Manson and Mulder Share the Spoils as Formula Trophy Malaysia F4 Opens on F1's Sepang Undercard
New Zealander Marco Manson and Dutch driver Juste Mulder won the opening Formula Trophy Malaysia races at Sepang, as Evans GP took a 1-2-3-4 in Race 2.
While the world's attention was on Formula 1, the next generation of single-seater drivers was also racing at Sepang International Circuit. Formula Trophy Malaysia, the Formula 4 series that revives the former Southeast Asian F4 championship, opened its 2026 season on the F1 support programme with two races over the weekend. New Zealand's Marco Manson won Race 1, and Juste Mulder of the Netherlands took Race 2 as Evans GP dominated.
Race 1: Manson charges through
Manson, the reigning New Zealand Formula Ford champion, started fourth for Pinnacle Motorsport. Asian Motorsport reported that he gained places at Turn 1 and then passed Mulder at Turn 4 to take the lead. He won the 11-lap race in 29 minutes 19.010 seconds and set the fastest lap, a 2:12.344 on lap 2.
Race 1 top five
- Marco Manson (Pinnacle Motorsport)
- Juste Mulder (Evans GP), +1.130s
- Ben Anh Nguyen (Evans GP), +2.179s
- David Cosma-Cristofor (Evans GP), +2.487s
- Inigo Anton (Axle Sports), +3.529s
Rafael Vaessen, Taisei Murakami, Sikong Chen, Anzhe Sun and Ginevra Panzeri completed the top 10.
Race 2: Evans GP lockout
Mulder bounced back in Race 2 to take his maiden car racing victory, leading home an Evans GP 1-2-3-4.
Race 2 top five
- Juste Mulder (Evans GP)
- Ben Anh Nguyen (Evans GP), +0.521s
- David Cosma-Cristofor (Evans GP), +2.897s
- Aaron Mehta (Evans GP), +4.525s
- Marco Manson (Pinnacle Motorsport), +6.919s
Manson crossed the line higher but received a five-second penalty for forcing Anton off the track at Turn 9. Nguyen, returning after a nine-month absence, set the fastest race lap of the weekend, a 2:11.583, and finished on the podium in both races. Singapore's Aaron Mehta took rookie honours.
Malaysia's representative
Pinnacle Motorsport's Imran Putera was the only Malaysian on the 22-car international grid, according to Asian Motorsport. He finished 10th in Race 2, collecting a top-10 result on home soil on the biggest motorsport weekend Malaysia has seen in years.
The field was notably international, with drivers from New Zealand, the Netherlands, Romania, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan, the Philippines, Italy and Denmark among others.
What comes next
All three rounds of the 2026 Formula Trophy Malaysia season are at Sepang. After this opener on 2–4 October, the series returns on 6–8 November and 11–13 December, according to Asian Motorsport. With six cars plus two more in its academy team, Evans GP already looks like the team to beat.
For local fans, the series offers an affordable way to watch future F1 hopefuls on the same 5.543km circuit that has just hosted a record F1 crowd.
Key takeaways
- Marco Manson won Race 1 from fourth on the grid.
- Juste Mulder won Race 2 as Evans GP took a 1-2-3-4.
- Ben Anh Nguyen finished on the podium in both races after nine months away.
- Malaysia's Imran Putera scored a top-10 finish in Race 2.
FAQ
What is Formula Trophy Malaysia? A Formula 4 series that replaces the former Southeast Asian F4 championship, with all 2026 rounds held at Sepang.
Who won the opening races? Marco Manson won Race 1 and Juste Mulder won Race 2.
When are the next rounds? At Sepang on 6–8 November and 11–13 December.
Sources: Asian Motorsport