Photo: Prema
Bernardo ‘Beco’ Bernoldi, son of ex-Formula 1 driver Enrique, will debut in single-seaters next year with Prema.
The 16-year-old Brazilian will race in Italian Formula 4, E4 and at least one other championship. Through 2025 he has tested with the team, as well as racing OK class karts. He came 36th in WSK’s Super Master Series and 67th in the CIK-FIA European championship.
Last year he was in the same class, coming sixth in WSK’s Euro Series and 38th in its Final Cup. On OK-N karts he was 21st in the Champions of the Future Academy Program series and 34th in the Trofeo Andrea Margutti.
“I’m very excited to join Prema for the 2026 F4 season,” said Bernoldi. “I really want to learn and improve, getting better race by race and get some good finishes in my rookie year.”
His father raced for Arrows in F1 during the 2001 and ’02 seasons, coming 16th in International Formula 3000 prior to that and returning to junior single-seaters after. He was third in the 2004 World Series by Nissan, and in the late 2000s raced in IndyCar and Superleague Formula.
“It’s great to see one of the Prema karting drivers make the step up to single-seaters, and we think he has good potential to be developed during the season,” said Prema founder Angelo Rosin.
Also already confirmed to be racing in Italian F4 and E4 next year are Andre Rodriguez and Augustus Toniolo.
Rodriguez will drive for Cram Motorsport, and have a busy year which starts in the Formula Winter Series.
The 17-year-old American cameoed in Spanish F4 with Monlau Motorsport, drove for Van Amersfoort Racing in E4 and with Cram in Italian F4 this year. He failed to crack the top 20 in his three Italian F4 outings and Spanish F4 appearance, and a 16th place was his best E4 result.
Top Formula 2, Formula 3 and Formula Regional team Trident will mark its 20th anniversary next year by expanding into F4. It will enter the Italian championship, and now E4 too with single-seater newcomer Toniolo as its first signing.
Toniolo called the move “a crucial step in my career” with a firm belief “Trident is the right environment to continue my development as a driver, given their proven record of success and tradition in nurturing young talents.”
During his karting career, the Brazilian won the ROK Junior class at ROK Vegas was sixth in the CIK-FIA World Championship for OK Junior karts in 2023. He was still racing OK-J karts at the start of 2025, and came 24th in WSK SMS.
“This agreement marks an important milestone for Trident, as he is the first driver with whom we have reached an agreement for our participation in both the Italian F4 championship and the E4 championship,” commented Salvadori.
“Augustus brings a genuine curiosity and an infectious enthusiasm, and I am confident that together we will set the best possible tone as we embark on this exciting new chapter.”