Black, yellow and red… these are the colours which Lorens Lecertua will proudly wear from 26 to 30 October in the F4 Cup at the FIA Motorsports Games. The 15-year-old from Namur has been chosen by the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium, the Belgian federation, to represent his country during these “motorsport Olympics”. Lorens Lecertua has moved from karting to the French Formula 4 Championship for the 2022 season and is one of the young Belgian drivers to watch. At only 15 years of age, he is one of the youngest in the field, but that has not stopped him from already reaching the podium once or from fighting for a final top 10 in the French competition.
At the end of October, he will take on a new challenge by representing his country in the FIA Motorsports Games. “I will be competing in the F4 Cup, the Formula 4 competition,” Lorens confirms with a broad smile. “I would like to thank the Belgian federation, the RACB, for their confidence. For any sportsman to hear the anthem of his country on the podium is a real honour. I think that being part of the national team for a prestigious competition like the FIA Motorsports Games is also something very special...”
With 18 disciplines on the schedule (circuit, rally, karting, drifting and even virtual), the FIA Motorsports Games are the equivalent of the Olympic Games, but for motorsport. Inaugurated in 2019 in Italy, the concept disappeared from the 2020 and 2021 calendars due to the health crisis, but it is making a comeback in 2022. This time it is France, and more specifically the city of Marseille, which will be the host country from 26 to 30 October.
“The Formula 4 competitions will take place on the Circuit Paul Ricard, which has hosted the last four French Formula 1 Grand Prix,” says the driver from Sart-Bernard in the Namur province. “Luckily for me, this is also where the final of the French Formula 4 Championship is taking place this weekend. So I will not be facing the unknown.” Although the Belgian representative will have some experience of the circuit, he will have to become accustomed to a brand new single-seater. The KC MG-01 is a 635 kg F4 powered by a hybrid engine, supplied by the Hong Kong company KCMG. The 176 horsepower Abarth 1.4 turbo engine is boosted by 12 kW thanks to an energy recovery system. “I have obviously never driven a hybrid car, but most of my rivals will have, as this F4 is only used for the FIA Motorsports Games,” said the young Belgian.
When it comes to his ambitions, Lorens Lecertua is cautious. “The dream would obviously be to be to win a medal for Belgium,” he smiles. “But I know that I will once again be one of the youngest and one of the least experienced. So I will go there with the desire to do well, without putting unnecessary pressure on myself. It will be a great event to end my first season in motorsport and I would like to take this opportunity to thank my father, my mother, my coach Reshad de Gerus and all my sponsors who have given me the opportunity to be here. One thing is certain: I will give my best to wear my country's colours as visibly as possible!”