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Racing driver, 21, dies as tributes paid to former F1 prodigy who starred in F3

A former Formula 3 driver has tragically died at the age of 21 as the championship and motorsport world paid tribute to the young talent taken too soon

[zdenek chovanec]

Zdenek Chovanec has sadly died

A former Formula 3 driver has tragically died at the age of 21.

Zdenek Chovanec's sad passing was announced by F3 and the motorsport world has come together to mourn the loss of a promising young talent.

Chovanec, who was born in Venezuela with Czech roots and lived in Portugal since his youth, died in Trofa, Portugal, where he was regarded as one of the country's best young talents in motorsport. His cause of death has not been disclosed.

[Zdenek Chovanec]

Zdenek Chovanec raced in F3

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A statement from F3 said: "Everyone at FIA Formula 3 is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Zdenk Chovanec, who competed in the Championship in 2021 and 2022

"Our thoughts are with Zdenks family, friends, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing him."

Fans paid tribute in the comments section, with one user saying: "Very sad news. Condolences to his family and friends. RIP young man." A second said: "RIP", while a third added: "Very sad. RIP"

Chovanec began kart racing in Portugal in 2018 and was quickly moved into formula racing, making his United Arab Emirates Formula 4 series and Italian Formula 4 Championship debut in 2020.

The following year he moved to the Euroformula Open, where he was a regular points scorer. And in 2022 and 2023 he raced in F3 as part of the F1 calendar with the Czech Charouz Racing System team.

However, Chovanec was unable to score any points and he turned his attention to endurance racing. He was due to race the full GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup with Mercedes-AMG in 2023, but he withdrew from the programme after the test sessions.

His final career start came in September 2023 when competing at his home circuit of Estoril in the LMP3 class of the Ultimate Cup Series for TS Corse.

In January 2025, he was listed among entrants at Fast Track Racing for a pre-season test at Daytona International Speedway for the ARCA Menards Series.

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