Motorsport
The family business: The ex-F1 driver's son on the road to Formula 1
The son of a former Formula 1 driver is beginning to make his own name in motorsport as he takes the first steps on a potential path towards F1.
Noah Monteiro, the 16-year-old son of former Jordan and Midland driver Tiago Monteiro, currently leads the F4 Spanish Championship after the opening three rounds of the 2026 season.
The Portuguese youngster heads into this weekend's fourth round at Jarama with 100 points, six clear of Nacho Tuñón and eight ahead of Andrej Petrovic.
Formula 4 remains only the beginning of a long journey towards the top of motorsport, but Monteiro is already showing plenty of promise as he looks to follow in his father's footsteps.
Who is Noah Monteiro?
Noah Monteiro is a Portuguese racing driver currently competing in his first full season in the F4 Spanish Championship.
Like many young drivers with ambitions of reaching the highest levels of single-seater racing, Monteiro began his career in karting before making the transition into cars.
He is now competing in one of the first major categories on the traditional single-seater ladder, with Formula 4 providing young drivers with an early platform to develop their careers.
His surname, however, will already be familiar to some Formula 1 fans.
Noah is the son of former F1 driver Tiago Monteiro, who raced at the highest level of motorsport during the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
Who is Tiago Monteiro?
Tiago Monteiro is one of the most significant figures in Portuguese motorsport and a former Formula 1 driver who competed in 37 Grands Prix across the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
He made his F1 debut with Jordan in 2005, becoming the first Portuguese driver to race in Formula 1 for almost a decade.
His defining moment came later that season at the United States Grand Prix, when Monteiro finished third at Indianapolis to become the first Portuguese driver in history to stand on a Formula 1 podium.
It was one of the most unusual races in F1 history, with only six cars taking the start after the Michelin-equipped teams withdrew over tyre safety concerns.
Monteiro took his opportunity, finishing behind Ferrari pair Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello to secure a landmark result for Portuguese motorsport.
AFP PHOTO / DDP MICHAEL KAPPELER
His rookie season was notable for more than the podium. Monteiro finished 18 of the 19 races in 2005, setting a record at the time for the number of Grands Prix completed by a rookie in a single season.
He remained with the team when Jordan became Midland in 2006 before leaving Formula 1 at the end of the season and subsequently building a successful career in touring cars.
Monteiro therefore became a trailblazer for Portuguese motorsport at the highest level. More than two decades after making Portuguese F1 history, his son is now beginning his own journey through the single-seater ranks.
Noah Monteiro leads Spanish F4 title race
Noah has made an impressive start to the 2026 F4 Spanish Championship and arrives at Jarama at the top of an extremely close title race.
The Portuguese driver leads with 100 points, but there is little room for error.
Nacho Tuñón is second with 94 points, Andrej Petrovic has 92, Rocco Coronel sits on 87 and Nathan Tye has 86.
That leaves the leading five drivers separated by just 14 points heading into three more races at Jarama.
Spanish F4 has become an important proving ground for young drivers taking their first steps in single-seater racing.
Former champion Nikola Tsolov is among those to have subsequently progressed further up the ladder, establishing himself as a leading junior prospect as he leads the FIA Formula 2 championship, and has been linked vociferously with a move to Formula 1 with Racing Bulls.
For Monteiro, a strong 2026 season could provide another opportunity to take the next step.
Could Noah Monteiro follow his father to Formula 1?
There is still a long way to go before Formula 1 becomes a realistic prospect for Monteiro.
Formula 4 is near the beginning of the single-seater ladder, with young drivers typically needing to progress through several further categories before reaching F1.
For those who continue to perform, that journey can eventually lead towards Formula 3 and Formula 2 before an opportunity at the highest level becomes possible.
That makes Monteiro's championship-leading start significant, even if the 16-year-old remains at an early stage of his development.
More than two decades after Tiago became the first Portuguese driver to reach an F1 podium, Noah is now trying to discover just how far his own journey can take him.
How to watch Spanish F4 on DAZN
The F4 Spanish Championship returns this weekend at the Circuito de Madrid Jarama-RACE on August 22-23.
Three races take place across the weekend, with all times below in CEST:
- Race 1: Saturday, 5pm CEST
- Race 2: Sunday, 11:50am CEST
- Race 3: Sunday, 2:20pm CEST
Fans can watch Spanish F4 live on DAZN in available territories.
To find Spanish F4 on DAZN:
- Open the DAZN app on your smart TV, phone, tablet, games console or streaming device, or access DAZN through a web browser.
- Sign in or create a DAZN account.
- Search "F4 Spanish Championship".
- Select the Jarama event from the results.
- Choose the live race you want to watch.
