Luca Viișoreanu makes his Euroformula Open debut at the Red Bull Ring

From karting to Formula 4, and now taking the next step in his career — Luca Viișoreanu made his debut this past weekend in the Euroformula Open Championship, a competition positioned between Formula 4 and Formula 3. Over the coming months, he will continue testing several options for the 2026 season.

At just 16 years old, the Romanian driver is competing this year in some of the most competitive Formula 4 championships in Europe, while also preparing for the next big step in his racing career.

Luca began the season with a victory in Race 3 at the Red Bull Ring, during the opening round of the Formula 4 CEZ Championship (Central European Zone). He then continued in the highly competitive Italian Formula 4 Championship, where his best result was P4 in Race 3 at Monza — an impressive comeback, climbing from P19 on the grid and finishing less than half a second away from the podium. Earlier this year, he also competed in the opening round of the Euro 4 Series at Le Castellet in France.

During the summer break, Viișoreanu started preparing for the next stage of his career, evaluating several options for 2026, including Eurocup 3, Euroformula Open, and FRECA (Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine) — all regarded as stepping stones toward Formula 3.

“I haven’t made a final decision yet on my next move,” said Luca Viișoreanu. “I want to test as many cars as possible to understand which series suits me best. What I do know for sure is that I won’t jump straight into Formula 3. I’ll choose an intermediate championship between Formula 4 and Formula 3 to gain more experience.”

As part of his 2026 preparation program, Viișoreanu returned this weekend to the Red Bull Ring alongside the German team Motopark, competing in Round 6 of the Euroformula Open Championship.

“I was really looking forward to this weekend because I love this track and wanted to get behind the wheel of the new car,” said Luca before the first practice session. “This is mainly a testing weekend for me — I want to gather as much experience as possible and make the right decision for 2026.”

Throughout the weekend, the Romanian driver focused on adapting to the new car, working closely with the team to analyze telemetry data and identify areas for improvement. Viișoreanu was the fastest rookie in the second free practice session and qualified P9, despite having his best lap time deleted for exceeding track limits.

In Race 1 on Saturday, Luca had a strong start but made a small mistake in the final corner halfway through the race, causing a spin that cost him several positions. He eventually crossed the finish line in the same place he started.

“It’s been another day of learning in my first Euroformula Open weekend with Motopark,” said Viișoreanu after the race. “Every kilometer in this car is valuable, and I’m happy with the progress we made from session to session. Without that mistake, I could have finished P6 or P7, but the main goal now is to understand the car better.”

On Sunday morning, in Race 2, Luca finished P9 after stalling at the start and losing precious seconds he couldn’t recover. In Race 3, he managed P7, scoring a total of 10 championship points on his Euroformula Open debut.

“It was an incredible experience, and I want to thank the Motopark team for helping me learn so much about this car over the weekend,” said Luca. “This championship is definitely an option for me in 2026.”

Following his Euroformula Open experience, Viișoreanu will return to the Italian Formula 4 Championship with R-ace GP. Scheduled for September 19–21 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Round 6 will be Luca’s first race weekend with the team.

In addition, the Romanian driver continues an intensive testing program on multiple circuits and simulators. So far, he has scored: 37 points in Formula 4 CEZ, 14 points in Italian Formula 4 (currently P21 in the drivers’ standings, P8 with Real Racing in the teams’ standings), and 10 points in Euroformula Open (currently P16 overall).

“I’ve already had a testing session with R-ace GP and I’m excited for my first race weekend with them,” said Viișoreanu. “I chose to finish the season with this team because they’re also competing in FRECA, which could be an option for me next year. I wanted to understand how they work and see how quickly I can adapt to a completely new environment. It’s going to be a very important weekend for me — and after that, I’ll have to make a decision about the next step in my career.”

For the 2025 season, Luca Viișoreanu is proudly supported by his partners: Institutul Sânului, Euronautica International, and Arhiva Electronica de Garanții Reale Mobiliare – AEGRM.