Formula Regional Oceania Championship

Last updated
Formula Regional Oceania Championship
Formula Regional Oceania Championship logo.jpg
Formula Regional Oceania Championship
Category Open-wheeler racing
Country Oceania
Inaugural season2005
Drivers20 (2023)
Teams4 (2023)
Constructors Tatuus
Engine suppliers Toyota
Tyre suppliers Hankook
Drivers' champion Flag of Austria.svg Charlie Wurz
Teams' champion M2 Competition
Official website www.toyotaracing.co.nz
Motorsport current event.svg Current season

The Formula Regional Oceania Championship is New Zealand's premier formula racing category. The series includes races for every major trophy in New Zealand circuit racing including the New Zealand Motor Cup and the Denny Hulme Memorial Trophy. The cars are also the category for the New Zealand Grand Prix  – one of only two races in the world with FIA approval to use the Grand Prix nomenclature outside Formula One. The series was formerly known as the Toyota Racing Series until 2023.

Contents

Summary

Toyota Racing Management
Founded2004
Headquarters
Hampton Downs, Auckland
,
Area served
New Zealand
Key people
Nico Caillol
Sarah Brown

The Toyota Racing Series is an incubator and showcase for the next generation of New Zealand racing talent. The Series offers emerging drivers the chance to gain valuable experience with carbon-fibre composite chassis, aerodynamics and slick tyres.

The Series has the full endorsement of Motorsport New Zealand, the sport's governing body. Until the beginning of 2017, the series was managed by Toyota Racing Management a company under the leadership of Barrie Thomlinson.

Previously, the country's leading drivers had to go offshore to step up to this level. High-profile graduates from the series to date include Brendon Hartley, formerly in Formula One with Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, and Earl Bamber. [1] The series has also seen the likes of Daniil Kvyat, Will Stevens, Lance Stroll and Lando Norris compete on their way to Formula One.

For 2008, the series has also gone "green". Fuels for all cars racing in the series are now an E85 biofuel blend of 85 per cent ethanol made from whey, a dairy industry by-product; and petrol. Reduced emissions, reduced carbon "footprint" and reduced use of fossil fuels are all being showcased in this unique New Zealand programme. The 2008 New Zealand Grand Prix thus becomes the first ever biofuel grand prix in the world.

The former logo of the Toyota Racing Series, used until 2022. Toyota Racing Series.jpg
The former logo of the Toyota Racing Series, used until 2022.

The short summer series (five weekends in five weeks, all in January and February) during the Southern Hemisphere summer has made the series attractive to development drivers from the Northern Hemisphere, as the series takes place during the off-season, serving as single-seater motorsport's equivalent of professional baseball's "winter ball" leagues in the Caribbean and Australia. Drivers from both Europe and the Americas actively participate in the series, as it allows them to develop their skills in an atmosphere similar to the winter ball leagues. A June 2019 FIA World Motor Sport Council decision now allows development drivers to tally Toyota Racing Series with their regular series towards FIA Super Licence points required to be in a Formula One car, meaning the driver can participate in this series, then participate in a series that starts after the end of the Toyota Racing Series, and accumulate points from both series towards F1 approval. [2]

The series was renamed to Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship for the 2023 season, joining the other various Formula Regional series around the world. [3]

Circuits

The current championship consists of five rounds, each comprising three races.

NumberCircuitsRoundsYears
1 Flag of New Zealand.svg Manfeild: Circuit Chris Amon 20 [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2] 2005–2021, 2023–2024
2 Flag of New Zealand.svg Teretonga Park 17 [lower-alpha 3] 2005–2020, 2023
3 Flag of New Zealand.svg Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park 142006–2013, 2015–2019, 2023–2024
Flag of New Zealand.svg Hampton Downs Motorsport Park 14 [lower-alpha 4] [lower-alpha 5] 2010–2021, 2023–2024
5 Flag of New Zealand.svg Timaru International Motor Raceway 102005–2014
Flag of New Zealand.svg Euromarque Motorsport Park 10 [lower-alpha 6] 2005–2006, 2008, 2015–2018, 2024
7 Flag of New Zealand.svg Pukekohe Park Raceway 8 [lower-alpha 7] 2005–2007, 2009, 2020
8 Flag of New Zealand.svg Highlands Motorsport Park 4 [lower-alpha 8] 2014, 2019–2020, 2023–2024
9 Flag of New Zealand.svg Hamilton Street Circuit 2 [lower-alpha 9] 2008–2009

Car

Toyota Racing Series Car Engine TRS Engine.jpg
Toyota Racing Series Car Engine

2015–2019

The Toyota Racing Series ran a Tatuus FT-50 chassis with modified versions of 1.8L Toyota four cylinder 2ZZ-GE production engines which can produce 200bhp, a six speed Sadev sequential transmission with limited slip differential with a carbon fibre body and a Carbon monocoque chassis built by Tatuus in Italy to full FIA F3 specification. [4] The cars use Michelin S308 tyres (Front 20x54x13, Rear 24x57x13) and weigh approximately 480 kg.

2020–present

Tatuus FT-60 in 2021 New Zealand Grand Prix Matthew Payne during 2021 NZGP.jpg
Tatuus FT-60 in 2021 New Zealand Grand Prix

The Toyota Racing Series switched to a new chassis called Tatuus FT-60, identical to the Tatuus F.3 T-318 used in Europe, whereas the new engine 8AR-FTS will be a 2.0L turbocharged unit developing 270bhp. [5] The cars have halo for the protection purposes and it weigh approximately 665 kg with driver. [6]

Champions

Source: [7]

SeasonDriverTeam Poles WinsPodiumsFastest lapsPointsClinchedMargin
2005 Flag of New Zealand.svg Brent CollinsBrent Collins Motorsport14104937Race 18 of 1833
2005–06 Flag of New Zealand.svg Daniel Gaunt International Motorsport 5717101491Race 21 of 23479
2006–07 Flag of New Zealand.svg Daniel Gaunt International Motorsport 391681448Race 21 of 23328
2007–08 Flag of New Zealand.svg Andy KnightKnight Motorsport661621230Race 23 of 2333
2008–09 Flag of New Zealand.svg Mitch Cunningham Giles Motorsport751341110Race 17 of 18121
2010 Flag of New Zealand.svg Mitch Evans Giles Motorsport83105915Race 15 of 153
2011 Flag of New Zealand.svg Mitch Evans Giles Motorsport67145973Race 13 of 15168
2012 Flag of New Zealand.svg Nick Cassidy Giles Motorsport05104934Race 13 of 15176
2013 Flag of New Zealand.svg Nick Cassidy M2 Competition 02106915Race 14 of 15112
2014 Flag of Singapore.svg Andrew Tang Neale Motorsport1394794Race 15 of 154
2015 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Lance Stroll M2 Competition 04102906Race 14 of 16108
2016 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lando Norris M2 Competition 86115924Race 14 of 15135
2017 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Thomas Randle Victory Motor Racing3277855Race 15 of 155
2018 Flag of Russia.svg Robert Shwartzman M2 Competition 3193916Race 15 of 155
2019 Flag of New Zealand.svg Liam Lawson M2 Competition 45115356Race 15 of 1510
2020 Flag of Brazil.svg Igor Fraga M2 Competition 3493362Race 15 of 156
2021 Flag of New Zealand.svg Matthew Payne M2 Competition [8] 6595287Race 8 of 958
2022 Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2023 Flag of Austria.svg Charlie Wurz M2 Competition 4461343Race 15 of 1514

Multiple Winners

WinsDriverYears
2 Flag of New Zealand.svg Daniel Gaunt 2005–06, 2006–07
Flag of New Zealand.svg Mitch Evans 2010, 2011
Flag of New Zealand.svg Nick Cassidy 2012, 2013
WinsTeamYears
8 M2 Competition
4Giles Motorsport
1Brent Collins Motorsport
Knight Motorsport
Neale Motorsport
Victory Motor Racing
WinsCountryDriversYears
11 Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand Brent Collins2005
Daniel Gaunt 2005–06,
2006–07
Andy Knight2007–08
Mitch Cunningham 2008–09
Mitch Evans 2010,
2011
Nick Cassidy 2012,
2013
Liam Lawson 2019
Matthew Payne 2021
1 Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore Andrew Tang 2014
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Lance Stroll 2015
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom Lando Norris 2016
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia Thomas Randle 2017
Flag of Russia.svg Russia Robert Shwartzman 2018
Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil Igor Fraga 2020
Flag of Austria.svg Austria Charlie Wurz 2023

Trophies

The winner of the feature race of each round in the championship is awarded a trophy:

  1. Lady Wigram Trophy
  2. The Spirit of the Nation Cup
  3. The NZ Motor Cup
  4. Denny Hulme Memorial Trophy
  5. Dan Higgins Trophy
  6. The New Zealand Grand Prix Trophy

The overall winner of the championship (based on championship points) receives the Chris Amon Trophy [9]

Notes

  1. Manfeild Circuit hosted 2 rounds in 2005, 2007–08 season.
  2. Manfeild Circuit hosted New Zealand Grand Prix from 2008 to 2020.
  3. Teretonga Park hosted New Zealand Grand Prix from 2005 to 2007.
  4. Hampton Downs Motorsport Park hosted 2 rounds in 2021 season.
  5. Hampton Downs Motorsport Park hosted New Zealand Grand Prix in 2021 and 2023.
  6. Euromarque Motorsport Park hosted 2 rounds in 2005–06 season.
  7. Pukekohe Park Raceway hosted 2 rounds in 2005–06, 2006–07 season.
  8. Highlands Motorsport Park will host New Zealand Grand Prix in 2024.
  9. Hamilton Street Circuit hosted non-championship rounds in 2008 and 2009.

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References

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  2. FIA World Motor Sport Council June 2019
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  4. "Toyota - Toyota Racing New Zealand". Toyotaracing.co.nz. Retrieved 2015-03-12.
  5. "Toyota FT-60 hits the track" . Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  6. "Tatuus Cars". www.tatuus.it. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
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  8. "Unique New Zealand Grand Prix set to make history this weekend".
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