Round 3 of the 2026 AU4 Australian F4 Championship delivered three action-packed races at The Bend’s Shell V-Power Motorsport Park’s West Circuit from July 17-19, with Jensen Marold and Lewis Gotch emerging as the dominant forces across the Gen2 and Gen1 fields.
Marold swept all three Gen2 races to claim round honours with 72 points, extending his championship lead over Marco Manson to 10 points. In Gen1, Gotch produced a perfect weekend, winning all three races to move to the top of the championship standings.
Marold dominates qualifying
Jensen Marold established himself as the driver to beat from the outset in Gen2, sweeping both qualifying sessions at The Bend.
The championship leader set the benchmark in the opening session with a 1:17.52, edging New Zealand’s William Beck by just 0.12 seconds, while fellow Kiwi Marco Manson completed the top three.
Marold found another tenth in the second session to strengthen his position at the front. Manson responded with a strong lap to move into second, just 0.20 seconds away from pole, with Beck again completing the top three.
Lewis Gotch was equally impressive in Gen1, topping the opening qualifying session ahead of Jackson Culver and championship leader Koby Wilson.
Gotch went even faster in the second session, finishing more than seven tenths clear of Wilson. The championship leader narrowly edged Culver for second by just 0.01 seconds.
Gen 2 Qualifying 1 Classification
- Jensen Marold – 1:17.52
- William Beck – 1:17.64 (+0.12s)
- Marco Manson – 1:17.90 (+0.38s)
Gen 2 Qualifying 2 Classification
- Jensen Marold – 1:17.41
- Marco Manson – 1:17.61 (+0.198s)
- William Beck – 1:17.79 (0.39s)
Marold holds off Manson in Race 1
Marold converted pole position into the early race lead, but Manson immediately settled into his slipstream and began closing the gap.
By lap three, the pair were separated by just five tenths before Manson launched a late dive for the lead. The move nearly ended in disaster as the Kiwi driver was forced into a massive moment, but he expertly saved the car and retained second place.
The incident cost Manson several seconds, although he gradually reeled Marold back in as the Gen2 leaders began encountering the slower Gen1 traffic.
Beck and De’Argo Stewart remained close behind in third and fourth, while Angus Baills, Brock Burton, Xavier Babbage-Hockey and Lana Flack engaged in a series of battles further down the order.
The race remained green throughout, allowing Marold to control the closing stages and take the opening Gen2 victory of the weekend ahead of Manson and Beck.
The Gen1 race produced an equally intense battle at the front. Culver and Gotch traded the lead multiple times, with Wilson remaining firmly in contention.
Gotch ultimately made the decisive move late in the race to regain the lead and secure his maiden AU4 victory. Culver finished second, while Wilson completed the Gen1 podium.
2026 Australian F4 | Round 3 | The Bend West – Race 1 Classification
Gen 2
- Jensen Marold
- Marco Manson
- William Beck
- De’argo Stewart
- Luca Cosolo
- Angus Baills
- Xavier Babbage-Hockey
- Lana Flack
- Brock Burton
- Jamie Lee-Su
- Anton Du
Gen 1
- Lewis Gotch
- Jackson Culver
- Rixon Salvino
- Rugby Mangan
- Martin Dudley
- Koby Wilson
Manson fights back in Race 2
Marold produced another lightning start in Race 2, taking the lead into Turn 1 and immediately beginning to build a gap over Manson.
The leading pair quickly moved clear of Stewart and the rest of the Gen2 field before the race was neutralised following a major incident involving Gen1 driver Rugby Mangan.
Mangan hit the wall on the main straight, bringing out the Safety Car and requiring a crane to remove the stricken car.
Racing eventually resumed with just four minutes remaining on the clock, setting up a frantic finish.
Manson immediately attacked Marold for the lead but overshot his braking point. The Kiwi somehow kept the car under control and completed an impressive recovery, retaking the lead on the inside two corners later.
The pair then engaged in a thrilling switchback battle, with neither driver willing to concede.
The final lap produced a spectacular drag race to the finish. Manson defended brilliantly to hold Marold at bay and claim his first Gen2 victory of the weekend.
Marold crossed the line just behind him, while Stewart remained within striking distance throughout the closing stages to secure third.
Gotch continued his perfect weekend in Gen1, fending off Culver and Wilson to take his second victory of the round.
2026 Australian F4 | Round 3 | The Bend West – Race 2 Classification
Gen 2
- Marco Manson
- Jensen Marold
- De’argo Stewart
- Xavier Babbage-Hockey
- Lana Flack
- Angus Baills
- Luca Cosolo
- Jamie Lee-Su
- Anton Du
- Brock Burton
- William Beck
Gen 1
- Lewis Gotch
- Jackson Culver
- Rixon Salvino
- Martin Dudley
- Koby Wilson
- Rugby Mangan
Gotch completes perfect weekend
The final race of the weekend delivered another dramatic battle in Gen1 as the championship contenders went head-to-head.
Wilson made an excellent start to move ahead of Culver and Gotch, establishing himself at the front before the battle intensified.
On lap four, Gotch passed Culver and began hunting down Wilson. The championship leader was subsequently shown a warning flag for blocking, allowing Gotch to make his move and take control of the race.
The three title contenders continued to trade positions in an intense fight for the podium, with Gotch eventually passing Wilson for the second time as Culver remained close behind.
The battle reached its peak when all three drivers entered a corner side by side. The incident resulted in front-wing damage for Culver and opened the door for debutant Rixon Salvino to fight for a podium finish.
Wilson was forced to limp towards the finish with his damaged front wing dragging along the ground, while Gotch completed a flawless weekend by taking his third victory from three starts.
Culver recovered to finish second, while Salvino secured an impressive third-place finish on debut.
In Gen2, Marold produced a controlled drive to complete his clean sweep of the weekend. Manson followed him home in second, while Beck recovered from his Race 2 DNF to finish third.
2026 Australian F4 | Round 3 | The Bend West – Race 3 Classification
Gen 2
- Jensen Marold
- Marco Manson
- William Beck
- De’argo Stewart
- Brock Burton
- Lana Flack
- Luca Cosolo
- Xavier Babbage-Hockey
- Angus Baills
- Jamie Lee-Su
- Anton Du
Gen 1
- Lewis Gotch
- Jackson Culver
- Rixon Salvino
- Martin Dudley
- Koby Wilson
- Rugby Mangan
Marold and Gotch strengthen championship leads
Marold’s dominant weekend saw him claim overall Gen2 round honours with 72 points, finishing 12 points clear of Manson and 33 ahead of Stewart.
The result further strengthens Marold’s position at the top of the championship. He now leads Manson by 10 points after three rounds, with Luca Cosolo and De’Argo Stewart separated by just one point in the battle for third.
In Gen1, Gotch completed a perfect weekend with 79 points, taking all three race victories and moving to the top of the championship standings.
Gotch now leads Koby Wilson by five points, while Jackson Culver sits just 12 points further back. The Gen1 championship has therefore tightened considerably heading into the second half of the season.
Gen 2 Championship standings
- Jensen Marold – 197 points
- Marco Manson – 187 points
- Luca Cosolo – 81 points
- De’argo Stewart – 80 points
- William Beck – 72* points
- Angus Baills – 69 points
- Lana Flack – 60 points
- Brock Burton – 55 points
- Xavier Hockey – 52 points
- Jamie Lee-Su – 14 points
- Borys Lyzen – 10* points
- Anton Du – 0* points
*-15 Championship Penalty Points
Gen 1 Championship standings
- Lewis Gotch – 182 points
- Koby Wilson – 177 points
- Jackson Culver – 165 points
- Martin Dudley – 92 points
- Rugby Mangan – 52* points
- Rixon Salvino – 42 points
- Matteo Kazaglis – 30 points
*-15 Championship Penalty Points
The AU4 Championship now takes a short break before returning to The Bend from August 21-23 for Round 4, which will be contested on the venue’s International Circuit layout.
