Vietnamese driver Alex Sawyer will join BlackJack Racing for the opening round of the FIA F4 Chinese Championship, held on the sporting bill of the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit on April 20/21.
With a background primarily in FIA karting, 16-year-old Alex Sawyer made history as the first Vietnamese driver to win in an FIA-sanctioned event, finishing fifth in the 2023 F4 Indian Championship drivers’ standings. He will be making his F4 Chinese Championship debut in Shanghai, equipped with the experience of having raced the new Mygale M21-F4 car, newly introduced to the series.
Alex Sawyer becomes the third driver announced for the team, joining Chinese drivers Jiang Faking and Li Sicheng as part of BlackJack Racing’s lineup. The joint effort between BlackJack Racing and Asia Racing Team is poised for further success after a remarkable 2023 season, where they secured the second position in the teams’ standings in the inaugural F4 South East Asia series.
Speaking about joining the team, Alex Sawer said, “I’m excited to be participating in the upcoming round of Chinese F4 in Shanghai. It’ll be a cool experience racing at a track like Shanghai, and especially it being on the same weekend as the F1. It is a great opportunity for the team and I, hopefully we can make the most of the chance we have and push on.”
Curiously, Alex Sawer finds himself under the mentorship of Mitch Gilbert, a former Malaysian FIA F3 and GT driver. Gilbert, who took his initial single-seater strides with Asia Racing Team almost two decades ago, now guides Sawyer’s journey in the racing world.
Team Principal Jack Pack said, “It is with great pleasure that we welcome Alex and our old friend Mitch. We are privileged to assist Alex in developing his racecraft and achieving racing results in the Asian region.”
The FIA F4 Chinese Championship kicks off with two practice sessions on Friday, April 19th. On Saturday morning, cars hit the asphalt of the Chinese FIA Grade 1 circuit for a 25-minute qualifying session, followed by the opening race in the afternoon. The weekend concludes with a second 30-minute race plus one lap on Sunday morning.
