Kiara Henni gains experience on F4 CEZ debut in Spielberg

Racing for her family-run Henni Performance, Kiara Henni completed all three races on her F4 CEZ debut at Spielberg, gaining valuable experience, improving in pace and confidence throughout the weekend, and showing progression in mixed weather conditions.

Photo credits: F4 CEZ

Young German driver Kiara Henni, who has just made the transition from karting to formula racing, gained valuable experience and steadily improved her pace during her debut in the F4 Central European Zone at Spielberg, even as she continues to progress along the learning curve.

After trailing her rivals in qualifying for her debut with a lap time of 1:39.047, Henni lined up at the back of the 21-car field for her first-ever F4 race at the Red Bull Ring—a circuit known for its high speeds and constant elevation changes, making it one of the most demanding tracks, especially for rookies.

Henni had a cautious start, but this worked to her advantage when several cars collided in Turn 1, followed by more minor incidents in the opening corners. By staying out of trouble, she gained several positions. A safety car was deployed after a collision between Renauer Motorsport teammates at Turn 1, which saw Simon Schranz retire from the race.

Several drivers pitted with damage under the safety car, and Henni moved up the order. The race resumed with 16 minutes remaining, and Henni restarted in 18th place. When Paatz came through the field, Henni couldn’t match her pace and let her through. However, she reclaimed 18th place a lap later when Schropp had to pit due to damage.

Henni held this position to the finish, improving her personal best lap by almost 1.5 seconds with a time of 1:37.510—an encouraging result in her first race.

In Race 2, Henni again started from 18th. In cold and slippery conditions, she initially gained a position but was unable to defend it for long. Several drivers struggled with the grip, and Paatz slid into the gravel at Turn 3 after suffering a puncture, bringing out a safety car. Fortunately, it was a short intervention, and Henni maintained 17th place for several laps after the restart.

However, about 10 minutes into the race, Henni encountered trouble. Her car slowed near the pit exit after Turn 1, and she remained stationary for a while. Although she eventually continued, she lost nearly two laps after a pit stop and struggled to regain her pace. She crossed the finish line in 18th place.

The final race of the weekend began under mixed conditions, with the track still damp from earlier rain. Most drivers started on wet-weather tyres, and the race began behind the safety car. Fernandez stalled on the grid and had to start from the pit lane, while Herrera pitted early to switch to slicks.

Just as the safety car period was ending, an incident occurred: Nemec lost control in the final corner and crashed heavily, prompting another delay. Despite the crash, the green flag was waved as the field had already passed the pit entry, and the safety car wasn’t able to rejoin the group in time. A shortcut through the pit lane was used to position the safety car in front of the leader.

After 13 minutes, racing finally resumed. Henni improved to 17th but lost the position after one lap and dropped to 19th. With eight minutes remaining, Borenstein went off into the gravel, triggering the third safety car of the race. Henni moved up to 18th under caution and maintained that position after the restart.

On the final lap, Schropp collided with a Jenzer Motorsport teammate; though he made it back to the pits, he was handed a time penalty for dangerous driving. As a result, Henni was classified in 17th.

Although Kiara Henni didn’t score points on her debut weekend, she gained crucial experience, completed all three races, and steadily improved in pace and confidence—an achievement in its own right.