F4 CEZ has rejected allegations of unfair treatment, manipulation and inconsistent application of its regulations following the withdrawal of Maffi Racing from the remainder of the 2026 championship.
The championship issued an official statement after Maffi Racing and several of its drivers publicly criticised the handling of a technical dispute during the penultimate round at Autodrom Brno. While F4 CEZ said it respected the Swiss team’s decision to end its participation, it strongly denied claims that competitors had received unequal treatment.
Maffi withdrew its cars before the Final Race at Brno and later confirmed that it would not contest the season-ending Hungaroring round. The decision followed a dispute concerning the exhaust configuration of rival cars and the handling of a technical protest submitted by the team.
F4 CEZ rejects allegations of unfair treatment
F4 CEZ addressed the controversy publicly after statements from Maffi Racing, David Walther, Igor Polak and Nikolaj Dyrved raised concerns surrounding fairness, sporting integrity and the consistency of decision-making within the championship.
The championship made clear that it accepted Maffi Racing’s right to withdraw but believed the subsequent public criticism required a response.
“F4 CEZ respects Maffi Racing’s decision to end its participation in the championship.
“However, following statements made publicly in connection with this decision, we consider it necessary to clarify our position.
“F4 CEZ categorically rejects any claim that the Championship has acted unfairly, manipulated sporting or technical decisions, or treated competitors unequally.”
The statement directly challenges the central concerns expressed by Maffi and its drivers after Brno. Their criticism had increasingly focused not simply on the original technical disagreement, but on whether officials applied the same standards to different competitors.
F4 CEZ has now categorically rejected that interpretation.
Championship defends sporting and technical processes
The dispute originated from a protest submitted by Maffi Racing during the Brno weekend concerning cars that the team said competed without lambda sensors in their exhaust systems.
Maffi representatives argued that the relevant homologation documentation required the component and questioned whether cars running without it complied with the technical specification. The team also objected to how officials handled the protest and the subsequent scrutiny applied to Walther’s own car.
Walther later said his exhaust was confirmed as original and compliant, while Polak went further in alleging that the rules had not applied equally to every competitor.
F4 CEZ did not address the specific technical arguments surrounding the lambda sensors in its statement. Instead, it defended the framework through which sporting and technical decisions are made.
“Sporting and technical decisions are taken by the duly appointed officials in accordance with the applicable FIA regulations, the F4 CEZ regulations and the relevant technical documentation.”
That distinction forms an important part of the championship’s response. Rather than revisiting individual decisions made during the Brno weekend, F4 CEZ stressed that appointed officials operate under the applicable regulatory structure.
The championship’s official website also lists the 2026 sporting and technical regulations among the documents governing the series.
Maffi Racing framed withdrawal around integrity and confidence
Maffi Racing had presented its withdrawal as the culmination of concerns that extended beyond a single technical protest.
In its own statement, the team said it had raised issues throughout its participation in the championship and had attempted to address them through what it considered the appropriate channels. Team Principal Daniel Maffi stressed that the organisation had lost sufficient confidence to continue while remaining comfortable with the environment provided for its drivers and their families.
That decision carried considerable sporting consequences. Walther entered Brno second in the Drivers’ Championship and remained involved in the title fight before Maffi elected not to start the Final Race. The team’s decision to skip the Hungaroring finale therefore ended his championship challenge before the final round.
Walther subsequently described the issue as one involving fairness, equal treatment and championship integrity, while Polak made stronger allegations about how Maffi’s protest had been handled. Dyrved also announced his immediate withdrawal and referred more broadly to concerns surrounding sporting integrity and consistency.
F4 CEZ’s statement now places the championship firmly on the opposing side of that dispute.
F4 CEZ declines to speculate on reasons for withdrawal
Although the championship rejected the allegations made publicly in connection with Maffi’s departure, it stopped short of offering its own explanation for why the team chose to leave.
Instead, F4 CEZ said that decision remained Maffi Racing’s responsibility.
“The reasons behind a competitor’s decision to withdraw are a matter for that competitor. It would not be appropriate for the Championship to speculate on them.”
That position contrasts with the detailed explanations offered by Maffi Racing and its drivers, who have connected their departure directly to their experience of the championship and the events at Brno.
The result leaves two sharply different public accounts. Maffi Racing maintains that its confidence in the sporting process deteriorated to the point where continuing no longer aligned with its values. F4 CEZ rejects claims that the championship acted unfairly or treated competitors differently.
Mutual respect remains central to F4 CEZ response
F4 CEZ concluded its statement by reiterating the principles it says underpin the championship.
“Fair competition, equal treatment, safety and formost mutual respect remain fundamental principles of our Championship.”
The reference to mutual respect comes after a dispute that moved quickly beyond the original technical protest and into public criticism of the championship’s officiating.
F4 CEZ has not, in this statement, provided a detailed technical response to the lambda-sensor dispute or answered each allegation individually. Instead, it has rejected the broader claims of unfairness and manipulation while defending the regulatory framework under which its officials operate.
The championship’s position therefore differs fundamentally from the account put forward by Maffi Racing and its drivers. Maffi has described its withdrawal as a decision rooted in lost confidence, sporting fairness and integrity, while F4 CEZ maintains that its sporting and technical processes treat competitors equally.
For the moment, those positions remain publicly opposed.
What has already been confirmed is that Maffi Racing will not continue its 2026 F4 CEZ campaign. The championship, meanwhile, moves towards its final round at the Hungaroring on 23-25 October without one of the teams that had played a significant role in the title battle earlier in the season.
