Formula 4

Dome F110 on display in 2014

FIA Formula 4 is an open-wheel racing car category intended for junior drivers. There is no global championship, however individual nations can host their own championships to a world-wide set of rules and specifications.

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) saw a need for clearer career path and stepping stone for drivers. There are many drivers wishing to graduate from Karting but can not afford the higher costs of Formula 3. In March 2013, it was announced that the creation of a new category, Formula 4, intended to meet this need. Draft regulations were agreed at a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council on March 6.

FIA Formula 4 will start off in 2014 as a single-make category before morphing into a multi-make slicks-and-wings formula based on a carbon chassis. It will use 1600cc engines capped at 150 bhp. Each championship will use a single make of engine, but different manufacturers may build engines for the formula in different countries. The engines will be equalised so that one version of Formula 4 is not faster than another.The intention should bring the cost down to under €100,000 per year to compete.

Former Formula 1 driver, Gerhard Berger acting as the FIA Single-Seater Commission president announced the creation of the category.[1] It was noted that the market for national Formula 3 championships is very thin due to cost. In some countries, such as Italy, Formula 3 had been cancelled. In the place of the expensive categories, a number of separate categories have been created in several countries however there was no commonality between the cars from country to country. One such category is the similarly named British based BRDC Formula 4 which is unrelated to the FIA rules.

Homologated engines

Toyota 3ZR engine for the Japanese championship

To become an eligible FIA Formula 4 engine, the engine must meet the homologation requirements. According to the homologation requirements a FIA Formula 4 engine must last at least 10.000km and has a maximum purchasing price of € 9.500.[2] According to the FIA Formula 4 technical regulations only four cylinder engines are allowed. Both normally aspirated and turbo charged engines are permitted. The poweroutput has been maximized at 160hp. The engine displacement is unlimited.[3] Currently six engines from five manufacturers are homologated for use in the FIA Formula 4.

Manufacturer Italy Abarth Italy Fiat United States Ford China Geely Japan TOM's-Toyota
1.4L T-Jet 1.8L E.torQ 1.6 & 2.0L EcoBoost G-Power JLD-4G20 3ZR
Engine Type inline 4 inline 4 inline 4 inline 4 inline 4
Displacement 1.400cc 1.800cc 1.600cc 2.000cc 2.000cc
Valvetrain DOHC CVVT DOHC VVT DOHC
Crankshaft
Engine management Magneti Marelli Magneti Marelli Life Racing F88GDI4
Ignition system
Lubrication Dry sump
Cooling
Transmission Sequential Sadev six speed Sequential Sadev five speed Sequential Sadev six speed Sequential Sadev six speed Sequential Toda Racing six speed
Fuel Panta Racing Fuel

FIA Formula 4 Championships

Inaugural year Name Country Manufacturer/Type Engine Note
2014 Formula 4 Sudamericana Uruguay
Brazil
Argentina		 Signatech Fiat E.torQ 1.8L Successor of Formula Future Fiat
Italian F4 Championship Italy Tatuus F4-T014 Abarth 1.4L Replaces Formula Abarth
2015 F4 Japanese Championship Japan Dome F110 TOM'S-Toyota 2.0L Organized by GT–Association to host the Super GT. There is another JAF Japan Formula 4, organized by Japanese ASN JAF.
MSA Formula[4] Britain Mygale Ford 1.6L EcoBoost Replaces the British Formula Ford Championship
ADAC Formula 4 Germany
Austria
Netherlands 		Tatuus F4-T014 Abarth 1.4L Replaces the ADAC Formel Masters
China F4 Championship China Mygale Geely G-Power JLD-4G20 (2.0L) Organized by Narcar International Racing Development Co.,Ltd. to host the China Formula Grand Prix.
SMP F4 Championship Russia
Finland
Estonia 		Tatuus F4-T014 Abarth 1.4L Organized by SMP Racing, Koiranen GP, Finnish and Russian ASN — AKK-Motorsport and RAF.
Australian F4 Championship[5] Australia Mygale Ford 1.6L EcoBoost[6] New established series by Australian ASN CAMS.
TBA Spanish F4 Championship Spain Mygale Ford 1.6L EcoBoost New established series by Spanish ASN RFEDA.

Other Formula 4 Championships

BRDC Formula 4 Championship

The BRDC Formula 4 Championship is an entry level motorsport series based in the United Kingdom which began in 2013. Run by the British Racing Drivers' Club and MotorSport Vision, the series used identical cars built by Ralph Firman Racing and engines from Ford, before switching to FIA Formula 4 regulations in 2015, using the Tatuus F4–T014 chassis. Although run to the FIA's regulations, it is not recognised by the FIA as an official Formula 4 championship.

French F4 Championship

The French F4 Championship is a Formula Renault series, aimed at graduates young drivers graduating from karting. The championship uses Formula Renault 1.6 cars, an entry level category, and is open to drivers between 14 and 21 years.

JAF Japan Formula 4

Japan Formula 4 is a formula racing series in Japan. The series was founded in 1993 by the Japan Automobile Federation as a class between the FJ1600 series and the All-Japan Formula Three Championship. Japanese Formula 4 is an open formula, where competitors can choose the chassis and engine manufacturers.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106219
  2. ↑ "FIA Formula 4 Homologation Regulations" (PDF). FIA. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  3. ↑ "FIA 2014 Formula 4 Technical Regulations" (PDF). FIA. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  4. ↑ http://www.britishformulaford.co.uk/ford-and-msa-bring-fia-f4-concept-to-britain//
  5. ↑ "REGISTRATIONS OPEN FOR CAMS AUSTRALIAN FORMULA 4 CHAMPIONSHIP". cams.com.au. Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  6. ↑ "About CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship". cams.com.au (Confederation of Australian Motor Sport). Retrieved 3 March 2015.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Formula 4.