Photo: Rafael Gagliano
Alpine junior Matheus Ferreira will race in front of his Formula 1 backers this weekend as he joins the Brazilian Formula 4 field at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The 16-year-old Brazilian will race for Bassani Racing in the penultimate round of the season at Interlagos, and it will be the first time he has raced in single-seaters on home soil.
Ferreira was made an affiliate member of the Alpine Academy in 2022 after coming second in the CIK-FIA European Championship for OK Junior karts the year before, and he went on to come 17th in the European championship and WSK Super Master Series for OK karts as well as being one of the finalists in the Richard Mille Young Talent Academy shootout.
Towards the end of the year he did a post-season British F4 test, then joined several Italian F4 tests. Initially he drove for US Racing, then switched to Van Amersfoort Racing and signed with the team to race in the series for 2023.
Ferreira was promoted to full F1 junior status within the Alpine Academy ahead of his maiden campaign in cars, and he came 18th in the Italian F4 standings with a best finish of fifth. Brazilian F4 uses the same Tatuus T-421 car, and would usually run on Hankook tyres but for this weekend will mirror Italian F4 in using Pirelli rubber.
Two weekends ago Brazilian F4 held a test at Autodromo Velo Citta for drivers to get experience of the Pirelli tyres before racing on them at Interlagos. Ferreira drove in the test with Bassani, and so far is the highest profile addition to the grid for what are set to be the most watched races of the season.
“I’m looking forward to racing in Interlagos, after a good season in Europe”, said Ferreira after the first test session at Velo Citta. “I’ll arrive in Sao Paulo with some mileage over this year and my expectations are high to get the best possible result there.”
Bassani’s team owner Eduardo Bassani considers the Alpine junior’s presence in the series as “a milestone for F4 Brasil”.
“It shows that the series’ maiden race in an F1 event could attract more international drivers to a full grid before a sold out attendance in Interlagos.”
Gastao Fraguas, Brazilian F4’s series manager and winner of the 1995 world championship for Formula A karts, added: “The Interlagos race track is one of the most traditional venues in F1 calendar. It is a place where most drivers like to race. Apart of course from F1, Brazilian F4 is the only international open-wheel series that can offer a race in Interlagos, so we should have a full grid.”