Oleksandr Bondarev Becomes Ukraine's First-Ever Formula 4 Champion: How It Happened

How the 2026 UAE4 Series championship went for the Ukrainian driver.

Ukrainian Williams Driver Academy pilot Oleksandr Bondarev won the UAE4 Series title, beating his closest rival, Frenchman Andy Consani, by eight points in the overall standings. The win marked the first-ever F4-level championship title in Ukrainian motorsport history.

The championship ran from January 17 to February 13 in the UAE and Qatar and consisted of four rounds. Here's how Oleksandr Bondarev's title run unfolded, in this DeTalks recap.

How Oleksandr Bondarev Fared at the UAE4 Series Championship

• At the opening round, held at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi, the Ukrainian converted pole position into a win in the very first race. In the second, 'reverse-grid' race, Bondarev finished sixth, and he closed out the final race in second. With that, Oleksandr immediately took the lead in the UAE4 Series overall standings.

• The Mumbai Falcons driver also started the second Abu Dhabi round with a win. The following race set an unwanted record for shortest duration — 3 minutes 28 seconds — after being stopped due to a crash and rain. Starting from 12th, the Ukrainian finished 10th. In the final race, Bondarev claimed his third win of the championship.

• At the third round in Dubai, Oleksandr battled British rookie Kenzo Craigie. He finished the first race in second, 0.402 seconds behind his rival. In the next race, the Ukrainian gained seven positions to finish just short of the podium, and on the first corner of the final race he passed Craigie to claim his fourth win of the championship.

• The final round of the UAE4 Series, held in Qatar, began for Bondarev with a podium — second place behind Consani. His points lead over the Frenchman meant the Ukrainian could clinch the title as early as the second race, but race control canceled the final lap due to a red flag, leaving Oleksandr in seventh instead of the fifth place that would have been enough to secure the championship.

• Thanks to a top-five finish in the championship's final race, Bondarev claimed first place in the 2026 UAE4 Series winter championship, finishing eight points ahead of his closest rival.

2026 UAE4 Series Overall Drivers' Standings

1. Oleksandr Bondarev, Ukraine — 191 points

2. Andy Consani, France — 183

3. Kenzo Craigie, Great Britain — 118

The Ukrainian's next start will be the Italian Formula 4 season, running May 8 to November 11, 2026, and consisting of seven rounds. Bondarev will also compete in three E4 Championship rounds in parallel.