2026 Chinese F4 | Round 2: Tianjin | Chan clings to points lead as Zhao and Feng break through

Kimi Chan retained the 2026 Chinese F4 Championship lead after a chaotic second round at Tianjin, but his advantage was dramatically reduced after two non-finishes across the weekend.

The championship’s first visit to Tianjin produced two new winners, two safety-car finishes and repeated drama at Turn 13, which became the key overtaking zone across the four races.

Josh Feng claimed his first single-seater victory in Race 1, while Zhao Zijun starred with two wins in his first weekend in single-seaters. Chan struck back with victory in Race 3, but incidents in Race 2 and Race 4 left him with two retirements.

Timur Shagaliev was the weekend’s most consistent frontrunner. He finished on the podium in all four races and reduced Chan’s championship lead to just four points.

2026 Chinese F4: Tianjin: Qualifying: Shagaliev claims maiden pole

Heavy rain on Friday forced the weekend into a condensed schedule, with drivers contesting one 40-minute qualifying session. Each driver’s fastest lap set the Race 1 grid, while second-fastest laps determined the Race 3 order.

Shagaliev delivered the benchmark lap to claim his maiden pole position. Zhao qualified second for Champ Academy, while Chen Sicong took third for Black Blade Racing. Feng and Chan completed the top five.

Qualifying Results

1. #27 Timur Shagaliev — 1:57.121
2. #67 Zhao Zijun — 1:57.324
3. #63 Chen Sicong — 1:57.545
4. #17 Josh Feng — 1:57.595
5. #28 Kimi Chan — 1:57.839
6. #18 Chen Zhuyuan — 1:57.977
7. #32 Yu Yan — 1:58.270
8. #23 Cheng Meng — 1:59.080
9. #6 Li Huiwei — 2:01.421
10. #25 Zhang Jun — 2:02.078
11. #33 Andy Law — 2:02.193
12. #24 Yang Peng — 2:02.282
13. #57 Qi Diqin — 2:02.552
14. #16 Huang Xiaofeng — 2:08.479
15. #96 Ken Chow — 2:08.489

2026 Chinese F4: Tianjin: Race 1: Feng takes first single-seater win

Shagaliev launched well from pole at the start of Race 1, while Zhao suffered wheelspin alongside him and dropped to fourth.

Turn 13 quickly became the key passing point. Feng used it to take the lead from Shagaliev on lap seven, while Chen Zhuyuan also made progress there. He passed Zhao on lap nine for third, then moved ahead of Shagaliev on lap 13 for second.

Feng controlled the final laps and secured his first single-seater victory by 7.556 seconds. Chen Zhuyuan finished second, while Shagaliev completed the podium.

Chan limited the damage in fifth, but it was already clear that Tianjin would be a more difficult weekend for the championship leader than Shanghai.

Race 1 Results

1. #17 Josh Feng
2. #18 Chen Zhuyuan
3. #27 Timur Shagaliev
4. #67 Zhao Zijun
5. #28 Kimi Chan
6. #63 Chen Sicong
7. #32 Yu Yan
8. #25 Zhang Jun
9. #33 Andy Law
10. #24 Yang Peng
11. #57 Qi Diqin
12. #6 Li Huiwei
13. #96 Ken Chow
14. #16 Huang Xiaofeng
15. #26 Chow Chun Shing

DNS: #23 Cheng Meng

2026 Chinese F4: Tianjin: Race 2: Zhao wins after chaos claims Chan

Guest driver Li Huiwei was due to start Race 2 from reverse-grid pole, but he entered the pit lane during the formation lap. That opened the door for Andy Law to lead early from fourth.

The order soon changed as Chen Sicong and Chan moved into contention, with Shagaliev close behind. Chan briefly held the upper hand, but Shagaliev passed him at Turn 13 on lap two.

The race then became increasingly chaotic. Chen Zhuyuan attempted a move around the outside at Turn 13, but Chen Sicong locked up and nearly sent both drivers into the barrier. Yu Yan slipped through into third.

Soon after, Feng made contact with Chen Sicong into Turn 1, sending the Race 1 winner briefly airborne before he stopped on track. That brought out the safety car.

After the restart, more contact followed at Turn 13. Chen Zhuyuan lunged at the corner, Yu Yan moved across, and the resulting chain reaction spun Chan. The championship leader later retired in the pits.

Zhao avoided the chaos and claimed his first Chinese F4 victory, ahead of Shagaliev and Chen Sicong.

Race 2 Results

1. #67 Zhao Zijun
2. #27 Timur Shagaliev
3. #63 Chen Sicong
4. #32 Yu Yan
5. #6 Li Huiwei
6. #24 Yang Peng
7. #57 Qi Diqin
8. #18 Chen Zhuyuan
9. #96 Ken Chow
10. #16 Huang Xiaofeng
11. #33 Andy Law
12. #25 Zhang Jun
13. #26 Chow Chun Shing

DNF: #28 Kimi Chan
DNF: #17 Josh Feng

2026 Chinese F4: Tianjin: Race 3: Chan strikes back under safety car

Shagaliev started Race 3 from pole and again made a clean getaway. Chan moved into second after passing Chen Sicong at Turn 10, then began applying pressure for the lead.

Chan attempted to pass Shagaliev on lap six, but the move only lasted two corners. A safety car was then called after Chen Sicong was spun by Zhao, bunching the field again.

After the restart, Chan and Feng both passed Shagaliev at Turn 13, although Shagaliev reclaimed second at the chicane. The race later ended under the safety car after Yu Yan hit the barriers at Turn 13.

Chan secured his first win of the weekend, while Shagaliev added another podium in second. Feng crossed the line in the top three but received a post-race track-limits penalty, promoting Chen Zhuyuan to third.

Race 3 Results

1. #28 Kimi Chan
2. #27 Timur Shagaliev
3. #18 Chen Zhuyuan
4. #25 Zhang Jun
5. #33 Andy Law
6. #57 Qi Diqin
7. #96 Ken Chow
8. #26 Chow Chun Shing
9. #16 Huang Xiaofeng
10. #24 Yang Peng
11. #17 Josh Feng
12. #67 Zhao Zijun
13. #6 Li Huiwei

DNF: #32 Yu Yan
DNF: #63 Chen Sicong

2026 Chinese F4: Tianjin: Race 4: Zhao doubles up as Chan retires again

Shagaliev made the best start in Race 4, charging from tenth to third on the opening lap. He then took the lead from Zhao on lap two with a double overtake at Turn 10, while Feng followed him into second.

Chan quickly caught the leaders. He passed Zhao at Turn 1 and Feng at Turn 13, with Zhao also following him through. That set up a tense fight between Chan and Shagaliev.

On lap 12, Chan attacked for the lead and arrived alongside Shagaliev at the chicane. The Russian locked up and slid into Chan, forcing the championship leader to stop at the side of the circuit.

The race ended under the safety car, giving Zhao his second victory of the weekend. Shagaliev finished second once again, while Chen Zhuyuan completed the podium.

Race 4 Results

1. #67 Zhao Zijun
2. #27 Timur Shagaliev
3. #18 Chen Zhuyuan
4. #63 Chen Sicong
5. #17 Josh Feng
6. #32 Yu Yan
7. #24 Yang Peng
8. #25 Zhang Jun
9. #57 Qi Diqin
10. #33 Andy Law
11. #26 Chow Chun Shing
12. #16 Huang Xiaofeng
13. #96 Ken Chow

DNF: #6 Li Huiwei
DNF: #28 Kimi Chan

Championship standings after Round 2

Chan’s dominant opening round in Shanghai proved crucial, as it allowed him to retain the championship lead despite two non-finishes in Tianjin. He now leads on 128 points, just four ahead of Shagaliev.

Shagaliev was the only driver to finish on the podium in all four races at Tianjin. His consistency has moved him firmly into title contention, while Chen Zhuyuan remains third after another strong weekend.

Zhao’s two victories moved him up to sixth, only one point behind Yu Yan, despite this being his first weekend in single-seaters.

Drivers’ Championship standings

1. #28 Kimi Chan — 128 points
2. #27 Timur Shagaliev — 124 points
3. #18 Chen Zhuyuan — 90 points
4. #63 Chen Sicong — 81 points
5. #32 Yu Yan — 63 points
6. #67 Zhao Zijun — 62 points
7. #17 Josh Feng — 47 points
8. #23 Yuanyang Zeshi — 32 points
9. #9 Shi Wei — 31 points
10. #33 Andy Law — 29 points
11. #3 Liu Taiji — 28 points
12. #25 Zhang Jun — 26 points
13. #57 Qi Diqin — 22 points
14. #24 Yang Peng — 18 points
15. #96 Ken Chow — 10 points
16. #19 Tu Yate — 6 points
17. #26 Chow Chun Shing — 4 points
18. #16 Huang Xiaofeng — 4 points
19. #99 Jiang Wei — 1 point
20. #22 Huang Chujian — 1 point
21. #2 Patrick Tsang — 1 point
22. #23 Cheng Meng — 0 points

Guest drivers ineligible to score points: #6 Li Huiwei

In the Teams’ standings, Champ Academy remains on top after another strong round. Chan’s Race 3 victory and Zhao’s two wins helped the team extend its lead to 19 points over Asia Racing Team.

Black Blade Racing sits third, ahead of Blackjack Racing and Frankenstein by Pointer Racing.

Teams’ Championship standings

1. Champ Academy — 190 points
2. Asia Racing Team — 171 points
3. Black Blade Racing — 144 points
4. Blackjack Racing — 91 points
5. Frankenstein by Pointer Racing — 60 points
6. She Power Racing — 31 points
7. Kai Fei Motorsport — 30 points
8. Black Blade GP — 27 points
9. Venom Motorsport — 22 points
10. Geeke Racing — 22 points
11. Champ Motorsport — 14 points
12. GYT Racing — 6 points

Conclusion

Tianjin changed the shape of the Chinese F4 title fight. Chan remains the championship leader, but his two retirements allowed Shagaliev to reduce the gap dramatically.

Shagaliev’s consistency was the standout championship story of the weekend, while Zhao’s double victory and Feng’s first single-seater win added new threats at the front of the field. Chen Zhuyuan also strengthened third place with three podium finishes across the round.

After Round 2, Chan still holds the advantage, but the title race is now far less comfortable than it looked after Shanghai.