Kimi Chan delivered a commanding performance in the opening round of the 2026 Chinese F4 Championship in Shanghai, securing three victories across four races. As a result, he surged to the top of the drivers’ standings, while Timur Shagaliev emerged as his closest challenger after a resilient weekend.
Throughout the event, Chan combined pace with consistency. Meanwhile, multiple safety cars, retirements, and fierce midfield battles ensured an action-packed start to the season.
2026 Chinese GP: Shanghai: Race 1: Chan seizes control after early duel
At the start, Timur Shagaliev launched better than pole-sitter Chan and grabbed the lead. However, an early collision involving Patrick Tsang brought out the safety car and reset the field.
Once racing resumed, Chan defended strongly from Yu Yan before making a decisive move on Shagaliev along the start-finish straight. Subsequently, reliability issues struck several frontrunners. Shagaliev retired on lap seven, and Yu followed later with mechanical trouble.
Chan capitalised fully and controlled the remainder of the race to take victory.
Race 1 Results
- Kimi Chan
- Chen Sicong
- Shi Wei
- Yuanyang Zeshi
- Liu Taiji
- Josh Feng
- Andy Law
- Tu Yate
- Zhang Jun
- Huang Chujian
- Chen Zhuyuan
- Jiang Wei
- Qi Diqin
- Huang Xiaofeng
- Ken Chow
Retired (NC): Timur Shagaliev, Yu Yan, Patrick Tsang, Yang Peng, Chow Chun Shing
2026 Chinese F4: Shanghai: Race 2: Strategy and restarts shape outcome
The reverse-grid format placed Jiang Wei on pole, yet Chen Zhuyuan quickly took the lead. Soon after, a safety car interruption reshuffled the order. Chan steadily climbed through the field and positioned himself for an attack. Following another restart, he executed a clean overtake on Chen Sicong at Turn 7 to take the lead. Despite multiple safety car periods disrupting rhythm, Chan maintained composure and secured his second win of the weekend.
Race 2 Results
- Kimi Chan
- Chen Sicong
- Timur Shagaliev
- Chen Zhuyuan
- Yuanyang Zeshi
- Shi Wei
- Liu Taiji
- Yu Yan
- Tu Yate
- Jiang Wei
- Yang Peng
- Huang Xiaofeng
- Zhang Jun
- Patrick Tsang
NC: Andy Law, Qi Diqin, Huang Chujian, Ken Chow
DNS: Chow Chun Shing
DSQ: Josh Feng
2026 Chinese F4: Shanghai: Race 3: Hat-trick for Chan amid late pressure
Starting from pole again, Chan controlled the early stages despite another safety car triggered by contact in the midfield. As the race progressed, battles intensified behind him, particularly for third place. Meanwhile, Shagaliev mounted an impressive recovery drive from the back of the grid.
After a late restart, Shagaliev surged through the pack to claim third. Nevertheless, Chan remained unchallenged at the front and completed a dominant hat-trick of wins.
Race 3 Results
- Kimi Chan
- Yu Yan
- Timur Shagaliev
- Chen Zhuyuan
- Yuanyang Zeshi
- Shi Wei
- Liu Taiji
- Josh Feng
- Zhang Jun
- Andy Law
- Qi Diqin
- Tu Yate
- Jiang Wei
- Huang Xiaofeng
- Chen Sicong
NC: Huang Chujian, Patrick Tsang, Yang Peng, Ken Chow, Chow Chun Shing
2026 Chinese F4: Shanghai: Race 4: Shagaliev strikes back
In the final race, Tu Yate started on reverse-grid pole but lost the lead immediately after a jump start and stall. Qi Diqin briefly led before Shagaliev charged forward from tenth on the grid. As the race unfolded, Shagaliev overtook teammate Feng Jiaxi to claim the lead. At the same time, Chan fought his way up from twelfth into contention. Ultimately, Shagaliev held firm under pressure to take his first win of the season, while Chan settled for second and Yu Yan completed the podium.
Race 4 Results
- Timur Shagaliev
- Kimi Chan
- Yu Yan
- Chen Zhuyuan
- Chen Sicong
- Andy Law
- Liu Taiji
- Qi Diqin
- Zhang Jun
- Patrick Tsang
- Shi Wei
- Josh Feng
- Huang Chujian
- Yang Peng
- Chow Chun Shing
- Huang Xiaofeng
- Tu Yate
- Ken Chow
- Jiang Wei
Retired: Yuanyang Zeshi
Championship standings after Round 1
Kimi Chan leads the drivers’ championship with 93 points after a near-flawless weekend in Shanghai. His three victories and a second-place finish give him a strong early cushion. Meanwhile, Timur Shagaliev holds second place on 55 points, having bounced back from an early retirement to secure a win and multiple podiums.
Chen Sicong sits third with 46 points, relying on consistency rather than outright victories. Just behind, Yu Yan (37 points) and Chen Zhuyuan (36 points) remain firmly in contention. Moreover, the midfield battle remains tight, with several drivers separated by only a handful of points.
- Kimi Chan – 93 Points
- Timur Shagaliev – 55 Points
- Chen Sicong – 46 Points
- Yu Yan – 37 Points
- Chen Zhuyuan – 36 Points
- Yuanyang Zeshi – 32 Points
- Shi Wei – 31 Points
- Liu Taiji – 28 Points
- Andy Law – 15 Points
- Josh Feng – 12 Points
- Tu Yate – 6 Points
- Zhang Jun – 6 Points
- Qi Diqin – 4 Points
- Jiang Wei – 1 Point
- Huang Chujian – 1 Point
- Patrick Tsang – 1 Point
- Yang Peng – 0 Points
- Huang Xiaofeng – 0 Points
- Ken Chow – 0 Points
- Chow Chun Shing – 0 Points
In the teams’ standings, Champ Academy leads with 93 points, driven entirely by Chan’s exceptional performance. However, Black Blade Racing remains within reach on 83 points, supported by strong results across its line-up.
Asia Racing Team occupies third place with 67 points, while Frankenstein by Pointer Racing follows on 60. Further down, Blackjack Racing rounds out the top five. The spread suggests that the teams’ battle could become increasingly competitive as more drivers contribute consistently.
- Champ Academy – 93
- Black Blade Racing – 83
- Asia Racing Team – 67
- Frankenstein by Pointer Racing – 60
- Blackjack Racing – 37
- She Power Racing – 31
- Kai Fei Motorsport – 16
- Black Blade GP – 7
- GYT Racing – 6
- Geeke Racing – 4
Conclusion
The opening round of the Chinese F4 Championship has already established a clear narrative. Kimi Chan leads decisively; however, Timur Shagaliev’s recovery and race-winning pace ensure that the title fight remains competitive.
Looking ahead, consistency across all four races in each round will prove decisive. Therefore, while Chan holds the early advantage, his rivals remain close enough to challenge as the season unfolds.
