German Formula 4 is making its long-awaited return in 2027 after a four-year break, and according to Motorsport.com, the championship is already experiencing a massive wave of demand. Organized by Gedlich Racing with DTM legend Kris Nissen serving as sporting director, the revived series will feature five rounds supporting the DTM alongside ADAC Racing Weekend events. The grid will be capped at 14 selected teams, though the organizers faced a fierce selection process after receiving applications totaling over 70 potential entries, leaving several established names turned down.
The financial blueprint for the category sees the car priced at just over 100,000 euros, while running costs are expected to land around 500,000 euros or more per season depending on the operation. Among the lucky 14 entrants is a surprise DTM team: Belgian outfit Comtoyou Racing, which scored the first two Aston Martin victories in DTM history this year with Nicki Thiim. Based in Gembloux and entering formula racing for the very first time, Comtoyou plans to run two cars, though no drivers have been announced yet.
The competition will feature some seriously heavyweight backing. LN4 Fusion joins the grid, a team co-founded by none other than Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris (yes, that Lando Norris). The team's name and number pay homage to the Briton's usual racing number four, echoing his own history in German Formula 4 back in 2015 when he competed for the Mucke team and took a race win at Spa. Another prominent entry is FS Motorsports, a Swiss-based outfit founded by BMW works driver and former DTM racer Augusto Farfus alongside motorsport promoter Mauricio Slaviero, utilizing the series as a platform for their FS Management driver agency.
Big names are also stepping up in the garage allocations, with Colin Kolles' Vanwall outfit joining forces with open-wheel racing legend Trevor Carlin. Operating out of the ByKolles facility, the newly formed Vanwall F4 Racing project plans to enter four cars, which hits the maximum permitted number for a single team. They are joined in running the maximum four-car allocation by Dutch outfit Van Amersfoort Racing—known for previously running current Formula 1 stars such as Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc—and German squad Mathilda Racing.
The complete 14-team lineup for the inaugural 2027 season consists of Van Amersfoort Racing, Mathilda Racing, Vanwall F4 Racing, LN4 Fusion, Jenzer Motorsport, Step Motorsport, Renauer Motorsport, CRAM, AS Motorsport, Dutt Motorsport, drive.solutions, Comtoyou Racing, PK Carsport, and FS Motorsports.
The provisional 2027 race calendar features seven rounds, kicking off at Oschersleben on May 7-9 alongside the DTM. Subsequent rounds include the Lausitzring from June 18-20, the Norisring from July 2-4 (to be confirmed), the Red Bull Ring on July 30-August 1, the Nurburgring on August 20-22, the Sachsenring on September 24-26, and the season finale at Hockenheim on October 1-3.
