# Valentin Kluss

Valentin Kluss (alternatively spelt Kluß, born 25 May 2007) is a German racing driver who last competed in the Eurocup-3 series for Campos Racing. He previously competed in the 2023 Italian F4 Championship with PHM Racing.

## Career
### Karting

Having been bought a kart by his father after completing the challenge of beating the laptime record at his local track by over a second, Kluss started competing in regional competitions at the age of six. After winning the Kart-Cup of his local federal state Baden-Württemberg in 2017, alongside the ACV Kart Nationals during the same year, Kluss progressed into national competitions, taking third in the Rotax Max Challenge Germany in 2018. He would spend the following three years in the junior category, where he won the Rotax Max Challenge in 2020, securing the title with five races to go, and the ADAC Kart Masters in 2021, both in the junior class. Kluss also took part in European series from 2019 onwards, managing to finish third in the Rotax Euro Trophy, as well as competing in the 2021 Karting World Championship with RS Competition.

### Formula 4
#### 2022

Having completed tests in Formula 4 with Teo Martín Motorsport at Aragón and at the Hockenheimring with Mücke Motorsport, Kluss progressed into single-seater racing in 2022 thanks to PHM Racing, a newly-founded non-profit racing organization. Having been introduced into the newly formed Motorsport Team Germany, Kluss competed with PHM in the ADAC Formula 4 Championship, whilst being loaned out to Jenzer Motorsport in the Italian F4 Championship. Due to his age, he would only make his debut in the second round of the latter series, where he immediately scored his maiden point in the rookies' championship. In the German Championship, Kluss scored points on debut at Zandvoort, although two collisions would lead to a pair of retirements the following day. More points would follow at the Nürburgring, before Kluss took his first ever podium in single-seaters during a rain-affected Race 3 at the Lausitzring, beating Rasmus Joutsimies by three thousandths of a second across the finish line.
Kluss was nominated by the German Motor Sport Federation as their Formula 4 representative for the FIA Motorsport Games held at the end of the year. He went on to finish sixth in the FIA Motorsport Games Formula 4 Cup.

#### 2023

In 2023 Kluss remained with PHM Racing to compete in the Formula 4 UAE Championship and the Italian F4 Championship. He finished the season tenth in the UAE championship and fifteenth in the Italian championship. In 2023 Kluss also joined MP Motorsport to compete in the Estoril round of the F4 Spanish Championship.

### Formula Regional

In October 2023 Kluss also joined Monolite Racing to compete in the final round of the Formula Regional European Championship at the Hockenheimring.

### Eurocup-3

In 2024 he joined Campos Racing for a full-time step up to the Formula Regional-level Eurocup-3 series. He had a slow start to the season, but managed to earn his first pole and podiums in Portimão with second and third. Kluss also took another third place during the second race in Zandvoort. After that, he scored in every race till the end of the season, meaning that Kluss finished sixth in the standings with 121 points, securing three podiums.

## Karting record
### Karting career summary

| Season | Series | Team | Position |
| 2015 | Baden-Württemberg Kart-Cup — Rotax Micro | Nees Racing | 6th |
| 2016 | Baden-Württemberg Kart-Cup — Rotax Micro | Nees Racing | 2nd |
| 2016 | Rotax Max Challenge Germany — Rotax Micro | Nees Racing | 11th |
| 2017 | Baden-Württemberg Kart-Cup — Rotax Micro | Nees Racing | 1st |
| 2017 | ACV Kart Nationals — Rotax Micro | Nees Racing | 1st |
| 2017 | Rotax Max Challenge Germany — Rotax Micro | Nees Racing | 6th |
| 2018 | Rotax Max Challenge Germany — Rotax Mini | Nees Racing | 3rd |
| 2018 | Rotax Max Challenge Clubsport — Mini | Nees Racing | 8th |
| 2019 | BNL Karting Series — Junior Max | RS Competition | 31st |
| 2019 | Rotax Max Challenge Germany — Junior | RS Competition | 10th |
| 2019 | Rotax Max Challenge Euro Trophy — Junior | RS Competition | 25th |
| 2019 | Rotax Max Challenge International Trophy — Junior | RS Competition | NC |
| 2019 | Rotax Max Challenge Clubsport — Junior National | RS Competition | 2nd |
| 2020 | BNL Karting Series - Kick-Off — Junior Max | RS Competition | 17th |
| 2020 | Rotax Max Euro Winter Cup — Junior | RS Competition | 25th |
| 2020 | ADAC Kart Masters — OKJ | RS Competition | NC |
| 2020 | Rotax Max Challenge Germany — Junior | RS Competition | 1st |
| 2020 | Rotax Max Challenge Euro Trophy — Junior | RS Competition | 3rd |
| 2020 | Rotax Max Challenge International Trophy — Junior | RS Competition | 13th |
| 2020 | Rotax Max Challenge Clubsport — Junior National | RS Competition | 2nd |
| 2020 | Deutsche Kart Meisterschaft — OKJ | RS Competition | NC† |
| 2021 | WSK Champions Cup — OKJ | RS Competition | NC |
| 2021 | WSK Super Master Series — OKJ | RS Competition | NC† |
| 2021 | Deutsche Kart Meisterschaft — OKJ | RS Competition | 8th |
| 2021 | ADAC Kart Masters — OKJ | KSM Official Racing Team | 1st |
| 2021 | CIK-FIA World Championship — OKJ | RS Competition | 58th |
| Sources: ||||
$^†$ As Kluss was a guest driver, he was ineligible to be classified in the standings.

### Complete Karting World Championship results

| Year | Team | Car | Quali Heats | Main race |
| 2021 | RS Competition | OKJ | 58th | DNQ |

## Racing record
### Racing career summary

| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | Position |
| 2022 | Italian F4 Championship | Jenzer Motorsport | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 21st |
| 2022 | ADAC Formula 4 Championship | PHM Racing | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 61 | 11th |
| 2022 | FIA Motorsport Games Formula 4 Cup | Team Germany | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 6th |
| 2023 | Formula 4 UAE Championship | PHM Racing | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 10th |
| 2023 | Italian F4 Championship | PHM Racing | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 15th |
| 2023 | F4 Spanish Championship | MP Motorsport | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 16th |
| 2023 | Formula Regional European Championship | Monolite Racing | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC† |
| 2024 | Eurocup-3 | Campos Racing | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 121 | 6th |
$^*$ Season still in progress.

### Complete Italian F4 Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | DC | Points |
| 2022 | Jenzer Motorsport | IMO 1 | IMO 2 | IMO 3 | MIS 1 15 | MIS 2 20 | MIS 3 23 | SPA 1 20 | SPA 2 15 | SPA 3 19 | VLL 1 16 | VLL 2 14 | VLL 3 15 | RBR 1 14 | RBR 2 | RBR 3 11 | RBR 4 16 | MNZ 1 8 | MNZ 2 20 | MNZ 3 C | MUG 1 16 | MUG 2 19 | MUG 3 12 | 21st | 4 |
| 2023 | PHM Racing | IMO 1 | IMO 2 6 | IMO 3 6 | IMO 4 6 | MIS 1 10 | MIS 2 18 | MIS 3 17 | SPA 1 11 | SPA 2 14 | SPA 3 10 | MNZ 1 27† | MNZ 2 6 | MNZ 3 12 | LEC 1 16 | LEC 2 14 | LEC 3 Ret | MUG 1 | MUG 2 | MUG 3 | VLL 1 | VLL 2 | VLL 3 | 15th | 34 |
$^*$ Season still in progress.

### Complete ADAC Formula 4 Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | DC | Points |
| 2022 | PHM Racing | SPA 1 | SPA 2 | SPA 3 | HOC 1 | HOC 2 | HOC 3 | ZAN 1 11 | ZAN 2 Ret | ZAN 3 Ret | NÜR1 1 8 | NÜR1 2 10 | NÜR1 3 Ret | LAU 1 Ret | LAU 2 4 | LAU 3 3 | NÜR2 1 8 | NÜR2 2 6 | NÜR2 3 7 | 11th | 61 |

### Complete FIA Motorsport Games results

| Year | Team | Cup | Qualifying | Quali Race | Main race |
| 2022 | Team Germany | Formula 4 | 3rd | 20th | 6th |

### Complete Formula 4 UAE Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Pos | Points |
| 2023 | PHM Racing | DUB1 1 4 | DUB1 2 9 | DUB1 3 19 | KMT1 1 9 | KMT1 2 7 | KMT1 3 4 | KMT2 1 7 | KMT2 2 5 | KMT2 3 18 | DUB2 1 Ret | DUB2 2 Ret | DUB2 3 15 | YMC 1 35† | YMC 2 14 | YMC 3 13 | 10th | 50 |

### Complete F4 Spanish Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | DC | Points |
| 2023 | MP Motorsport | SPA 1 | SPA 2 | SPA 3 | ARA 1 | ARA 2 | ARA 3 | NAV 1 | NAV 2 | NAV 3 | JER 1 | JER 2 | JER 3 | EST 1 Ret | EST 2 8 | EST 3 7 | CRT 1 | CRT 2 | CRT 3 | CAT 1 | CAT 2 | CAT 3 | 16th | 8 |

### Complete Formula Regional European Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | DC | Points |
| 2023 | Monolite Racing | IMO 1 | IMO 2 | CAT 1 | CAT 2 | HUN 1 | HUN 2 | SPA 1 | SPA 2 | MUG 1 | MUG 2 | LEC 1 | LEC 2 | RBR 1 | RBR 2 | MNZ 1 | MNZ 2 | ZAN 1 | ZAN 2 | HOC 1 Ret | HOC 2 19 | NC† | 0 |
$^†$ As Kluss was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score point.

### Complete Eurocup-3 results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | DC | Points |
| 2024 | Campos Racing | SPA 1 7 | SPA 2 C | RBR 1 19 | RBR 2 6 | POR 1 6 | POR 2 2 | POR 3 3 | LEC 1 7 | LEC 2 4 | ZAN 1 12 | ZAN 2 3 | ARA 1 7 | ARA 2 7 | JER 1 9 | JER 2 10 | CAT 1 9 | CAT 2 8 | 6th | 119 |