Formula 4 Australian Championship

Last updated

Formula 4 Australian Championship
Australian F4 Championship logo.jpeg
The first iteration of the Formula 4 Australia Certified by the FIA Championship
Category FIA Formula 4
CountryAustralia
Malaysia
RegionOceania
Asia
Inaugural season 2015
Constructors Mygale (2015–2019)
Tatuus (2024)
Engine suppliers Ford (2015–2019)
Stellantis FIRE (2024)
Tyre suppliers Hankook (2015–2019)
Giti (2024)
Drivers' champion Flag of Australia (converted).svg James Piszcyk
Teams' champion Flag of Australia (converted).svg Team BRM
Official website https://www.f4aus.com/
Motorsport current event.svg Current season

Formula 4 Australian Championship Certified by FIA is an Australian motor racing series for open-wheel cars complying with FIA Formula 4 regulations. The inaugural championship, known as the CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship, was organised from 2015 to 2019. The series was revived by a new promoter in 2024.

Contents

Formula 4 was developed and certified by the FIA as the first step out of karting in the FIA Global Pathway from Karting to Formula One; as such, the category is designed for junior drivers seeking a professional career in motorsport.

History

In November 2013, the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) announced that it would introduce the FIA Formula 4 category to Australia. This was followed on 12 March 2014 [1] by the official launch of the Australian F4 Championship. Australian F4 cars were to use the French Mygale chassis and Ford EcoBoost engine, [1] and the series would comprise seven rounds in conjunction with V8 Supercars events. [2] Cameron McConville was the original Category Director, with Karl Reindler as Driver Coach and Driving Standards Observer for the championship.

Australian recreational vehicle manufacturer Jayco was confirmed as the championship's title sponsor in December 2014 as part of a three-year agreement from 2015 onward.

The first round was held at Townsville on 11 July 2015. AGI Sport's Will Brown was the category's first race winner, with Team BRM's Jordan Lloyd claiming the overall round victory.

Lloyd would then go on to secure the inaugural championship and a $150,000 prize courtesy of Jayco's Road To The World initiative, which assisted Lloyd in securing a USF2000 seat in 2016. Lloyd also received a European Formula 3 test courtesy of Carlin Motorsport.

The series struggled for grid numbers from the outset. The first round had 13 cars and that grid size would not be exceeded until 2019 and then only once. The 2018 season never had more than eleven cars and all bar one round of the 2019 season had only eight cars. On the 4th of September 2019, it was announced that the series would not be contested in 2020 but there was a possibility it could continue in the future. [3] Jack Doohan and Oscar Piastri, the two Australian racing drivers who have reached Formula One who started racing during this period, chose to race in overseas F4 championships rather than locally.

On 28 November 2023, it was confirmed that China-based Top Speed, which promotes the Formula Regional Middle East Championship, Formula Regional Asian Championship and Formula 4 championships in the Middle East and South East Asia regions, will promote the revived Formula 4 Australian Championship. The revived series will be a Southern Hemisphere autumn to winter series (May to September) as the cars will be sourced from the other series organised by Top Speed. This will allow either the Middle East or South East Asia champions to participate and gain further Superlicence points under FIA policies. Four rounds will be held in Australia, with a spring final in Malaysia. [4]

Car

The original championship featured Mygale designed and built cars constructed of carbon fibre and featuring a monocoque chassis. Power is provided by a 1.6-litre turbocharged Ford EcoBoost engine. [5]

The revived championship used the Tatuus F4-T421 chassis with the Abarth engines. [4]

Champions

Drivers

SeasonDriverTeamRacesPoleWinsPodiumFast lapPointsMargins
2015 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jordan Lloyd Flag of Australia (converted).svg Team BRM 21512181144154
2016 Flag of Australia (converted).svg William Brown Flag of Australia (converted).svg Team BRM 184613431645
2017 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Nicholas Rowe Flag of Australia (converted).svg AGI Sport2178161137878
2018 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jayden Ojeda Flag of Australia (converted).svg AGI Sport21514171541258
2019 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Luis Leeds Flag of Australia (converted).svg AGI Sport188917836599
2024 Flag of Australia (converted).svg James Piszcyk Flag of Australia (converted).svg AGI Sport126910825681

Rookie

SeasonDriverTeam
2015 Flag of Australia (converted).svg William Brown Flag of Australia (converted).svg AGI Sport
2016 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Simon Fallon Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dream Motorsport
2017 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ryan Suhle Flag of Australia (converted).svg Zagame Motorsport
2018 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lochie Hughes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Team BRM
2019 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Luis Leeds Flag of Australia (converted).svg Team BRM

Circuits

NumberCircuitsRoundsYears
1 Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit 6 [a] 2015–2019
Flag of New South Wales.svg Sydney Motorsport Park 62015–2019, 2024
3 Flag of Queensland.svg Queensland Raceway 42015–2018
Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg Sandown Raceway 4 [b] 2015–2017
Flag of South Australia.svg The Bend Motorsport Park 4 [c] 2019, 2024
6 Flag of Queensland.svg Surfers Paradise Street Circuit 32015–2017
7 Flag of Tasmania.svg Symmons Plains Raceway 22016, 2018
Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg Winton Motor Raceway 2 [d] 2018
9 Flag of Queensland.svg Townsville Street Circuit 12015
Flag of New South Wales.svg Homebush Street Circuit 12015
Flag of Western Australia.svg Barbagallo Raceway 12017
Flag of New Zealand.svg Pukekohe Park Raceway 12018
Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg Albert Park Circuit 12019
Flag of Malaysia.svg Sepang International Circuit 12024
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg Dubai Autodrome 12024

Notes

  1. ↑ Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit hosted 2 rounds in 2019.
  2. ↑ Sandown Raceway hosted 2 rounds in 2017.
  3. ↑ The Bend Motorsport Park hosted 2 rounds in 2019 and 2024.
  4. ↑ Winton Motor Raceway hosted 2 rounds in 2018.

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References

  1. 1 2 "CAMS LAUNCHES AUSTRALIAN FORMULA 4 CHAMPIONSHIP AT AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX". CAMS. 12 March 2014.
  2. ↑ "CAMS announces exciting new Formula 4 teaming with V8 Supercars".
  3. ↑ "Australian Formula 4 to be axed after 2019". www.motorsport.com. 4 September 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  4. 1 2 van Leeuwen, Andrew (28 November 2023). "Formula 4 to be relaunched in Australia". Speedcafe . Speedcafe Pty . Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  5. ↑ Test driving F4: the new pathway to Formula One, www.smh.com.au Retrieved 21 December 2015

See also

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