Gastón Irazú secured the 2026 Formula 4 United States (F4 U.S.) Championship at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR), sweeping both races during the penultimate event of the season to put the title beyond reach before next month’s finale at Barber Motorsports Park.
The Champagne Racing driver arrived at the weekend holding a 66-point advantage over Zach Fourie and with an opportunity to settle the championship early. Irazú responded by taking his fifth consecutive pole position before winning Race 1 after a late fight with Fourie and charging from fourth on the grid to victory in Race 2. His perfect 50-point haul increased his total from 259 to 309 and left him 86 clear of Fourie with only 50 available at Barber.
The title completes a second consecutive championship-winning season for the Uruguayan after his 2025 Ligier Junior Formula Championship success. It also earns him the F4 U.S. Champion’s Scholarship, providing a chassis and engine lease, race tyres and entry fees as he moves into Formula Regional Americas Championship competition in 2027. Behind him, Fourie and Caleb Campbell remain second and third in the standings, while Clemente Huerta completed an impressive VIR weekend with podium finishes in both races.
2026 F4 U.S. VIR Qualifying: Irazú claims fifth consecutive pole
Fourie began the weekend fastest during Friday’s Practice session. The Kiwi Motorsport driver produced a 1:54.404 around VIR’s 3.27-mile, 18-turn circuit, finishing 0.275s ahead of Irazú.
Cole Medeiros followed in third with a 1:54.994, while Campbell and Huerta completed the top five. Luca Day, Ayden Kohut, Fernando Rivera and Ben Ramirez completed the F4 U.S. contingent within the combined F4 U.S. and Ligier JFC practice session.
Irazú moved ahead when Qualifying began later in the day. Continuing a run that stretched back through New Jersey and CTMP, the Champagne Racing driver set a 1:53.981 to claim his fifth consecutive pole position.
Medeiros came closest to denying him, finishing only 0.216s behind, while Campbell took third another 0.041s further back. Huerta secured fourth with a 1:54.381 and Fourie followed only 0.007s behind his Kiwi Motorsport teammate in fifth.
Ramirez qualified sixth ahead of Rivera and Day. Day lost his fastest lap after being judged responsible for causing a suspension of the session, while Kohut completed the order without setting a representative time.
Qualifying results
- Gastón Irazú — Champagne Racing — 1:53.981
- Cole Medeiros — MLT Motorsports — +0.216
- Caleb Campbell — Kiwi Motorsport — +0.257
- Clemente Huerta — Kiwi Motorsport — +0.400
- Zach Fourie — Kiwi Motorsport — +0.407
- Ben Ramirez — RASE Motorsports — +2.188
- Fernando Rivera — Crosslink Motorsports — +2.687
- Luca Day — Momentum Motorsports — +3.055
- Ayden Kohut — Kiwi Motorsport — No time
Official VIR Qualifying classification
2026 F4 U.S. VIR Race 1: Irazú wins late duel with Fourie
Irazú entered Saturday’s opening race with the opportunity to place one hand on the championship, but his path to victory proved considerably more complicated than starting from pole suggested.
Medeiros made the strongest opening lap. The Canadian emerged ahead after fighting Irazú and Huerta and led the field back across the line, but Fourie had already climbed from fifth to fourth and continued advancing during the second lap.
The South African soon moved into the lead and began opening an advantage while the battle continued behind him. Irazú remained in contention as Campbell, Medeiros and Huerta fought over the remaining leading positions before a stranded car triggered a full-course caution and erased the gaps.
With only eight minutes remaining at the restart, Medeiros attacked Campbell through Oak Tree. Their battle ultimately proved costly for the MLT Motorsports driver, with the stewards later ruling that he had forced Campbell off the circuit and caused him to lose three positions.
At the front, meanwhile, Fourie and Irazú produced the decisive fight of the race. The pair exchanged the lead four times during the penultimate lap before Irazú finally completed a move at Turn 13.
Fourie remained only fractions behind throughout the final lap but could not regain first. Irazú crossed the line just 0.268s ahead to secure his eighth victory of the season and extend his championship advantage to 73 points.
Medeiros initially finished third on the road, but his earlier incident with Campbell resulted in a drive-through penalty converted into 30 seconds after the race. That dropped him to seventh and promoted Huerta onto the podium.
Kohut produced an impressive recovery after starting ninth to finish fourth, while Ramirez recorded a career-best fifth in only his fifth F4 U.S. start. Rivera took sixth ahead of the penalised Medeiros, with Campbell classified eighth after completing 12 laps. Day was not classified.
Huerta also claimed the fastest lap, setting a 1:54.290 during the 13-lap contest.
Race 1 results
- Gastón Irazú — Champagne Racing
- Zach Fourie — Kiwi Motorsport — +0.268
- Clemente Huerta — Kiwi Motorsport — +2.586
- Ayden Kohut — Kiwi Motorsport — +5.083
- Ben Ramirez — RASE Motorsports — +6.358
- Fernando Rivera — Crosslink Motorsports — +14.555
- Cole Medeiros — MLT Motorsports — +30.903
- Caleb Campbell — Kiwi Motorsport — 1 lap
NC: Luca Day — Momentum Motorsports
Fastest lap: Clemente Huerta — 1:54.290
Penalty: Medeiros received a 30-second post-race penalty for causing a collision.
2026 F4 U.S. VIR Race 2: Irazú completes sweep and secures championship
Irazú entered Sunday knowing the championship could be settled before F4 U.S. left Virginia, although his Race 1 fastest lap was not enough to put him on pole for the second contest.
Huerta instead started from the front alongside Medeiros, while Irazú lined up fourth. The opening exchanges immediately produced another battle for control of the race.
Huerta initially led away, but Medeiros emerged ahead after the field raced three-wide through the opening lap. Fourie quickly joined the fight and challenged the Canadian around the high-speed Esses before going off the circuit, dropping him away from the leading positions.
That opened an opportunity for Campbell, who moved ahead of Medeiros and briefly took control. Irazú had initially slipped from fourth to fifth but methodically worked his way forward while the drivers ahead fought among themselves.
Barely six minutes into the race, the championship leader drew alongside Campbell approaching Turn 1 and completed the pass for first. Once ahead, he began establishing the advantage he needed.
The race changed again when Medeiros went over the kerbing at Turn 12 and slid into the tyre barrier. The resulting caution eliminated Irazú’s advantage and provided Campbell with another opportunity at the restart.
Campbell attacked into Turn 1 once racing resumed, but Irazú resisted and remained ahead. The leading trio of Irazú, Campbell and Huerta then separated themselves from the rest of the field and remained together through the closing stages.
Irazú ultimately crossed the line 0.637s ahead of Campbell to complete the VIR sweep and record his ninth victory of the season. More importantly, the result increased his championship advantage to 86 points with only 50 still available at Barber, mathematically guaranteeing him the 2026 title.
Campbell’s second place marked his first podium since Mid-Ohio in June and his eighth of the season. Huerta finished another 1.687s behind in third to complete his second podium of the weekend.
Fourie recovered from his opening-lap setback to take fourth, with Kohut fifth and Rivera sixth. Ramirez followed in seventh, while Day collected the final points in eighth. Medeiros was not classified following his earlier incident.
Race 2 results
- Gastón Irazú — Champagne Racing
- Caleb Campbell — Kiwi Motorsport — +0.637
- Clemente Huerta — Kiwi Motorsport — +2.324
- Zach Fourie — Kiwi Motorsport
- Ayden Kohut — Kiwi Motorsport
- Fernando Rivera — Crosslink Motorsports
- Ben Ramirez — RASE Motorsports
- Luca Day — Momentum Motorsports
NC: Cole Medeiros — MLT Motorsports
2026 F4 U.S. Standings after Round 6 at VIR
Irazú arrived at VIR on 259 points and 66 ahead of Fourie. His victories in both races supplied the maximum 50 available and lifted him to 309, making the championship mathematically secure before the final two races at Barber.
Fourie remains second after adding 30 points through his runner-up finish in Race 1 and fourth place in Race 2. His total increased from 193 to 223, leaving him 16 ahead of teammate Campbell.
Campbell’s weekend became substantially stronger with second place in the finale. He collected 22 points across the two races, moving from 185 to 207 and keeping himself firmly involved in the battle for championship runner-up.
Medeiros endured the most difficult weekend among the leading contenders. His Race 1 penalty dropped him from third on the road to seventh, before his Race 2 accident left him without points. He added only six across the weekend and remains fourth on 166.
Huerta matched Fourie’s 30-point haul by finishing third in both races, increasing his total from 126 to 156. Kohut added 22 points to reach 104 and consequently moved ahead of Day, who collected only four points and now sits seventh on 100.
Rivera scored eight points in each race to climb to 97, while Ramirez doubled his season total from 16 to 32 after fifth and seventh-place finishes.
Drivers’ standings after VIR
- Gastón Irazú (R) — Champagne Racing — 309 pts
- Zach Fourie (R) — Kiwi Motorsport — 223
- Caleb Campbell — Kiwi Motorsport — 207
- Cole Medeiros (R) — MLT Motorsports — 166
- Clemente Huerta — Kiwi Motorsport — 156
- Ayden Kohut (R) — Kiwi Motorsport — 104
- Luca Day (R) — Momentum Motorsports — 100
- Fernando Rivera (R) — Crosslink Motorsports — 97
- Ben Ramirez (R) — RASE Motorsports — 32
- Robert Soroka — Vmax Motorsport — 28
- Austin Kaszuba — Crosslink Motorsports — 8
- Zain Khan (R) — USNG Racing — 5
Official Drivers’ Championship standings after VIR
Kiwi Motorsport extends advantage after securing Teams’ Championship
While Irazú settled the Drivers’ Championship at VIR, Kiwi Motorsport had already guaranteed its eighth F4 U.S. Teams’ Championship before the weekend began.
Fourie and Huerta supplied the team’s two highest scores in Race 1 with second and third, while Campbell and Huerta repeated that points combination in reverse order during Race 2. Kiwi therefore collected another 66 points and increased its total from 432 to 498.
Champagne Racing remains second with 309 points, all scored by Irazú, while MLT Motorsports follows on 166 after adding only six at VIR.
Crosslink Motorsports moved ahead of Momentum Motorsports for fourth. Rivera’s two sixth-place finishes added 16 points and increased Crosslink’s total from 89 to 105, while Day’s four points left Momentum on 100.
RASE Motorsports also doubled its total to 32 through Ramirez’s strongest F4 U.S. weekend so far, while Speed Factory remains sixth with 54.
Teams’ standings after VIR
- Kiwi Motorsport — 498 pts
- Champagne Racing — 309
- MLT Motorsports — 166
- Crosslink Motorsports — 105
- Momentum Motorsports — 100
- Speed Factory — 54
- RASE Motorsports — 32
- Vmax Motorsport — 28
- USNG Racing — 5
Official Teams’ Championship standings after VIR
Irazú settles championship with one event remaining
VIR represented the final mathematical opportunity for Fourie, Campbell and Medeiros to keep the Drivers’ Championship open, but Irazú removed any remaining uncertainty with his strongest possible response.
The weekend was particularly significant given his previous experience at the Virginia circuit. Irazú had arrived without a podium at VIR after finishing seventh in one race and failing to finish the other during his 2025 Ligier JFC campaign. Twelve months later, he left with pole position, two victories and the F4 U.S. title.
Fourie came closest to preventing the sweep. His Race 1 challenge lasted until the final lap and resulted in an 11th podium of the season, but his problems while fighting at the front of Race 2 ended the final realistic opportunity to extend the championship battle.
Campbell instead emerged with the strongest result among Irazú’s rivals in the finale, returning to the podium for the first time since Mid-Ohio. Huerta’s pair of third places further strengthened his second half of the season, while Kohut, Rivera and Ramirez each left VIR with two points-scoring finishes.
For Irazú, however, the weekend completed an extraordinary turnaround from the beginning of the year. He now holds 309 points after nine victories and has secured consecutive championships on the Racing America formula ladder, having used his 2025 Ligier JFC title scholarship to graduate into F4 U.S. this season. His latest championship brings another scholarship and the opportunity to continue that progression into FR Americas in 2027.
F4 U.S. now heads to Barber Motorsports Park for the final event of the 2026 season from October 16-18. Although the Drivers’ and Teams’ titles are already settled, the remaining two races will determine the final positions behind Irazú, with Fourie, Campbell and Medeiros still separated by 57 points in the fight behind the champion.
