Former FIA Formula 3 and Euroformula Open driver Zdeněk Chovanec passed away on 18 July 2026 at the age of 21.
Born in Venezuela and raised across Czechia and Portugal, Chovanec followed an international route through motorsport. His career progressed from Portuguese karting to Formula 4, regional single-seaters and the FIA Formula 3 Championship before he later explored sports car racing.
Chovanec became best known for his appearances with Czech team Charouz Racing System during the 2021 and 2022 FIA F3 seasons. A cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.
Chovanec begins his motorsport journey in Portugal
Zdeněk Chovanec López was born in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, on 9 October 2004.
He moved to Prague, his father’s home city, during his childhood before relocating to Portugal in 2018. There, he gained his first experience behind the wheel at the Kartódromo Cabo do Mundo.
Chovanec entered the Junior category of the Portuguese national karting championship during the same year and finished ninth. He then placed sixth in the X30 category in 2019 while also competing in the senior class of the Spanish karting championship.
Despite entering competitive karting later than many drivers on the European single-seater ladder, Chovanec moved into car racing after only two seasons.
Formula 4 marks Chovanec’s move into single-seaters
Chovanec began his single-seater career with Xcel Motorsport in the 2020 Formula 4 UAE Championship.
He claimed two podium finishes, both in third place, and ended the season seventh in the standings. Future Charouz teammate Francesco Pizzi won the championship.
Later that year, Chovanec joined Bhaitech for the second half of the Italian F4 Championship. Although he did not contest the full campaign, he finished 17th in the standings and ranked second among the team’s five drivers.
A fifth-place finish at Imola represented his strongest result, while another points finish helped him establish himself during his first season in European competition.
Chovanec steps into regional Formula 3 competition
Chovanec advanced into regional-level machinery in 2021.
He joined BlackArts Racing for the opening round of the F3 Asian Championship and scored two points from his two starts. He then spent most of the season competing for Double R Racing in the Euroformula Open Championship alongside Josh Mason.
Across 18 Euroformula Open starts, Chovanec scored 33 points and achieved a best finish of seventh. He ended the season 15th in the championship.
Those appearances provided valuable experience in more powerful machinery and helped create an opportunity for him to enter the FIA Formula 3 Championship before the end of the year.
Charouz gives Chovanec his FIA Formula 3 opportunity
Charouz Racing System selected Chovanec to replace Reshad de Gerus during the closing stages of the 2021 FIA F3 season.
The move brought Chovanec into one of the most competitive junior single-seater championships in the world. It also allowed him to represent a Czech team at the highest level he reached during his career.
Chovanec contested eight races and reached the chequered flag in each of them. He recorded a best result of 20th and finished 34th in the Drivers’ Championship.
Although he did not score points, his reliability gave him valuable experience at circuits including Spa-Francorchamps, Zandvoort and Sochi.
BOSS GP success leads to an FIA F3 return
Chovanec opened the 2022 season in BOSS GP with MM International Motorsport.
Driving a Dallara GP2/11 in the Formula class, he took five class victories from six starts. He finished second in class during his remaining appearance and placed fifth in the overall championship despite contesting only half of the 12-race season.
However, Chovanec ended that programme early when Charouz offered him another opportunity in FIA F3.
He returned to the championship at Silverstone and remained in the car for the following round at the Red Bull Ring. Chovanec recorded 24th place in the Silverstone Feature Race as his best result from four starts.
He finished 40th in the standings during a difficult final season for Charouz as a standalone FIA Formula 3 operation. The team scored one point across the entire campaign.
Chovanec explores opportunities beyond single-seaters
Following his second FIA F3 stint, Chovanec explored possible moves into GT, endurance and stock car competition.
He had previously planned to contest Portugal’s Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade in a Ferrari 458 Challenge during 2021. In 2023, he also pursued a potential GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup programme with GetSpeed in a Mercedes-AMG GT3.
Neither programme developed into a sustained racing campaign.
In January 2025, Chovanec appeared on the entry list for an ARCA Menards Series pre-season test at Daytona International Speedway with Fast Track Racing. The opportunity suggested that he remained interested in exploring different forms of motorsport after leaving the traditional European single-seater pathway.
Estoril hosts Chovanec’s final competitive start
Chovanec made his final recorded race appearance at Estoril in September 2023.
He joined TS Corse in the LMP3 category of the Ultimate Cup Series and shared the car with former Charouz teammate Ayrton Simmons and Portuguese-Mozambican driver Pedro Perino.
The trio finished 11th overall and fourth in class. Their result earned 24 points, which placed Chovanec 15th in the final LMP3 class standings.
The Estoril appearance also carried personal significance. By that stage, Portugal had become Chovanec’s home, and the circuit represented his local venue.
Remembering Zdeněk Chovanec beyond racing
Chovanec graduated from the Colégio Novo da Maia in Milheirós, near Porto.
Those who knew him remembered his kindness and sense of humour. Away from competitive racing, he enjoyed working on road cars and had started learning to play classical piano.
His career crossed several countries, championships and categories in a relatively short period. From his first karting appearances in Portugal to the FIA Formula 3 grid, Chovanec pursued opportunities across the international motorsport landscape.
Pit Debrief extends its condolences to Zdeněk Chovanec’s family, friends, former teammates and loved ones.
