Portuguese motorsport driver Zdenek Chovanec dies at age 21

Portuguese motorsport is in mourning following the death of Zdenek Chovanec, a 21-year-old driver who, despite not being born in the country, competed under the Portuguese flag.

Originally from Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela, and of Czech descent, Chovanec arrived in Portugal at a very young age and began his motorsport career on national soil at the age of 14. He stood out in karting, progressed to Formula 4, and later competed in Formula 3. In recent years, he raced in touring car events.

Chovanec lived in Trofa, where he died last Saturday, 18 January. The circumstances of his death have not yet been disclosed.

Condolences from FPAK

In a statement on social media, the Portuguese Automobile and Karting Federation (FPAK) expressed its condolences:

"It is with deep sadness and dismay that we learned of the untimely passing of Zdenek Chovanec, a driver just 21 years old who competed under the Portuguese flag in recent years. He raced in the Portuguese Karting Championships before making the leap to an international career in single-seaters. To his family and friends, our heartfelt condolences."

Record offers its sincere condolences to the grieving family.

Funeral Arrangements

Zdenek Chovanec's funeral will take place on Thursday, 23 January, at 11:00 AM, at the Farewell Chapel of the Matosinhos Crematorium, followed by cremation at the Matosinhos Municipal Cemetery No. 2 – Sendim.

Motorsport Career

2020: Formula 4 Debut

Chovanec entered Formula racing in 2020, competing in the Formula 4 UAE Championship with Xcel Motorsport. He achieved two podiums and finished 7th in the standings. That same year, he also competed in the Italian Formula 4 Championship, invited by Bhaitech Racing, finishing 17th with 18 points.

2021: Formula 3

Chovanec made his Formula 3 debut in the Asian championship, first representing BlackArts Racing and scoring points in the third round. He later signed with Double R Racing for the Euroformula Open Championship. After limited success in the first five rounds, he moved to Charouz Racing System for the final five F3 rounds, replacing Reshad de Gerus. He finished second to last in the championship, with 20th place as his best result.

2022: Return to F3

Chovanec was again called up by Charouz Racing System to compete in F3, replacing Lirim Zendeli at Silverstone. In Spielberg, he was involved in an accident with teammate Francesco Pizzi. He was replaced in Budapest by Christian Mansell after a lackluster start to the season.

2023: Transition to Touring Cars

After three years without major success in Formula racing, Chovanec began the 2023 season in touring cars. Alongside Lance Bergstein and Aaron Walker, he competed for GetSpeed Performance in the Silver Cup class of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo. Racing under a Portuguese license, he withdrew from the season before the opening round. He later raced in the Ultimate Cup Series at Estoril with TS Corse in the LMP3 class.