Round 2 of the 2026 AU4 Australian Championship (F4) delivered another spectacular weekend of racing at Sydney Motorsport Park across the 30th and 31st of May, with records tumbling, rivalries intensifying and the Gen2 title fight tightening dramatically.
After three fiercely contested races, Marco Manson’s consistency across the weekend saw him draw level with Jensen Marold at the top of the championship standings, while Koby Wilson strengthened his grip on the Gen1 title race with a dominant clean sweep.
Marold smashes lap record in qualifying
Marold set the pace from the outset, topping every practice session on Friday. However, Brock Burton remained firmly within striking distance, with the pair the only drivers to break into the 1:29 bracket throughout the day.
The championship leader carried that form into qualifying, securing pole position for both races and rewriting the AU4 record books in the process. Marold’s best lap of 1:27.94 eclipsed the previous category lap record, set by 2025 champion Noah Killion, by almost two seconds.
In Gen1, Wilson also enjoyed a perfect Friday. After topping Practice 3 to complete a clean sweep of the day’s sessions, he edged teammate Lewis Gotch to secure double pole position for the weekend.
Gen 2 Qualifying 1 Classification
- Jensen Marold
- Marco Manson
- Xavier Babbage-Hockey
Gen 2 Qualifying 2 Classification
- Jensen Marold
- Marco Manson
- William Beck
Marold converts pole into Race 1 victory
Starting from pole position, Marold made the perfect getaway to lead the field into Turn 1 ahead of Manson and Burton.
Wilson mirrored that start in Gen1, maintaining his advantage over Gotch and Jackson Culver.
The opening race was quickly neutralised when the Safety Car was deployed after the first lap. Following several laps behind the Safety Car, racing resumed with Marold and Manson immediately resuming their battle at the front.
The pair traded fast laps throughout the closing stages while Burton maintained a comfortable third place. Despite a brief local yellow flag period late in the race, the event remained green and the leaders raced uninterrupted to the finish.
The pace was remarkable, with the top six finishers all lapping faster than the previous AU4 race record at Sydney Motorsport Park.
Marold ultimately held off Manson to secure victory, while Burton completed the Gen2 podium. Wilson claimed a commanding Gen1 win ahead of Gotch and Culver.
2026 Australian F4 | Round 2 | Sydney Motorsport Park – Race 1 Classification
Gen 2
- Jensen Marold
- Marco Manson
- Brock Burton
- Xavier Babbage-Hockey
- William Beck
- De’argo Stewart
- Luca Cosolo
- Lana Flack
- Angus Baills
Gen 1
- Koby Wilson
- Lewis Gotch
- Jackson Culver
- Martin Dudley
- Rugby Mangan
Manson strikes back in Race 2
Sunday morning’s second race saw Manson seize the initiative at the start, jumping ahead of Marold into Turn 1 after the pole-sitter was slow away from the line.
De’Argo Stewart settled into third place, while Wilson successfully navigated a stalled car on the grid to retain the Gen1 lead.
The race featured plenty of early drama. Burton ran off track and required a front-wing change, while Xavier Babbage-Hockey also sustained front-wing damage and was forced into the pits for repairs. A Safety Car period followed to recover a stranded car, compressing the field once more.
Following the restart, Manson and Marold immediately broke clear of the pack. Marold repeatedly searched for a way past, launching attacks under braking and around the outside, but Manson defended resolutely to secure victory.
Behind them, Stewart completed the podium.
In Gen1, Culver moved ahead of Gotch to claim second place after an intense battle that continued all the way to the finish.
2026 Australian F4 | Round 2 | Sydney Motorsport Park – Race 2 Classification
Gen 2
- Marco Manson
- Jensen Marold
- De’argo Stewart
- Luca Cosolo
- Lana Flack
- Angus Baills
- William Beck
- Jamie Lee-Su
- Xavier Babbage-Hockey
- Brock Burton
Gen 1
- Koby Wilson
- Lewis Gotch
- Jackson Culver
- Martin Dudley
- Rugby Mangan
Manson seals round honours
The final race of the weekend produced more drama before the field had even completed a lap.
Manson again launched strongly from the front row to move ahead of Marold, while further back contact at Turn 2 spun William Beck around and triggered chaos through the midfield. Moments later, another driver stalled on the grid with a mechanical issue, bringing out the Safety Car.
After several laps of neutralisation, racing resumed with Burton quickly moving through the field. The Queensland driver executed a pair of overtakes in the opening corners but was unable to bridge the gap to Luca Cosolo ahead.
Stewart’s hopes of a strong finish ended when he was forced to pit for a left-rear tyre change, dropping him out of contention.
At the front, Manson controlled proceedings comfortably, pulling clear to take victory by 2.5 seconds over Marold, with Cosolo completing the podium.
Wilson capped off a perfect weekend in Gen1 by claiming his third victory from three races. Behind him, Gotch produced a late move to secure second place ahead of Culver after another closely fought battle.
2026 Australian F4 | Round 2 | Sydney Motorsport Park – Race 3 Classification
Gen 2
- Marco Manson
- Jensen Marold
- Luca Cosolo
- Brock Burton
- Angus Baills
- Lana Flack
- William Beck
- Jamie Lee-Su
- Xavier Babbage-Hockey
- De’argo Stewart
Gen 1
- Koby Wilson
- Jackson Culver
- Lewis Gotch
- Rugby Mangan
- Martin Dudley
Championship standings tighten
Manson’s strong weekend earned him overall Gen2 round honours ahead of Marold and Cosolo.
The result leaves the championship finely poised after two rounds, with Marold and Manson tied on 125 points at the top of the standings. Cosolo sits third on 59 points.
In Gen1, Wilson’s flawless weekend has helped him establish a commanding championship lead. He heads into Round 3 on 142 points, ahead of Culver on 110 and Gotch on 103.
The AU4 Championship returns on July 17-19 at The Bend Motorsport Park’s West Circuit before remaining at the venue for Round 4 on the International Circuit in August. The season will conclude with a return to Sydney Motorsport Park in September.
Gen 2 Championship standings
- Jensen Marold – 125 points
- Marco Manson – 125 points
- Luca Cosolo – 59 points
- William Beck – 57 points
- Angus Baills – 51 points
- Brock Burton – 42 points
- De’argo Stewart – 41 points
- Lana Flack – 38 points
- Xavier Hockey – 30 points
- Borys Lyzen – 25 points
- Jamie Lee-Su – 8 points
- Anton Du – 4 points
Gen 1 Championship standings
- Koby Wilson – 142 points
- Jackson Culver – 110 points
- Lewis Gotch – 103 points
- Martin Dudley – 60 points
- Rugby Mangan – 51 points
- Matteo Kazaglis – 30 points
