Red Bull junior Chiara Bättig graduates to British F4 with Hitech for 2026

"I feel ready to take the next step. British F4 is the right place for that and I’m looking forward to the competition and iconic British tracks" - Swiss rising star and Red Bull Junior Team member Chiara Bättig will make her full-time single-seater debut in the 2026 British F4 Championship with Hitech.

Photo credits: Red Bull

Swiss rising star Chiara Bättig will make her full-time single-seater debut in the 2026 British F4 Championship, after Hitech confirmed the newly signed Red Bull Junior Team member as part of its lineup. The move marks a major step in the 15-year-old’s career as she transitions from a decorated karting background into formula cars.

Bättig arrives with an already remarkable résumé. Based in Zürich, she dominated Swiss karting competitions, securing her third consecutive national title in the OK Junior category in 2024, collecting eight wins from fifteen starts. Her international record is equally impressive: she claimed pole position in OK at the 2025 CIK-FIA European Championship round at Campillos and consistently featured at the sharp end during the heats.

Career highlights include also the Red Bull Driver Search event in Estoril — where she drove a single-seater for the first time — ultimately earning a place in the Red Bull Junior Team.

To support her step into formula racing, Bättig is currently contesting the five-round F4 Saudi Arabian Championship, which has served as her first full campaign in cars. Her highly anticipated debut in the series came earlier this year in Bahrain, where the Red Bull junior immediately impressed by topping both practice sessions and demonstrating strong qualifying pace.

Although the races were marked by misfortune, she showed clear frontrunning speed and has since delivered five point-scoring finishes, including a season-best seventh in Jeddah, with one round still remaining. Alongside her car racing commitments, she continues to compete in the Champions of the Future Academy Program, where she currently sits second in the standings.

Looking ahead to 2026, her rookie British F4 season will build on these foundations, with Bättig aiming to accelerate her development and inspire other young female drivers following similar pathways into motorsport.

“I’m thrilled to join Hitech for 2026", said Bättig. "Karting has given me a great foundation and with the benefit of the F4 Saudi Arabian Championship experience, I feel ready to take the next step. British F4 is the right place for that and I’m looking forward to the competition and iconic British tracks, and of course Silverstone. I’m excited to get started and fight for strong results."

“Chiara brings an impressive track record in karting and the F4 Saudi Arabian Championship, and we’re excited to see what she can do in her first season", Hitech British F4 Team Manager Dominic Scott added. "The transition to single-seaters is a big step, but she has already shown that she’s ready for it. We’re looking forward to seeing her build momentum throughout the season.”

With support from Red Bull, and a place in one of the championship’s strongest teams, Bättig heads into 2026 as one of the most exciting female newcomers in single seaters.