Pinnacle Motorsport and Van Amersfoort Racing collaborate to join F4 UAE and FRMEC for 2023 season

Motorsport outfits Pinnacle Motorsport and Van Amersfoort Racing have announced they are joining forces to enter one team, that will be named Pinnacle Var, into the Formula 4 UAE and Formula Regional Middle East Championship. 

Pinnacle Motorsport have experienced a fairly substantial amount of success in this part of the world, with the team finishing as runners up in 2020, 2021 and 2022 when the series was still named F3 Asia and Formula Regional Asian Championship.

They also increased their participation in this region last season, entering two cars in the Formula 4 UAE championship, however they were unable to rack up any points over the course of the season.

The team joining Pinnacle on this journey is Van Amersfoort Racing, a team that has a strong foundation and plentiful resources, and boasts one of the best reputations of any European team. 

The Dutch based team enters cars into various different European series’ such as Formula 2, Formula 3 and Formula Regional European Championship, and this new venture across the other side of the globe is an extremely exciting new chapter in the Van Amersfoort story.

Pinnacle Motorsport team director John O’Hara gave some insight into why the teams are collaborating for the 2023 season, “I’m looking forward to the new season in Formula Middle East and F4 UAE in our collaboration with Van Amersfoort Racing. We’ve a lot of respect for what they’ve achieved  and what they’re capable of.

“Now, we join forces with one of the best teams in Europe and hope to share not just knowledge and experience with VAR, but also race victories as we work together as one.”

Pinnacle VAR will enter a total of seven cars into the two championships for the 2023 season.

Indian driver Kai Daryanani will be joined by Australian Jack Beeton, in the permanent Formula 4 UAE seats, while Hiyu Yamakoshi and Brando Badoer, will share the final seat, with Badoer completing five of the race weekends and Yamakoshi the other two over the course of the season.

The Formula Regional Middle East Championship lineup consists of the returning Spaniard Pepe Marti, who will compete in rounds one and four of the championship, alongside Thai driver Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak, Niels Koolen from the Netherlands, and Rafael Villagomez from Mexico.

The brand new Formula Regional Middle East will visit three circuits over five events in just a span of six weeks. The series will make two stops at the Dubai Autodrome and one stop at the F1 Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. The highlight of the season is the Kuwait Motor Town in Kuwait. Opened in December 2019, the FIA Grade I Hermann Tilke-designed facility will host Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2023 championship.

VAR Racing CEO Rob Niessink also commented on the collaboration, “Pinnacle Motorsport shares the same passion towards driver development as we do, which makes them the perfect partner to team up with for both FRMEC and F4 UAE. Entering these championships was already on our radar, and we are excited that we were able to set up the partnership with Pinnacle Motorsport. 

“They have strongly established themselves, so joining forces will create a great opportunity to benefit from each other. It is yet again another new chapter for us, and we look forward to getting back to racing soon!”

Formula Regional Middle East / Formula 4 UAE 2023 Calendar

Pre-Season Test | January 9 & 11 (Dubai Autodrome, UAE)
Round 1 | January 13-14 (Dubai Autodrome, UAE)
Round 2 | January 27-28 (Kuwait Motor Town, Kuwait)
Round 3 | February 1-2 (Kuwait Motor Town, Kuwait)
Round 4 | February 11-12 (Dubai Autodrome, UAE)
Round 5 | February 18-19 (Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi)