Photos: ACI Sport
His first season in Europe didn’t quite yield a title, but Sebastian Wheldon stood out in one of the most competitive F4 fields. Roger Gascoigne got his thoughts in the paddock.
Sebastian Wheldon, son of the late two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon, has wasted no time in establishing his own reputation in his first year racing in Europe.
It started with victory on his Italian Formula 4 debut at Misano, preventing any scepticism forming that he was another over-hyped second-generation driver on the lower rungs of the single-seater ladder. And his subsequent performances continued to demonstrate his talent.
The 16-year-old was embarking on his third year of car racing, the first two having been spent at home in the USA. Wheldon won the F4-spec Skip Barber Formula Race Series title in 2023, then he switched across to USF Juniors for 2024. He came third in the main championship for those cars, after being YACademy Winter Series runner-up.
Rather than tackle the next step of the USF Pro championships, he opted to continue his development across the Atlantic: “Because the level and the atmosphere is just way, way more intense. Everything’s done here in a more professional way.”
He went on to come third in Italian F4, fourth in the E4 championship and FIA F4 World Cup, and seventh in F4 Middle East.
Wheldon impressed with his speed, commitment and level of professionalism throughout the year, showing resilience to bounce back from a couple of disappointing rounds.
His European adventure began with a test for Prema at a hot Red Bull Ring in 2024, which paved the way for an F4 seat in Europe with the powerhouse team this year after “we were able to get the budget sorted”.
Photo: F4 Middle East
Another programme with Prema was added in the United Arab Emirates, inclusive of F4 Middle East and the final round of the 2024 Formula Trophy season last December where he claimed victory from pole in the first of the weekend’s two races.
“The UAE season was a bit tough for me, especially with the different tyre compound. I did have a pretty good FTrophy race, which I was able to win but we just kind of struggled a bit in UAE, mostly with the tyres.”
Pre-season testing in Europe restored Wheldon’s confidence going into the Italian championship. He was second in practice for round one, then narrowly missed out on pole in qualifying before storming to victory in the season-opening race.
After what he calls “a difficult middle part”, Wheldon went on to take another six wins in E4 and Italian F4, including “finishing on a high note” with a hat-trick of victories in the Italian finale at Misano.
“[It’s] a track I love. It is one of my favourites on the Italian calendar,” said Wheldon.
Prema was once again the dominant force in Italian F4, with its drivers filling four of the top five places in the standings, and Wheldon credited the competitive environment for accelerating his development:
“All the team-mates I had are extremely talented. You’re really able to learn from them in every single session and do things that they’re doing that you may be doing wrong, which is really helpful and it just makes you a better driver in the end.”
Wheldon ended up 11 points behind US Racing’s championship runner-up Gabriel Gomez, but won two more races than him.
A lack of consistency allied to some minor scrapes ultimately proved costly, and Wheldon was never afraid to get his elbows out in his on-track battles. He showed a willingness to defend his position robustly and an ability to attack decisively when opportunities arose. This was evident in his wheel-to-wheel battles with champion Kean Nakamura-Berta, the two making contact at Vallelunga and Monza, as Wheldon showed he was prepared to take on his team-mate as he marched to the title.
Photo: Macau GP Organising Committee
Pole position for the FIA F4 World Cup in Macau was further evidence of Wheldon’s talent, although a lap one crash in the qualification race meant he had to start from 15th for the main but he charged to fourth with the fastest lap.
Wheldon has been an Andretti Global junior since 2021, and throughout his single-seater career has raced using a black-and-yellow livery due to primary sponsor Gainbridge. It is a subsidiary of Group 1001, which like Andretti is owned by TWG Global.
“Andretti and Gainbridge have always been with me, they feel like family. Dan Towriss, the guy that owns Andretti [and is the Cadillac Formula 1 team’s CEO], has always been helping us as much as he can. I feel really connected, especially to the team, knowing all the drivers and stuff like that, just being able to take some advice from some of the IndyCar drivers there. It’s really cool, and I’m really grateful to be part of their team.”
He added: “[Having the Andretti name behind me means a lot. I’ve got to keep on my A-game, to keep proving myself [but] it’s such a privilege to be part of that team.”
The Floridian proudly flies the USA’s flag, which is alongside the British one on his overalls since his father hailed from England, and has acknowledged he has already been able to learn so much from racing in Europe this year. Reflecting on his first year outside of the USA, he also noted the higher level of competition:
“In the US, I’d say it’s a bit less competitive. You really only have about maybe five guys that can fight for the championship, but I feel like over here you can have [more] people fighting for the championship. Obviously, you want more competitive because it just makes you a better driver.”
Wheldon added: “F1 is looking at some of the junior drivers here, so that’s pretty cool. Overall, [it feels] like a more professional deal over here in Italy.”
Photo: Gavin Baker Photography
The Anglo-American is yet to announce his programme for 2026. Another year in Europe or a return to the USA? He has proved that he is at home on either side of the Atlantic.
But looking forward, if he had to choose between winning F1’s Monaco Grand Prix or IndyCar’s Indy 500? “Oh shoot! It’s super close. How about both maybe?” was Wheldon’s diplomatic reply.
Maybe with an eye to the European environment around him, he hesitantly ventured: “Probably Monaco. Just driving through Monte Carlo, there’s nothing more special [than] that, but the Indy 500 is right up there too.”
In either case, he stands ready to continue representing the Wheldon name with distinction.