Tsuchihashi claims podium on French F4 debut
Circuit de NogaroKota Tsuchihashi, competing in the 2026 French F4 Championship, contested the season-opening round at Nogaro, securing a podium finish of third in Race 1. He also finished fourth in Race 3, placing him fourth in the standings.
Kota Tsuchihashi Profile
Tsuchihashi graduated top of his class from the Honda Racing School Suzuka (HRS) in 2025, earning a scholarship. From 2026, he joined Honda’s driver development programme, the Honda Formula Dream Project (HFDP), and is competing in the French F4 Championship.
French F4
Organised by the FFSA (French Motorsport Federation) Academy, the French F4 Championship has produced numerous top drivers, including Pierre Gasly and Isack Hadjar. Ayumu Iwasa claimed the title in 2020, followed by Taito Kato in 2024.
The 2026 French F4 Championship features six rounds and 18 races, starting at Nogaro and concluding at Paul Ricard. Each round includes three races with a unique grid format: Race 1 is set by qualifying times, Race 2 uses a reverse grid for the top 10, and Race 3 is based on each driver’s second-fastest qualifying time.
Qualifying
A total of 32 cars lined up for the event, with young drivers from 14 countries, including 10 female drivers. Held over the Easter weekend, the race attracted several thousand spectators and enjoyed strong popularity.
Official qualifying took place in fine conditions with temperatures exceeding 20°C. Tsuchihashi, driving the #50 car, set a 1:26.466 time on lap six and followed with a 1:26.477 time on lap nine after an interval, showing consistent pace with two laps in the 1:26 range. A red flag interruption prevented further improvements, but he secured P6, 0.368 seconds off the top, and P5 with his second-best time—both strong grid positions.
Race 1: P6 start → P3 finish
Race 1 on Sunday morning was held in dry conditions, with Tsuchihashi lining up in sixth. After the formation lap, a technical issue for the second placed car forced it to pit, leaving four rivals ahead at the start.
Amid intense early battles, Tsuchihashi briefly moved up to fourth and held fifth while avoiding contact. After a car ahead spun, he advanced to fourth and stayed close to third following the Safety Car (SC) restart. The leading #19 car pulled clear to win by 2.725 seconds, while Tsuchihashi, running fourth, remained in a three-car fight for second and crossed the line just 0.452 seconds behind second. A post-race 20-second penalty for the third place finisher promoted Tsuchihashi to P3, securing a podium finish on his debut.
Race 2: P5 start → pit lane start → P16 finish
In Race 2, with the top 10 reversed from qualifying, Tsuchihashi was set to start fifth but returned to the pits just before the start due to a car check. With no major issue found, he started from the pit lane in 31st, gaining valuable race experience as he worked through the field.
The race featured multiple incidents and three Safety Car periods. Tsuchihashi stayed composed, gaining positions at each restart and steadily improving his position with consistent pace. Shortened to 15 laps due to the Safety Car interruptions, he recovered from 31st to finish 16th, again showing competitive pace.
Race 3: P4 start → P4 finish
Race 3 on Monday afternoon was held in dry conditions at 27°C. Starting fourth, Tsuchihashi saw an early Safety Car after a midfield car stopped. After the restart, the top four gradually broke away. Tsuchihashi remained close to the top three through the early and middle stages, searching for an opportunity to overtake. However, no clear chance emerged, and he held fourth to the finish, scoring 12 points.
He collected 27 points across the opening round to sit fourth in the standings. Round 2 will take place at Dijon-Prenois from 15–17 May, where Tsuchihashi is expected to build on his podium-contending pace.
Qualifying included a few small mistakes, but overall I showed consistent pace, which meant I started from P6 for Race 1 and P5 for both Race 2 and Race 3.
In Race 1, I was a bit nervous at the start as it was my first race, but I gained positions off the line and then maintained a steady pace to finish P4. With a penalty applied to the car ahead, I was ultimately promoted to P3.
In Race 2, starting from P5 on the reverse grid, I had a good opportunity to fight towards the front. However, I mistakenly thought there was an engine issue on the grid and shut the engine down, which forced me to return to the pit lane and start from the back. There was an option to retire during the race to save tyres, but I chose to prioritise experience and completed the race, finishing P16.
In Race 3, with significantly higher temperatures, I focused on tyre management throughout the race. With two Safety Car periods, I feel there was some room to push the pace earlier, but in the end I finished P4.
Scoring P3 in my first French F4 weekend and gaining experience in close battles was a very valuable outcome. At the same time, the areas I need to improve have become clear, so I will continue working on these ahead of the next round at Dijon from 15–17 May. Thank you for your continued support.
Qualifying included a few small mistakes, but overall I showed consistent pace, which meant I started from P6 for Race 1 and P5 for both Race 2 and Race 3.
In Race 1, I was a bit nervous at the start as it was my first race, but I gained positions off the line and then maintained a steady pace to finish P4. With a penalty applied to the car ahead, I was ultimately promoted to P3.
In Race 2, starting from P5 on the reverse grid, I had a good opportunity to fight towards the front. However, I mistakenly thought there was an engine issue on the grid and shut the engine down, which forced me to return to the pit lane and start from the back. There was an option to retire during the race to save tyres, but I chose to prioritise experience and completed the race, finishing P16.
In Race 3, with significantly higher temperatures, I focused on tyre management throughout the race. With two Safety Car periods, I feel there was some room to push the pace earlier, but in the end I finished P4.
Scoring P3 in my first French F4 weekend and gaining experience in close battles was a very valuable outcome. At the same time, the areas I need to improve have become clear, so I will continue working on these ahead of the next round at Dijon from 15–17 May. Thank you for your continued support.
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