While the world of Formula 1 and the World Endurance Championship have run hybrids since 2014, other series are looking to introduce the technology into their racing programmes in the next set of regulations. Thanks to Covid-19, those plans have now largely been delayed in all categories, but the entry level Formula 4 has already achieved their introduction.
The story behind how this car came about is fascinating. The original intention of FIA was to run a F4 World Final, bringing together the best drivers and teams from the US, European and Asian Formula 4 series in a single shootout at the Macau Grand Prix in November. If this sounds familiar it should, the circuit has hosted just such an event for Formula 3 since 1983.
However, as Formula 3 regulations separated around the world and reduced the impact of the World Cup at Macau, so did Formula 4 regulations, with each region using different chassis and there is a huge weight difference between them all. To bring them together under one grid was not going to be possible, so another solution was sought.
World Cup
The concept of an F4 World Cup then reared its head. This was the FIA-backed Olympics of motorsport, called the FIA Motorsport Games. Organised by FIA and Stéphane Ratel’s SRO, it was held for the first time in Rome, Italy at the end of October 2019. There, national teams were pitted against each other in various forms of motorsport, with the idea of trying to recreate the multi-discipline nature of the original Olympics. This was a perfect opportunity to create an F4 shootout, but there was still a need for a common car.
This story is from the June 2020 edition of Racecar Engineering.
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This story is from the June 2020 edition of Racecar Engineering.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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