his British Formula 4 Championship campaign later this year.
 
“It’s a great opportunity for me to join the championship winning Hitech GP racing team,” Piszcyk said.
 
“It’s going to be great to race and challenge myself against the best young driver across Europe. I’m excited to embark on my next chapter in motorsport racing F4 in Europe.”
 
Toparis will use the series as a warm up for his entry in the GB3 Championship with Carlin, while Beeton will be racing with the combined Pinnacle Motorsport and Van Amersfoort Racing.

2023 Formula 4 UAE Championship

Round 1: 14-15 January – Dubai Autodrome
Round 2: 27-28 January – Kuwait Motor Town
Round 3: 31 January – 1 February – Kuwait Motor Town
Round 4: 11-12 February – Dubai Autodrome
Round 5: 18-19 February – Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi