Maximilian Popov
Maximilian "Max" Popov is a Russian and Grenadian racing driver who is set to compete under the Italian flag in the Formula Regional European Championship for Trident.
Career
Karting
Popov began karting at the age of five, competing until 2023. In his karting career, Popov most notably finished runner-up in the 2022 WSK Champions Cup in the OK class with Ward Racing. With the same team, Popov also was third in the 2019 WSK Final Cup and 2021 Champions of the Future in the 60 Mini and OK-J classes, respectively.Formula 4
2024
Stepping up to single-seaters for 2024, Popov joined PHM AIX Racing to compete in the Formula 4 UAE Championship. In the five-round winter series, Popov scored a best result of 11th in the second race of the second Yas Marina round and ended the season 27th in points. For the rest of the year, Popov stayed with the team to compete in both the [2024 2024 Italian F4 Championship|Italian F4 Championship|Italian F4] and Euro 4 Championships. In the former, Popov scored a best result of eighth in race one at Barcelona, and ended the year 21st in the standings after taking three more points finishes. In Euro 4, he scored two ninth-place finishes at Mugello and Red Bull Ring to end the season 21st in points. During 2024, Popov also raced with the same team in the Red Bull Ring round of the Formula 4 CEZ Championship, in which he won race two.2025
In 2025, Popov switched to Van Amersfoort Racing for his sophomore season in Formula 4 competition. Starting off the year in Formula Winter Series, Popov finished third in the second race in the season-opening round at Algarve, before repeating the same feat at round later in race three at Valencia. In the following two rounds, Popov finished no higher than fourth as he ended the season sixth in points. In the Italian series, Popov started off the season with two second-place finishes at Misano and a third-place finish at Vallelunga, before not scoring points at Monza and only scoring a best result of fifth at Mugello to enter the second half of the season seventh in points. In the final three rounds, Popov finished third in race two at Barcelona and repeated the same feat in race one at Misano to end the year sixth in points. Popov also raced in the three-round E4 Championship for the same team, scoring a lone podium at Mugello en route to an eighth-place points finish.Formula Regional
2025
At the end of 2025, Popov joined the [2025 2025 Eurocup-3 season|Eurocup-3 season|Eurocup-3] grid to race in Barcelona with GRS Team. On his series debut, Popov finished 10th in race one, but wasn't eligible to score points as he was a guest driver.2026
At the start of 2026, Popov joined Trident to compete in the Formula Regional Middle East Trophy.Popov remained with Trident as he stepped up full-time to the Formula Regional European Championship.
Racing record
Racing career summary
Season still in progress.Complete Formula 4 UAE Championship results
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Pos | Points |
| 2024 | PHM AIX Racing | YMC1 1 26 | YMC1 2 17 | YMC1 3 22 | YMC2 1 14 | YMC2 2 11 | YMC2 3 14 | DUB1 1 24 | DUB1 2 20 | DUB1 3 23 | YMC3 1 28 | YMC3 2 19 | YMC3 3 25 | DUB2 1 18 | DUB2 2 16 | DUB2 3 26 | 27th | 0 |
Complete Formula 4 CEZ Championship results
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | DC | Points |
| 2024 | PHM AIX Racing | BAL 1 | BAL 2 | BAL 3 | RBR 1 3 | RBR 2 1 | RBR 3 7 | SVK 1 | SVK 2 | SVK 3 | MOS 1 | MOS 2 | MOS 3 | BRN 1 | BRN 2 | BRN 3 | SAL 1 | SAL 2 | SAL 3 | 11th | 46 |
Complete Euro 4/E4 Championship results
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | DC | Points |
| 2024 | PHM AIX Racing | MUG 1 12 | MUG 2 19 | MUG 3 9 | RBR 1 14 | RBR 2 9 | RBR 3 12 | MNZ 1 20 | MNZ 2 14 | MNZ 3 27 | 21st | 4 |
| 2025 | Van Amersfoort Racing | LEC 1 24† | LEC 2 6 | LEC 3 26† | MUG 1 3 | MUG 2 8 | MUG 3 16 | MNZ 1 4 | MNZ 2 7 | MNZ 3 14 | 8th | 45 |
Complete Formula Winter Series results
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | DC | Points |
| 2025 | Van Amersfoort Racing | POR 1 9 | POR 2 3 | POR 3 29 | CRT 1 5 | CRT 2 5 | CRT 3 3 | ARA 1 4 | ARA 2 4 | ARA 3 4 | CAT 1 21 | CAT 2 Ret | CAT 3 13 | 6th | 88 |
Complete Eurocup-3 results
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | DC | Points |
| 2025 | GRS Team | RBR 1 | RBR 2 | POR 1 | POR SR | POR 2 | LEC 1 | LEC SR | LEC 2 | MNZ 1 | MNZ 2 | ASS 1 | ASS 2 | SPA 1 | SPA 2 | JER 1 | JER 2 | CAT 1 10 | CAT 2 19 | NC† | 0 |
† As Popov was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points.
Complete Formula Regional Middle East Trophy results
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | DC | Points |
| 2026 | Trident | YMC1 1 3 | YMC1 2 8 | YMC1 3 6 | YMC2 1 | YMC2 2 | YMC2 3 | DUB 1 | DUB 2 | DUB 3 | LUS 1 | LUS 2 | LUS 3 | 27* | 4th* |