Free practice in Monza officially marks the start of the final round of the 2026 E4 Championship. Heading into the weekend, Mercedes Junior Team driver Kenzo Craigie, racing with R-ace GP, is at the top of the standings. The British driver immediately showed his determination to seize the opportunity to wrap up the title fight, setting the pace in Friday morning’s opening free practice session. There is still a long weekend ahead and competition is fierce, but Craigie has made a strong start, setting the fastest time with a 2:04.544.
His rivals, however, have no intention of giving up without a fight. Leading the charge is Finnish driver Luka Sammalisto of US Racing, currently second in the Drivers’ Standings. Just 0.067 seconds separate the two title contenders, setting the stage for an exciting battle on track. This evening’s qualifying sessions will undoubtedly be crucial, setting the scene for the three races scheduled over the weekend.
Ary Bansal, also driving for US Racing, posted the third-fastest time in the opening practice session, 0.109 seconds off the pace.
Van Amersfoort Racing’s British driver Thomas Bearman was fourth, 0.407 seconds behind. His teammate, Polish driver Alex Ruta, completed the top five with a lap 0.444 seconds off the benchmark. Just one thousandth of a second behind him was Swiss driver Teo Borenstein, 0.445 seconds off Craigie’s pace. US Racing’s Sicilian driver Ludovic Busso placed seventh, 0.536 seconds behind the leader. Rounding out the top 10 were R-ace GP’s Greek driver Jean-Paul Karras (0.631 seconds), Prema Racing’s McLaren junior driver Christian Costoya (0.633) and Trident Motorsport’s Brazilian driver Augustus Toniolo (0.657).
A second free practice session is scheduled for today, Friday, 9 October, with 40 minutes of track time starting at 12:35. Qualifying will take place this evening. The first session, which will determine the grid for Race 1, is scheduled from 17:20 to 17:35. The second session, setting the starting order for Race 2, will follow from 17:45 to 18:00. The grid for the third and final race will be determined by each driver’s second-fastest lap across the two qualifying sessions.
Action will intensify on Saturday, 10 October, with Race 1 starting at 13:45. On Sunday, 11 October, Race 2 will kick off the ACI Racing Weekend programme at 08:30, followed by Race 3 at 13:40. All three races will run for 30 minutes plus one lap and will be broadcast on the Championship’s official channels, as well as through the extensive international broadcaster network carrying coverage of the Italian F4 Championship and the E4 Championship.
Action will intensify on Saturday, 10 October, with Race 1 starting at 13:45. On Sunday, 11 October, Race 2 will kick off the ACI Racing Weekend programme at 08:30, followed by Race 3 at 13:40. All three races will run for 30 minutes plus one lap and will be broadcast on the Championship’s official channels, as well as through the extensive international broadcaster network carrying coverage of the Italian F4 Championship and the E4 Championship.