Francisco Macedo signs with Van Amersfoort Racing for Formula Regional
Van Amersfoort Racing (VAR) is pleased to announce that Francisco Macedo will join the team for the 2026 Formula Regional Middle East Trophy (FRME) and the 2026 Formula Regional European Championship (FREC). The 17-year-old continues to progress in his career, having participated in Formula Winter Series, Spanish F4 and Eurocup-3 previously.
Francisco was born in Braga, Portugal, and began his motorsport journey in karting, winning Portuguese karting championships in 2021, 2022 and 2023. He joined the European karting scene in late 2021, competing in the IAME Euro Series among other international events. In 2022 and 2023 he continued to race in major karting competitions, including the CIK‑FIA European Championship and the CIK‑FIA World Championship, contesting senior level events in 2023.
In early 2024, Francisco made his debut in single‑seater racing in the Formula Winter Series with Drivex before stepping up to compete in the 2024 F4 Spanish Championship, where he scored his first career points. Last year, he continued into Eurocup-3, standing on the podium in Paul Ricard and getting a fastest lap during this round. This step up to FRME and FREC will assist him in the future, having gained valuable experience in several types of machinery throughout the years.
Francisco Macedo – Formula Regional driver, Van Amersfoort Racing:
“I’m very pleased and excited to be joining Van Amersfoort Racing for the 2026 season. VAR has an incredible history of developing drivers, and it’s a team I’ve always looked up to. I’m really motivated to work with the team and give my best to achieve strong and top results together.”
Brad Joyce – Team Principal, Van Amersfoort Racing:
“We are pleased to welcome Francisco to Van Amersfoort Racing for the Formula Regional Middle East Trophy and the Formula Regional European Championship. He brings valuable experience from a range of junior categories across Europe and showed strong pace during previous test outings with the team. Joining VAR is an important step in his development, and we look forward to working with him as he continues to progress at Formula Regional level.”
The Formula Regional Middle East Trophy will kick off this weekend at Yas Marina Circuit, followed by another round at Yas Marina Circuit next week. The team will continue to travel to Dubai for the third round and finish the season in Qatar at Lusail International Circuit on 11-13 February. For the European Championship, the first event will take place from 24-26 April, where the drivers will battle it out on the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria. The season will take place on 8 iconic European circuits, alongside DTM and GT Open weekends.
Van Amersfoort Racing looks forward to working with Francisco and supporting his progress as he steps up into Formula Regional competition and encourages fans and partners to follow his progress through the upcoming season.
About Van Amersfoort Racing
Van Amersfoort Racing is a professional racing team based in the Netherlands. It was founded by Frits van Amersfoort in 1975. Since then, Van Amersfoort Racing has built a long tradition of supporting up-and-coming drivers on their way to higher levels. Drivers like Max and Jos Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Mick Schumacher, Kevin Magnussen, and Liam Lawson all raced for Frits van Amersfoort's team in the early stages of their careers before making it into Formula 1.